Home Closing with Confidence: Essential Dos and Don’ts for Sellers
Published on 20 December 2023 in Blog Ottawa homes or sale Tips by
Last updated on November 20th, 2025 at 09:41 am
The home closing process can feel like an emotional and mental rollercoaster. You are packing up memories, looking for a new home, and juggling inspections, showings, and staging—all at the same time. Whether you’ve sold a home before or this is your first time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you need to do during the closing process. At Results Realty, we help Ottawa homeowners navigate this challenging time with confidence and clarity so that you can focus on your next move. This guide will help you avoid common mistakes and increase your chances of selling your house quickly without skipping over any important details.Dos of Selling Your Home
Selling a home can be complicated, but there are a few things you can do to ensure the process goes smoothly. When you’re selling your home, here are some top tips to keep in mind:1. Use a Real Estate Agent
A real estate agent can save you time and money during the sale of your home. Choosing someone local means they know the market well and can walk you through important steps related to price, inspections, and staging. For example, an agent familiar with Kanata may know that a family‐friendly four-bedroom in a newer subdivision is attracting tech-sector buyers and commanding higher prices than older homes nearby. At Results Realty, we’ve found that using an agent gets sellers’ homes sold faster and for the best price compared to going it alone.2. Set Realistic Expectations on Price
While you want to get the most money possible for your home, it’s important to remember that there are plenty of factors that determine its value. Do your due diligence when setting your price that attracts buyers but also doesn’t turn away people who might be interested in making an offer. Keep in mind that over-pricing your home can backfire: the listing sits too long, buyer interest drops, and you may end up reducing the price anyway. When you work with an agent, they will run a comparative market analysis (CMA) based on recently sold homes in your neighbourhood to set a realistic price that creates urgency and avoids “stale listing” syndrome.3. Consider Having Your Home Inspected
Having a home inspection done can reveal plenty of information about your house. For example, it might reveal issues you’ll want to fix before putting it on the market. By addressing problems ahead of time, you avoid last-minute hiccups and demonstrate transparency to buyers. At the same time, a pre-listing inspection can highlight your home’s best features (like recent mechanical upgrades or insulation improvements), so you can emphasize them in marketing.4. Prepare Your Home for Sale the Right Way
Ensure that your home is presentable when you have it up for sale. It should look picture-perfect enough that a new family can easily see themselves living there. Tend to the yard, even in the winter, and consider staging the inside with furniture that is modern and clean. Consider budget-friendly updates, such as:- A fresh coat of neutral paint in the main living areas
- Decluttering personal items
- Ensuring that lighting makes rooms feel bright and welcoming.
Bonus Tip: Make a Great First Impression
Clean, bright spaces photograph better and attract more interest. A freshly cleaned front entrance, a welcoming foyer, and tidy staging all help buyers envision themselves living there—and that emotional connection can translate into stronger offers.
Don’ts of Selling Your Home
There are a few mistakes that many homeowners make when closing a home sale. These mistakes can make it harder to finish the deal with a buyer, delay the process, or even reduce the final sale price. Here are some things to avoid:1. Don’t Rush Your Home to Market
You could be tempted to get your home up for sale as soon as possible, thinking it will sell quickly. But you may need to do repairs or wait a few months for a better economic time to list. For example, listing in winter when fewer buyers are active (except in select Ottawa neighbourhoods) may reduce competitive tension. Conversely, spring and early fall tend to be busier and generate more offers. Working with a real estate agent allows you to use their knowledge of market trends and data to your advantage. They can let you know which repairs are worth the investment and the ideal time to list.2. Don’t Put Your Home Up for Sale Without Market Research
Market research can be a tedious part of selling a home, but its importance can’t be overstated. You need to know what other homes in your neighbourhood are selling for, the average time they’re remaining on the market, and what’s making some houses sell faster than others.- Do you live in a family-oriented neighbourhood where close proximity to schools or transit matters?
- Do buyers expect a finished basement or updated kitchen?