How to Sell Your Home as Quickly as Possible in Any Market
Trying to sell your home fast can be frustrating, and you don’t want to watch weeks go by without any decent offers. If you need to make your home stand out to encourage offers, there are many things you can do to help sell your home quickly. By applying the following tips from Lucent Property Inspections, you can make your house stack up to the competition and grab potential buyers fast.
A pre-sale home inspection can boost your negotiating power and give you peace of mind. Connect with Lucent Property Inspections today to schedule your inspection!
Pick the Best Time to Sell
If you have to sell your home quickly, you may not have much power over the month or season you sell. But if you do, it may be worth waiting for spring. According to USA Today, the best time to sell a home is during the spring. Specifically, aim for the first couple weeks of May. This is when your landscaping plants are flourishing and daylight streams through your windows. If selling in the spring isn’t an option, discuss your circumstances with your Realtor to determine the best time.
Regardless of when you decide to sell, make sure you have necessary paperwork and disclosure reports ready and schedule any home inspections as soon as possible. Doing so will help to expedite the selling process and reduce the need for secondary negotiations. Documentation you’ll want to gather includes anything related to liens, easements, property surveys, etc. If you’re unclear about what is an easement, lien or property survey, commit to some research. For example, an easement is when an individual has access to land they do not own. Commonly, this might be a utility easement that gives utility companies the right of way to work on your property without permission.
Boost Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is the buyer’s first impression of your house and can have a huge impact on their decision to buy or sell. Luckily, you can spruce up your home’s exterior in no time. Real Simple recommends freshening up the paint on your front door and updating the hardware around your entrance. This includes your mailbox, house numbers, and knocker. Add some potted plants to your porch and remove clutter. If you have time, plant some nice flowers and add fresh mulch in the garden beds. You’ll be ready to make a great first impression.
Tackle Repairs and Maintenance
Addressing any necessary repairs and overdue maintenance can be a critical step in making sure your home sells fast. While you may not have time for serious updates, you can address things like cleaning out the chimney, having your carpets cleaned and addressing any water leaks or other plumbing issues. This mentality should extend to your exterior, too. If your roof needs repair, you have cracked pavement or your gutters could use a cleanout, connect with a professional who can tackle these issues right away. Handling repairs and maintenance now can eliminate problems that might come up in a home inspection. Simply search for terms like “gutter cleaning” or “local plumbers near me” to connect with reliable and top-rated pros.
Make Low-Cost Upgrades
Spend a little bit of money on small upgrades inside your house. Why not refresh the walls with attractive wallpaper? Turn to an online store, and choose from among tons of designs, from basic to bold, in either removable or traditional wallpaper. If you have a specific design in mind, some sites even let you upload it online and have it printed on wallpaper for you.
Other easy upgrades include swapping out your old kitchen knobs with something that matches the current trend such as stainless steel. Add as much lighting as you can with high-wattage bulbs and strategically placed mirrors. While you’re upgrading, make sure to deep clean your home so it really feels inviting to buyers. If you have pets, you’ll need to ensure that the flooring is free from pet stains. Your home is less likely to sell if pet odors are present.
Land on a Competitive Price
Once your home is ready to show, it’s time to determine listing price. Your Realtor can help you find an appropriate asking price. To do this, you or your agent should look at comparables or similar properties in your neighborhood that recently sold. Expect your home to sell within a similar price range. If you need to sell quickly, you should aim for the lower end of the price range.
Take Good Pictures and Promote Online
Did you know that 92 percent of homebuyers use the Internet to help them find a home? This is why it’s vital to take good pictures and promote your house online. Make sure that you or your real estate agent hire a professional and experienced home photographer. These photographers know how to stage shots, get the right angles and enhance them afterward, which will make your rooms look better than you’ve ever seen them. Then, get those pictures up onto real estate websites, your own website, Craigslist and even social media.
The faster you sell your home, the more likely you are to get a good price for it. Homes that sit on the market for too long could spark concerns in buyers who might wonder if there’s something fundamentally wrong with the house. Follow these tips and you should be on the fast track to closing your big sale.