Updated March 9, 2021
Selling your home fast can be a stressful process if not done properly. But it doesn’t have to be stressful! It can be a quick and easy process, especially in the current seller’s market we are experiencing.
Once you decide to sell your home, most of us want to get it sold right now, today, quick! Does that sound familiar? I’m sure. After all, are there any advantage in taking a lengthy time to sell? I don’t think so.
In the current market, homes on the market more than a week or two and certainly 30+ days are considered “stale”. Real estate agents and their clients often overlook “stale” listings/properties for showings. If they are shown, buyers often think there’s something wrong with these properties because they haven’t sold quicker, which encourages them to make lower offers. And as homes continue to stay on the market, real estate investors and wholesalers see them as low-ball offers opportunities. A chance to “steal” a home significantly under market value.
On the flip side while your home is listed on the market for sale, you, as a seller, have to keep maintaining the property at peak appearance, making the monthly mortgage and insurance payments, and delaying your move to that next home.
Of course, you don’t want to be in this position!
You want your home sold quickly, don’t you? But, you don’t want to give it away. Any agent will tell you that you can get a quick sale simply by lowering your price far enough. I’m sure you’ve seen the real estate agent’s advertising claiming they will personally purchase the property if it doesn’t sell. Which really means— If your property is significantly lowered, even the agent will buy the place! All the world loves a bargain.
Yes, you want a quick sale, but you also want a fair price, hopefully the top price your home can bring. Hence, selling your home quickly is not your only goal. Your other goal is getting top dollar for that home. The real question is how do you get both—a quick sale and top dollar?
Over the years, we have helped hundreds of homeowners like yourself reach their goals and see a better future. Here are a few tips to get your home sold fast (and for top dollar)!
Sell Your House Fast – 5 Tips
Make Necessary Repairs
One of the first tips I suggest to sell your home is to make necessary repairs! What are “necessary” repairs?
I consider necessary repairs to be things that need to be repaired that are easily fixable. Make sure to do these repairs before having any buyers look at your house. This could range from having a leaky faucet to having broken tiles to scratches in a wood cabinet. All of these repairs can be easily done and cheap! Make sure to check everything in your house including electrical wiring and plumbing so there are no surprises when the buyer inspects the house.
However, don’t over improve. Most people shopping for a house would rather plan their own major changes or updates, and you are usually wiser to sell them the potential at a price they can afford.
Don’t worry! I never advocate spending a lot of money to prepare your house to sell unless your home is in grave disrepair. (Hopefully that’s not you!) Typically, the time and money spent to get your home ready for market will be nominal. When you begin preparing your home, create a “to do” list as you go along keeping in mind the importance of first impressions.
In the event you do not have the time to do the repair work, consider hiring a professional: it could save you time and money later. And a few hundred dollars well spent might be the best investment you’ll ever make. Remember, you need to think like a buyer now and have a buyer’s critical eye.
Set The Price Right
Research has proven that price drives traffic (showings) and pricing a property correctly when first listed will attract the most potential buyers to your home. An overpriced property will result in fewer showings. Fewer showings will result in fewer opportunities to receive an offer for your home.
If you want to sell your house in a timely manner, make sure that you’re setting the price right! This is where you research what you think is fair compared to the market prices. Make sure to look at the prices of comparable homes in the area, especially with the different features in your home, you can price your house higher than others.
written by Dana Ash-McGinty.
Price can sometimes be a moving target. That’s why it is so important to understand what the market is doing and how the market is currently trending (shifting up, down, balanced, or staying flat).
I’m sure you’ve heard of Buyer’s Market vs. Seller’s Market. Simply put, a Buyer’s Market is when supply (number of homes for sale) outpaces demand, and a Seller’s Market is when demand outpaces supply. Put another way, in a buyer’s market there are more homes than there are buyers, and in a seller’s market there are fewer homes than there are buyers.
Price is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay for a property. Ultimately, at the end of the day, market price is set by the buyer. Therefore, it is imperative to discover exactly what buyers are currently paying for a home as similar as possible to yours.
Shave 15% Off The Selling Price
Another suggestion when selling your home is to shave 15 percent off of the selling price and you will have an abundance of bidders. You will create a buyers frenzy, especially in a strong sellers market. This strategy takes a lot of courage, however it could really pay off in the end.
Depersonalize Your Home
One of the best tips to sell your house is to depersonalize it! When buyers walk through and see all of your personal things in the house, it makes it harder for them to imagine themselves living there. What any person selling their home should do is take out 1/3 of your personal items out of the house. This includes family photographs, memorabilia, and other personal items. Hiring a home stager is a great idea too, as they will maximize your space by arranging furniture accordingly.
While decluttering, cleaning, painting, and minor repairs will prepare your home for sale, staging is the process of showcasing your house for sale. Homes that are professionally staged sell 79% faster than similar homes that are not. Staging works for one very simple reason. The vast majority of buyers can’t envision themselves in a property when they look at it. I’m talk- ing 80-90% percent of the population and maybe more! It’s just human nature! Remember, buying a property is an emotional decision for most people and this vast majority of buyers need help to see a house as a home they can live in. That help is Staging.
Make Sure You Have Curb Appeal
The last tip to selling your house is making sure you are giving a great first impression. Make sure to have curb appeal. This is a very easy task and can be done by simple things including mowing the lawn, keeping the sidewalks cleared, painting your front door, and making sure the numbers to the house are visible and easy to read.
It’s estimated that more than half of all homes are SOLD before buyers even get out of their cars. Try this — Stand across the street from your home and review its “curb appeal”. Are there any things you can do to improve the very first impression?
An exterior photo is typically used as the main and initial listing photo for your home. Buyers typically will see this photo first, so you want to entice prospective buyers from the very start. From the very first photo.
Here’s my curb appeal go-to list:
- A little bit of landscaping goes a long way. Boost your home’s curb appeal by trimming back your shrubs and greenery, planting flowers or low shrubs, and mowing the lawn.
- Go outside your property lines. Give some attention to the sidewalk or alley near your home. Take a few minutes to clean up any debris.
- Give your door a cleaning or a fresh coat of paint.
- Replace the welcome mat.
- Upgrade your house numbers . (There are various modern options available at Home Depot and Lowes.)
- Make front porch attractive. A potted plant can breathe new life (and color!) into an otherwise dowdy entry or doorway. Replace any dated-looking outdoor furniture with something new and fresh or consider spray painting dated furniture.
- Light up the walkway. Lining your front walkway with solar lights can help brighten the experience of anyone who looks at your your home in the late afternoon or evening.
These five tips are easy things to do and will tremendously help anyone selling a home!
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written by Dana Ash-McGinty.
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