How to Sell Your House Fast

If you’re planning to sell your home, you should know it’s important to sell it fast. The longer a house is on the market, the less valuable it becomes.

Put yourself in a buyer’s shoes. If you saw a house on the market for twice as long as other houses, wouldn’t you be suspicious? Is there something horribly wrong with that house? Is it overpriced?

4 Ways to Sell Your Home Quick

If your home is on the market for an extended period of time, you might have to lower the price. But the damage could already be done. Buyers might perceive it as undesirable. On top of that, you might sell it at a lower price than you originally planned to.

The question now is, how do you avoid that? That’s where this article comes in. Here’s what you need to do to make sure your house sells fast.

1. Hire a solid real estate agent

There are certain tasks you can do on your own, like unclogging a sink or changing your car’s oil. But there are some tasks better left to professionals. Selling your house is one of them. It requires certain knowledge and a set of skills. Selling your home includes:

• Knowing what price to put out.
• Getting the word out.
• Negotiating with clients and buyers’ agents.
• Being familiar with market trends in your area.

On top of that, you’ll be cleaning and repairing your house. Simply put, it’s time-consuming and difficult to sell a home. So hire a professional. It costs money (usually a commission of the sale), but it’s worth every penny. Hiring an agent saves a lot of time and headaches.

Start by searching for listing agents on Google. There will be a couple of options in your area. Then start to vet them. Usually, agents and brokerages display a lot of information on their websites. Of course, you’ll eventually want to meet them in person.

Here are a few questions you want to ask:

• How many years of experience do you have?
• Can I have 3 references from past clients?
• Will you have time for me with your current workload?
• What kind of communication can I expect from you?

The answers will give you a fair idea if an agent is right for you. A good listing agent is a powerful ally. They have the same goal that you do – sell this house quickly for a great price. And they have the experience to do it.

2. Price your house just right

The single most important decision you will make in this process is setting a price. The economics are the same for every market. Price too high and no one will buy. Price too low and you lose money. On top of that, it looks bad if your house has a low price. Suspicious buyers might ask, “Is something wrong with that home?”

It’s difficult to tell what your house is worth. There’s a temptation to sell it at the same price you purchased it for. But that’s not always the appropriate price.

There’s another temptation to intentionally overprice your house. Sellers do this because they factor in price negotiation. To be sure, negotiating the price does happen. However, overpricing your home can scare buyers away and prolong its time on the market.

Again, if your house stays on the market for too long, it loses value. You may be forced to lower the price below your original target goal. It may look wise to start high, then work your way down to a reasonable price. But it could backfire and cost you more money in the long run.

This is where your agent comes into play. Good agents have intimate knowledge of your area’s market prices. They know the trends – when to sell and who to sell to. They can identify your home’s strong points and sell them well.

Agents do many important things for you. But if all they did was properly price your house, they would still be worth hiring.

3. Make your house sellable

Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and break a sweat. With the help of your agent, you should know exactly what needs to be done. Your agent can help with decorative and staging tips. Talk with your agent and compile a to-do list for your house. Prioritize the list. Do the most important item first, then work your way down the list.

Remember, you’re selling something. So make it look good. If you were shopping, would you buy something that was presented poorly? How does a used-car filled with trash and covered in bird poop sound to you? Or a wrinkly jacket piled on the floor?

Apply the same principles to your house. Make it presentable. If you’re not a tidy person, reach deep inside of you and find your inner neat freak. This is important. Potential buyers want a clean, functional, and kept home.

You have two options when showing your home – vacant or occupied. If it’s occupied, you want to declutter your home. Here’s a list of ideas to get those brain juices flowing:

• Go through all your clothes and sort them. Donate or trash undesired clothes. Organize the rest in drawers.
• Repeat this process with books. Sort them, donate undesirables, and organize the rest.
• Discard all papers that are not in use. Compile important papers into one location.
• Continue this cycle with major categories of items. Do this with CDs & DVDs, electronics, kitchen supplies, etc.

Set an alarm on your phone for trash day. This way you remember to take out as much garbage as possible. Take full advantage of yard sales and resale shops like Goodwill. If necessary, rent a storage space to store bigger items and furniture. This will make your home feel spacious.

Don’t forget to declutter and organize your closets. Buyers tend to open them because they want to know how much closet space they’ll have. And put away personal items and belongings, such as family photos. Buyers might see these items and have a hard time picturing themselves living in that house.

Next up is updating your home:

• Paint your walls.
• Update light fixtures.
• Replace carpeting.
• Update appliances.
• Hire a landscaper.

You may not be able to afford all of these activities, but do them as you’re able. They give your house a new, fresh look for buyers. Appearance is huge, so don’t neglect it.
Now it’s time for deep cleaning. Every room. Every floor. Make sure to eliminate any unpleasant odors. You may not have enough time, so don’t be afraid to enlist help. If you have kids put them to work. Also, consider hiring a professional cleaner.

4. Advertise well

Your agent will take care of most of this, but you can help. Remember, you and your agent are a team. Both of you have the same goal.

Advertising online is non-negotiable. The world is still increasing their online activity. And the internet is becoming more sophisticated every year. Tons of buyers search for homes on their computers and phones.

Some websites are listings of houses for sale. You can add yours to the collection. You can also use social media to advertise your home. There are Facebook groups just for the occasion.

After making your home beautiful, consider hiring a professional photographer. Great photos help buyers tremendously. Again, put yourself in their shoes. If you’re looking at houses online, good photos make a big difference.

Buyers want to know as much as possible before they physically visit your house. So provide pictures of the exterior of the house as well as every room inside. Virtual tours are becoming more popular as well. Providing professional photos and a virtual tour looks extremely professional. It gives your house a modern and new look.

When it comes to physical signs, put a large, clear sign that your house is on sale. Make sure people walking and driving by cannot miss it. Don’t settle for a tiny sign that will blow away when the wind gets too strong.

Another option to consider is doing an open house. Not every home is suitable for an open house. Some properties are too remote. But the only way to be sure is to try one. If no one shows up, you know that’s not the way to sell your home. You’ll have to pursue other avenues.
Hard work pays off

There’s a lot that goes into selling a house fast. You need to be willing to put in time, energy, and money. At times you’ll have to hire professional help. Here’s the bottom line: it’s hard work to sell a house fast.

But here’s the good news. If you do it right, you’ll sell your house no problem. Having a house that doesn’t sell can induce stress and anxiety. You can avoid all of that by following these instructions.

Selling a house can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Put in the work and save yourself a lot of headaches.

Then you can move on to the step in life with peace of mind.