Common questions
What families ask us.
The questions below come up in almost every first conversation. If yours is not here, ask us directly and we will answer it straight, whether or not it leads anywhere.
The first questions
The house is full. Do we have to empty it before calling you?
No. Most families call us before anything has been sorted. We coordinate the sorting, donations, junk removal and cleaning as part of the process, paced around your family’s needs.
We live outside Ontario. Can you handle an estate property from a distance?
Yes. We act as your local point of contact in York Region. We meet contractors, oversee work, send photo updates and coordinate every appointment so you don’t need to travel for each step.
Does the home need renovations before it can sell?
Usually not. We recommend only the repairs and refreshing that genuinely improve the sale price, usually cleaning, paint and small fixes, and we coordinate the trades for you.
What does the first conversation cost?
Nothing. The first step is a private, no-obligation conversation about the home and what your family needs. You decide the pace from there.
If you are adult children
See the whole plan for this situation
Does the house have to be emptied before you will list it?
No, and please do not empty it first. Most families call us before anything has been sorted. The clearing is part of what we coordinate.
What if my parent changes their mind partway through?
Then we stop, and it happens more often than you would think. We do not charge anything for stopping. What you would still owe is the work that has already been done: if the painters have painted or the movers have moved, those invoices stand, and we would tell you where things sit before anything else is booked. Nothing already paid for is wasted either, because the home is in better shape than it was.
My siblings do not all agree. Can you help with that?
Yes. We put the numbers and the options in writing so everyone is looking at the same information, and we are happy to join a family call so you are not the one relaying it all.
How long does the whole thing usually take?
It depends almost entirely on the size of the home and how much is inside it. A condo or a small bungalow that has been kept on top of can be a matter of weeks. A large house lived in for forty years, with a basement, a garage and an attic, is a different job and is usually two to four months from first conversation to sold. The sorting is what varies, not the sale. We will give you a realistic range after we have walked the home, and it can be compressed if the timing is urgent or stretched out as long as you need.
If you are executors
See the whole plan for this situation
Do we have to wait for probate before selling?
You can usually list and even accept an offer, but closing generally needs probate to be complete. Your estate lawyer will confirm for your situation, and we will plan the timing around it.
I live out of province. How much will I need to travel?
Usually not at all. We meet every trade and crew, send updates as we go, and documents are signed electronically. Some executors never see the property during the process.
Who pays for the clear out and the repairs?
Those costs are normally borne by the estate, and they are agreed with you in writing beforehand. Speak to the estate lawyer about how and when they are paid.
What happens to the things nobody in the family wants?
We arrange donation to local charities where possible, with receipts, and removal for the rest. You receive a record of what left the property.
If you are long-time homeowners
See the whole plan for this situation
Do I need to find my next home before I sell this one?
Not necessarily, but you should know what you are looking for and what it costs. We will map the timing with you, including what happens if the dates do not line up neatly.
Do I have to pay for the repairs and staging up front?
You only pay for services you choose, and you see quotes before anything starts. Talk to us about timing, because there is often flexibility in when costs land.
Is it worth preparing the home, or should I just sell "as is"?
Sometimes "as is" genuinely is the right answer, and we will say so. It depends on three things. What the work would actually add to the sale price, which is rarely what people assume. Whether the money to do it is available now, since preparation is paid up front and recovered at closing. And whether you have the time and the appetite to have trades in the house at all, which matters more if you are doing this from out of province, working full time, or caring for someone. We price it both ways before you decide: what the home would likely fetch as it stands, and what it would likely fetch prepared, with the cost of that preparation itemised. If the gap does not justify the work, we will tell you to sell it as it is.
What if I go through all this and decide to stay?
Then you stay, in a home that is tidier and in better repair, and it happens more than you would think. You owe us nothing, because our fee is only earned when a home sells. What would still be payable is any work already carried out: if the painters have painted or the trades have been in, those invoices stand. We would go through exactly where things sit before you decide, so there is nothing to find out afterwards.
If you are just thinking ahead
See the whole plan for this situation
Is it too early to be talking to a real estate agent?
Not at all. A good portion of the people we talk to are a year or more away, and some decide not to move at all. We would rather be useful early than pushy later.
Will I be pestered with calls afterward?
No. We will send occasional useful things if you have said yes to that, and you can stop it any time with one reply.
How often should I update the valuation?
Every year or two is plenty while you are planning, and again right before you decide to do anything.
Does any of this cost anything?
The valuation, the walkthrough and the advice cost nothing. You only pay for services you choose, if and when you decide to move ahead.
Still wondering about something?
Ask us. There is no cost to a conversation and no obligation at the end of it. If the answer is that you should stay where you are, we will tell you that too.