Many times our clients want to list their home and sell it fast because they have found another home they want to buy quickly. Sometimes that works and sometimes that doesn’t. Even in a seller’s market there are some key things to consider about your existing house to sell it quickly.
One of the hardest things for most sellers is to realize that their home is a product competing with other products on the market. Emotional attachment and memories make this one aspect of the home transaction difficult for many. So once you can overcome that one obstacle, you can move on to these 6 tricks to help get your home under contract.
1. Stage the yard
When someone pulls up to your home the first thing people see is the yard. The “curb appeal” of your home is literally just that — the appeal of the impression of the home from the curb. Your yard, not you’re the color of your foyer, makes the first impressions. So take the time to remove any weeds, rake leaves, trim hedges and plant new flowers to enhance the first thing a prospective buyer will notice.
2. Clean until you can’t clean anymore
The power of walking into a clean house, inside and out, can’t be emphasized enough. Start outside the house by pressure washing the walls and cleaning the windows. You may not even need to repaint the exterior after this is done.
Then get into every corner and crevice to remove dust, grime or dirt inside your home. Kitchens and bathrooms will be noticeable to the buyers immediately and the cleaner yours is the better the impression on buyers. Buyers are more likely to pay your asking price or more if your home appears move-in ready.
3. Remodel or upgrade
The smallest improvements; new trim (door and window casings, baseboard, crown molding), new paint and new flooring all create a fresh new look around the home at the most minimal cost. If you don’t have a huge budget — start there! If you have the money or need to do some bigger repairs then move on to upgrading appliances, fixtures (lights, faucets, etc.) and replacing windows. These will all make the home look newer and nicer, which helps the home sell faster. Anything else should be only be done if required or absolutely necessary. Save your money to invest in your own future home.
4. Declutter and stage the home
We know you love to collect tea cups and that photo of your kids at 3 is extremely adorable, but unfortunately they don’t do a good job of selling your home. Remember that your home is a product to buyers. So when you get ready to show your house, you should already go through putting that stuff away. The more you can de-clutter your home by removing unnecessary furniture or “things” the easier it is for the buyer to visualize themselves in that home one day and helps make the rooms feel larger. Then look around at the remaining items and see if they look put together and seemless. Staging is often associated with high cost, but even staging a home with your own belongings can help move the home faster than by leaving it undressed. Remember impressions are everything.
5. Use professional photography and marketing
If you need to sell your home fast then hire a professional photographer to take pictures of your home in the best light and at the best angle. The majority of buyers actually get the first impression of your home from one of many online websites where they browse through your photos before they ever drive up to the curb. Since 90% of buyers shop online first, it is key to have great pictures or your curb appeal will go unnoticed. Good marketing online is essential to getting a house under contract quickly! Professional photos will be seen by buyers through the MLS and consumer real estate portals. All of which are designed to get buyers to fall in love with and buy the home.
6. It’s all about the bottom line – Price
Good agents analyze recent sales and select a price that is designed to entice buyers to make offers. Bare in mind that valuing your home is not like pricing a car or TV. Your listing price is usually not the same as your offer price. Ideally you hope to attract multiple offers that allow you pick the best one. Pricing a bit low tends to make your home more visible to more potential buyers and gets them in the door. Once they get there, all the work you put in will help you generate the offers.
For more tips or suggestions about how to get your home ready for sell, don’t hesitate to reach out to our resale team and tap into their years of experience. We are always glad to help! You can reach us at 678-207-1505!
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Tips modified from 6 things that’ll help you sell your home faster from Inman by Bryan Robertson
