We often deal with clients who, for various reasons such as an upcoming marriage, divorce, a growing family or a move out of town for a new job will ask, ?How can I sell my house fast??
While there is no guarantee, there are several steps that a seller can take to help their house sell as efficiently as possible. Some helpful guidelines include:
- Show it well
- Market it well
- Price it well
Here are a few other suggestions in greater detail:
- Declutter the house. When a potential buyer comes to look at the house, the last thing he or she wants to see are cluttered rooms. If necessary, rent a storage unit to temporarily store some of your belongings. (read our article?”Staging tips for home sellers” for more information. )
- Ask your realtor for helping staging your home, or hire a professional stager, and have an experienced photographer take great shots of your house and property. Whether buyers are looking online or in person, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
- Hire the right Realtor to represent you. Ask family and friends for recommendations, and then conduct interviews. Make sure you select a Realtor that you are comfortable dealing with and has firsthand knowledge of your neighborhood and community.
- Price it right. Your Realtor should do his or her homework and determine a priced based on current market conditions and comparable housing sales ? not guesswork.
- Spread the word. Do you use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? If so, use these platforms to promote your home sale to your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors.
- Remove personal items from the house. Potential buyers want to picture themselves in the house, not you and your family. If your home is filled with personal items and family photos, it?s best to put them away until you?ve found a new home for them.
- Make small repairs and upgrades. Go through every room in the house and see if there are one or two things that need attention and are also a quick fix. And don?t forget to give each room a good cleaning. Dirt and odors will scare away many potential buyers.
- Bright is good! Add some high-wattage lightbulbs and, if possible, apply a fresh coat of paint using a light and neutral color.
- Don?t neglect the outside. Depending on the time of year, make sure the lawn is freshly mowed and the trees and bushes are trimmed of overgrowth. In the winter months, make sure the driveway and walkways are cleared of ice and snow.
- You can often help the process move quickly by setting a hard deadline for offers. If buyers truly like the house, they will likely come in with a strong first offer.
- Offer some incentives such as including the appliances in the sale, or maybe a flat screen television or the lawnmower and snowblower.
As you can see, there are many answers to the question, ?How can I sell my house fast?? In the end, much of it depends on how well you and your Realtor prepare and market the house. For more information on how we can help, please contact The Olear Team today.