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Canada is known for its almost overarching politeness, and that can carry over into the real estate realm, too. Amidst all the bustle of selling your home, buying another, and planning the move, sellers may wonder how to best leave their home for the next owners.
Some of this is already decided as part of your deal with the buyers, but maybe you want to pass on some additional handy tips you’ve learned about your home?
Aside from contractual considerations (typically, items like appliances and objects permanently mounted in and on your home are included in the sale) you may want your buyers to feel welcome in their new home. It’s natural (not to mention very Canadian) to want them to enjoy this space as much as you did.
With that in mind (and taking our inspiration from this TikTok from Anna Benson), we’ve prepared a short list of ways you can personalize your home sale to make the new owners’ transition as smooth and hospitable as possible.
Neighbourhood resource package
Putting together a resource package is a particularly helpful favour you can pay forward if your buyers are new to the area. Knowing the locations and contact information for places like clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and schools is not only practical, it may help to provide a sense of ease during the hectic days of moving in. It’s one less detail for the new owners to research themselves.
Include information like emergency services, household supplies, community resources, recreation opportunities, and any other information that may be valuable, like the location of the nearest waste management facility if your home is in a rural area.
Cleaning up
This may seem to be common sense for many, though it can sometimes be an afterthought when you’re consumed with the details of your own move. You’re not obligated to perform a deep clean unless that’s been negotiated. Generally, broom cleaning is the accepted standard. But if you’re able to leave the space spick and span for the new owners, it’s a great way to help them start their new chapter in life on the right foot.
Identifying unusual “quirks”
In this day and age of smart homes and remote controlled devices, a new home might be a mystery when the buyers are faced with a handful of remotes and tech. Perhaps this one controls the ceiling fan, and that one is for outdoor lights. Maybe there’s an app for that.
Maybe you have a non-intuitive switch plate with multiple switches. Get out a pad of sticky notes and label any items that may not be immediately obvious. Even explaining which way a bolt or nut tightens can be helpful.
Expand the labels
Don’t be afraid of over-explaining! Perhaps you have a stock of paint cans standing by for repairs and patches. Sure, they make sense to you, but the new owners may simply see them as garbage you’ve left behind if they don’t know that this can is the paint from the front bedroom, while that can matches the window trim. Sticky notes to the rescue again.
Identifying labels can also be a valuable way to bridge the seasons. How you use your garage in the summer may be different than how it’s used in the winter. Same goes for other storage spaces around the home. Leaving notes about out-of-season storage is immensely valuable down the road as the new owners prepare for seasonal changes and home maintenance. Letting the new owner know “this is where we kept the snowblower for easy access” or “our patio furniture fit well under the deck” can alleviate a lot of stress through the year.
A personal welcome
Who doesn’t appreciate a thoughtful gift basket? Add this to your neighbourhood resource package to make an impactful visual greeting for the new owners. It could be as simple as a bottle from a local distillery, brewery, or winery, or perhaps a basket of cheese, fruit, and meats— something to nibble on through moving day. Add a personal note of welcome and perhaps a favourite memory of their new home.
What to share and when
You’re legally obligated to share latent defects with buyers before closing the home sale agreement. These are problems that aren’t easily seen and can include things like foundation cracks, mould in the attic, or plumbing leaks with no obvious signs.
A note that says “this door creaks when it’s too humid outside” is probably fine, but a note that says “roof leaks when it rains, this is the bucket we use to catch the drips” would not be.
Buyers, on the other hand, have an obligation to perform their due diligence prior to a home purchase, and this often includes hiring a home inspector to spot latent defects or potential red flags.
There’s no obligation outside the purchase and sale agreement to help welcome the new buyers to their new home. But, making that extra effort could be the gesture that saves their moving day or lets them hit the ground running in their new neighbourhood. And hey, it just feels good, eh?
