When you use some easy and inexpensive tips, you can get an offer and sell your house fast if you need to relocate quickly. Whether you are selling in Florence Kentucky or Norwood Ohio, putting your home up for sale is stressful. When you have showings every week you need to keep your home presentable at all times, and that is such a hassle especially when you have to vacate the memories that make your home feel like a home. Buyers will be most interested in your home in the first couple of weeks so you need to go on the market with your best feet forward and sell as quickly as you can to get top dollar.
“For a house to sell quickly, it needs to show well, be marketed well and priced correctly,” says Goran Forss, a broker at Allison James Estates & Homes in Temecula, CA. If you need your house sold now then follow these tried and true methods that will help you get offers fast that are close to your asking price.
1. Get a store unit
Some people think an easy way to declutter your home is to hide everything in the closets, but that is a horrible idea. People who will tour your home are going to check the storage space and “stuffed” closets tell the buyer you don’t have enough. Is that the message you want to tell them? Decide instead to utilize a storage unit or Pod to house your belongings while your home is for sale. A great rule of thumb is at least a third of your stuff should be removed. If you don’t use it every day, store it then put it on full display in your next home, says Justin Seeby, principal at the Graham Seeby Group with Keller Williams Intown Realty in Atlanta, GA.
Bonus: If you choose a portable unit, it can be transported to your new home, making moving day a cinch.
2. Staging and photos
When you hire professional stagers, they help you by seeing your home through the buyer’s eyes. Great stagers will highlight the strengths of your home and try and soften the flaws. The first impression of any buyer will be those listing photos and there have been many studies that shown homes with more than 8 photos in their online listed are twice as likely to be viewed by potential buyers. OK, so not everyone wants their home staged or can afford it. Forss poses another option: “A friend can stand at the curb and walk through the house with fresh eyes to offer their perspective on decluttering, and then the agent can go through from a marketing standpoint. Either way, staging of some sort is necessary for almost every home, no matter how beautiful it is.”
3. Tip on hiring a great agent.
What really matters when hiring a real estate agent is their track record for not only selling their listings but how long it takes to sell them. And don’t forget to ask what percentage of listings need a price adjustment. Unfortunately, some agents only want to get your listing so they can have their sign in your yard. That gets them more business even if they don’t sell your house and that isn’t what you want, is it? They should be able to walk into your home and tell you precisely what buyers will love and hate. Are they, basically, the fairy godparent you never knew you needed? One way to be sure: check their reviews. “Check the online client reviews and feedback on all the agents you’re considering,” says Forss. You should also make sure your agent promotes their properties online. Make sure they hire a professional to take photos and include a variety of photos on their site and social media. “The agent should promote the listing on social media to build up demand before it goes on the market,” says Forss.
4. Don’t forget to promote it yourself too!
Yes, you have hired an agent but don’t leave it all to them if you really want to sell your house fast. Do your part by taking the listing information and use your social media. If you don’t have a great social media presence, I bet you have a friend or loved one who does. So ask. Also, tell your neighbors, co-workers and anyone you see until your house is sold. You will be glad you did.
5. Remove your families personality from the home and depersonalize
My friend and I went to an open house where every inch of every table was covered with ceramic cats. Now, I love cats, but maybe your next buyer is allergic. You don’t want the buyer to feel like they’re in “your” house but in “their next house.” In the same respect, don’t distract from the house itself with art, which could be unappealing to a buyer. “Make the home interesting, not your artwork,” says Justin Seeby. Depersonalizing your home will make it sell quicker. If that doesn’t work, you can try other options.
6. Don’t forget to do small upgrades
We have all seen the “Flip this house” shows on HGTV but don’t get carried away with upgrades; many times, you won’t get your money back. Instead, focus on small upgrades, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom, where you’re most likely to see a return on investment. A new sink and cabinet hardware in the kitchen, or light fixtures, shower curtains, and hand towels in the bathroom are inexpensive but can instantly transform your space. Rather than splurging $30,000 on a full kitchen remodel, ditch your unmatched old appliances and spend $3,500 on a new stainless steel appliance suite. Small upgrades can have a big impact.
7. Make sure the lighting in your home is good
