7 Essential Steps for Preparing Your Home for a Quick Sale
Selling your house doesn’t have to be a long process. Here are simple preparations you can make to ensure a quick sale on your home.
It takes 65 days to sell a house, on average. Do you have that amount of time to spare?
The length of time it takes to sell a house can’t always be explained. Sometimes it’s a great realtor and better marketing. Sometimes it’s luck.
When life becomes stressful, the last thing you want to do is put your house on the market. Prepping your home for a sale can be a lengthy, expensive process.
Don’t have time or money to spare?
Keep reading for tips to prepare your home for a quick sale.
How to Prepare Your Home for a Quick Sale
No matter the circumstances, you should follow the same tried and true tips for selling your home.
Here are seven steps to getting your home on the market and selling it quickly.
1. Find the Right Agent
Don’t waste time by trying to do everything yourself. The first thing you should do is hire a successful real estate agent.
Agents are trained to handle the entire home selling process, from start to finish. They have seen it all and will be able to offer solid advice.
They also have networks of people at their fingertips. The more potential buyers that walk into your home, the more chance you have of selling.
2. Consider the Timing
The best time to list your home is during the spring and summer.
In fact, 40% of homes sold in an average year are sold in the months of May, June, July, and August.
Think about it. Most people don’t even want to leave their house during the winter. They want to bundle up and participate in indoor activities.
It can also be difficult to keep the outside of your home looking its best during the winter. The colors of winter are drab and gray.
The spring and summer seasons allow you to create a cheery aesthetic with flowers and outside decor. You should also consider bringing the outside in. Fresh flowers are an inviting, inexpensive way to add color to your home.
3. Declutter
Call your mother. Now is the time to channel your inner neat-freak. If your house is cluttered and cramped, potential buyers won’t be able to look past the mess.
Take the time to clean surfaces. A good general rule? There should be no more than three items on each surface. Watch out for common culprits: fireplace mantles, bookshelves, and dining room tables.
Also, don’t store items on the floor! Find a shelf or a drawer to put them in. You can also use decorative baskets. Better yet, invest in a storage unit and pack the clutter up.
Finally, make sure everything in your house is clean and free of dust. Your realtor will want to open curtains and blinds for showings. Those dust bunnies will come out of hiding in the natural light!
You want potential buyers to leave your home amazed at the cleanliness and the amount of space. They will think it’s easy to keep clean, and that there’s ample room for their belongings.
4. Make Small Upgrades
Take notice of the finishes in your home. If your cabinet knobs are rusting or a wall needs a fresh coat of paint, fix it.
Don’t spend a lot of money on upgrades – you likely won’t get your money back. Instead, take the time to address the little things that can make a big difference to potential buyers.
If you’re short on cash and time, focus on your bathroom and kitchen first. Buyers are looking for upgrades in those rooms.
5. Price it Right
If you list your home at too high a price, buyers will overlook it. And once they overlook it, the listing will become stale.
Once your listing goes stale, buyers and agents will expect to get a lower price in the end.
To price your home accordingly, look at comparable listings (or “comps”) in your area. If you list the home at a price that is closest to market value, you’ll likely receive a better offer. Better yet, you could receive an offer over listing price!
6. Stage the Space
You want potential buyers to envision life in your home.
Remove any personalized items from the space. You don’t want them wondering about you and your family as they’re walking through the house. You want them to think about all of the ways they can make your house their own.
If you’re having trouble getting inspired, try searching sites like Pinterest and Houzz for inspiration.
When your house is photographed, you want it to look like it came off of a page in a magazine. This is what is going to get potential buyers to take a look.
7. Spread the Word
Your realtor will promote your property, but there are steps you can take to spread the word as well.
Share your listing on your social media pages and make sure your friends do the same. The more people that share your post, the better.
Millions of people use social media. Facebook has become more of a marketing platform than a social one. Take advantage of those views and drive traffic to your realtor’s site.
Save Time and Money
Does this sound like too much?
Life happens. Sometimes selling your house the traditional way just doesn’t work.
Whether it’s the death of a family member, divorce, or financial issues, homeowners like you can be affected by all kinds of situations.
If you don’t have time to prepare your house to sell on the market, let us know. We can sell your house fast for cash without extensive time and effort on your part. You get all the benefits of a quick sale without the hassle.
We’re committed to providing viable solutions to property owners. No matter your home’s condition or location, we’re interested.
Want to know more? Submit your property information to us today!