Selling your home can be a stressful process, and needing to sell it fast can make the whole process seem like a nightmare. But don’t despair.
If – for whatever reason – you need to sell your home quickly, there are a few things you can do to speed up the process.
You’ll need to price it competitively, generate interest, and make it as appealing to potential buyers as possible.
Here are four ways you can do just that, according to experts.
1. Find a Good Real Estate Agent
To sell your home as quickly as possible, you’ll first need to find a good real estate agent.
Real Estate Agents who understand the market, know your area, and have a proven track record will be able to market and sell your home faster than those who don’t.
An excellent real estate agent should help you through the entire process – from arranging a professional photographer to take photos that will generate interest to liaising with the buyer and negotiating the sales price.
An experienced agent will be able to write excellent listings that sell, and they will also ensure that your property gets exposure.
2. Price it Right
Competitive pricing is the best way to sell it quickly. As a general rule of thumb, the higher a home is priced, the longer it stays on the market. And if you are asking for too much, you’ll probably end up lowering the price eventually anyway – selling it will just take longer.
Your real estate agent will advise you how to price your home by comparing it to other similar houses in the area – these comparison houses are called ‘comps.’
If selling your home fast is your biggest priority, consider pricing it at slightly less to attract more interest. If you still haven’t received any offers after a reasonable amount of time, it’s time to lower the price.
When pricing your home, it is also helpful to consider the price points that buyers are looking at in your neighborhood. For instance, pricing your home at $403,000, you’ll exclude all the potential buyers looking in the $400,000 range – and the difference of $3,000 is probably not worth it if it means fewer people will see your listing.
3. Declutter, Clean, and Depersonalize
For a real estate sale to be successful, prospective buyers need to be able to picture themselves in your home – something they can’t do if your house is full of clutter, personal items, and mess.
To make your home more attractive, deep-clean it from top to bottom, hide all your personal items away, and clear out the clutter. If you’ve accumulated a lot of clutter over the years, consider placing it in storage.
A staged home generally sells for 20% more, and sales tend to happen 88% faster – so you should think about hiring a professional home stager to help you rearrange your furniture to make it look more inviting.
4. Work on Your Curb Appeal
The key to selling your home fast is to make an excellent first impression. Because the first part of your home that a prospective buyer will see is the exterior from the street, it pays to spruce up your home’s curb appeal.
Simple improvements like repainting the front door, planting some flowers, cleaning the outdoor light fittings, and trimming the garden will make your home look more appealing.
The Bottom Line
Whether you have to sell your home fast due to work, your financial position, or another important life event, there are ways you can speed up the process.
If you find a good real estate agent, price your home right, clean and declutter, and improve your curb appeal, you’ll be able to sell your house in no time.
