You’ve probably seen enough HGTV shows to know that selling a house can be tough. It takes weeks, sometimes months for the perfect buyer to come along and then they often lowball you with an offer that leaves you wondering why you even bothered in the first place. If you’re tired of living in limbo, here are some expert tips on how to sell your home fast.
Hire The Right Real Estate Agent
Hiring a real estate agent is going to cost you anywhere from six to seven per cent of the total sales price, but that’s a small price to pay if it means getting your house sold quickly. A good agent has direct access to listing databases in different States. If you live in North Carolina for instance, your agent could link you with a “we buy houses” company in Charlotte, NC for more options. A good one understands what buyers are looking for and knows when it’s time to drop the asking price in order to move the property.
Price It Right From The Start
Another reason why homes linger on the market is that they’re priced too high. If you list a three-bedroom home at $150,000 when comparable properties in the area have been selling for closer to $125,000, don’t be surprised when your property sits there for months on end. If you’re not willing to budge on the asking price, at least be flexible on some of the closing costs that often put off buyers.
Stage The Home
If you want to sell your home fast, stage it professionally before you even put it up for sale. A clean and well-decorated three-bedroom house will always fare better than an empty one with stained carpets and peeling kitchen cabinets. You don’t necessarily need expensive furniture; just make sure everything looks neat and put together. It might cost you a bit more upfront, but staging can help attract multiple offers which lead us to our next point. Tips for staging your house include creating focal points with lighting and window treatments. Use light-coloured curtains and window treatments that will draw attention to windows/areas of interest in a room. For additional lighting, strategically place lamps and other types of light fixtures throughout the house to highlight various areas.
Another key element in home staging is using colour to draw attention to a particular area. If you’re selling a house with a beautiful garden, paint the front door a bright, bold colour to make it stand out, while painting the interior walls neutral colours which will make them appear larger and taller.
Working With A Designer
If you don’t have time or expertise in home decorating, working with a designer could be an option for sprucing up your living space. Designer fees can range anywhere from $500 – $5,000 depending on where you live and how much work is required. When working with a designer, you get the added benefit of having someone on your team who knows how to stage and prepare your home for sale. The key is finding the right fit; make sure they understand what type of property you’re selling (i.e., bungalow, condo, semi-detached) and that they include renovation details in their design plans if you want to do some updating before the sale goes through.
Be Flexible On Closing Dates
When selling your house fast, be flexible with closing dates. Closing dates are often set at least 30 days after an offer has been accepted by the seller. When there’s no buyer coming along any time soon or when you have another place lined up but it’s not ready to move into, be willing to accommodate a closing date that works with the buyer. For example, if they need more time to find financing and your new place is ready in three months, you could close on the home after two months.
Offer Negotiable Closing Costs
If you’re selling your house fast so you can purchase another before your lease is up or if you just want out of the current predicament as quickly as possible, offering buyers some flexibility on closing costs can help. After all, it’s one less thing for them to negotiate with their lenders and it might even help with getting them approved faster than expected. Just be sure that both parties put this agreement into writing before moving forward.
Get Rid of Clutter
One of the best ways to make your house look better is clearing out the clutter by putting away what you don’t need. If you haven’t used something in over six months, chances are it’s not going to be useful during showings. The same goes for the stuff that collects dust and ends up cluttering your closets and cabinets. While no one wants to enter a home and feel suffocated, you should also avoid giving buyers the impression that they’re walking into a museum or an empty home waiting for their personal touch to fill it with life again.
If possible, move all of the furniture out of each room or at least into another room to make your home appear larger. If that’s not possible then remove some pieces to open up space in a large room or place some neutral furnishings throughout your rooms to make them appear larger as well.
Fix Any Issues
Buyers are always afraid that something might be wrong with the house even though they don’t know what exactly they should look out for. Fixing early on will help them feel more at ease, making them feel confident about the purchase. This includes little things like repairing door handles or tightening knobs on kitchen cabinets. While not all buyers will take this extra step, it’s worth it to make your house more appealing to others especially if you’re selling it quickly.
Pay Attention To Detail
The majority of buyers are looking for specific features in their next home—three bedrooms, two baths, a garage, etc. But you needn’t make any repairs or upgrades before selling your place. This is because while you’re busy putting on lipstick to make an ugly pig look somewhat attractive, another property that’s move-in sits idle waiting for someone who’s interested in the same general features. The only things that are important are detailed within your listing itself, which should include how many bedrooms and bathrooms, living area size, amenities available, etc.
Finding a good realtor is only half the battle – if that much. You’ll still want to put as much effort as possible into staging your property so potential buyers can picture themselves living there rather than feeling like they’re walking into a fixer-upper that requires an extraordinary amount of work. When it comes to selling your home fast, hiring the right agent and getting it ready for showings is just as important as accepting any offer that comes your way.