So you need to sell your house fast. Maybe you’ve got a new job offer waiting for you in another state, or you have a deal on a new house lined up.
Whatever the case may be, selling your house quickly is an art. Sure, it may attract some interested buyers on its own, especially in a hot real estate market. But if you want to make sure you sell fast and at a good price, here are some things that will help:
1. Find a good real estate agent
A good real estate agent knows the local market like the back of their hand. They’ll be able to tell you what your house is worth and what you can expect to sell it for.
This alone is a huge advantage because it lets you know where you stand and how much room for negotiation you have. Knowledge is power.
But real estate agents also have valuable business relationships. Because they’re always helping people buy and sell houses, they might just know someone who’s looking to buy a house like yours. Or they might know someone that knows someone, like a local property manager who knows about an investor looking to buy.
The right real estate agent is worth their weight in gold. Agents like in Roswell GA home selling will help you through the entire selling process, from staging your house to negotiating for the best price.
2. Declutter, clean, and depersonalize
Before you stage your house for potential buyers to see, make it look like a model home by decluttering, cleaning, and depersonalizing it.
You don’t want your house to leave a bad impression because it’s messy or dirty. And you don’t want it to look so crowded with stuff that it looks small.
Make your house look spotless and get rid of any clutter to wow viewers. Remove any personalized photos or items so potential buyers can better imagine themselves moving in. Think like a buyer. How would you want your future house to look?
Lastly, consider hiring a professional home stager. They’ll arrange furniture and items in such a way that pleases the eye. And they’re well worth the cost. According to realtor.com, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than non-staged homes.
3. Make repairs
Make needed repairs to your home now. Otherwise, they’ll slow down the closing process during a home inspection. To pass the home inspection, you will have to address any:
- Roof damage
- Electrical problems
- Plumbing issues
- Faulty HVAC
- Structural defects like large cracks in the foundation
- Pest infestations
So you might as well get these repairs done now, so you can sell faster later.
Other repairs that may not be required to pass home inspection but still add value to your home and attract buyers include:
- New kitchen hardware
- New carpeting or floor refinishing
- A fresh coat of paint on the walls
- New landscaping
Ultimately, it’s up to you how many repairs you choose to take on and which ones you leave to the buyer. But fixing home issues now will definitely help you sell faster.
4. Price to sell
Lastly, you need to price your home to sell. That means setting a competitive price that will attract buyers. As we said, your real estate agent will help you with this, but what price you set is ultimately up to you. So here are some principles to keep in mind:
If you overprice, it will take longer to sell. Setting a high price may seem like a good way to make some extra cash on your sale, but you’ll likely end up selling at a lower price anyway. It’ll just take longer to get there.
Try setting a price that’s a little lower than comparable homes in your area. This will help drum up interest and may even start a bidding war.
You can also try sweetening the deal for buyers by offering to pay a percentage of the closing costs or including some appliances in the deal. In a competitive seller market, this may be all you need to motivate buyers to pull the trigger.
The bottom line
At the end of the day, there are many levers you can pull to speed up the home sale process. Identify which ones you could use the most help with and go from there.
If you do it right, you could sell your house faster and at a better price than you expected. All it takes is a little strategy, and now you know four!