How to Sell Your House Fast?
Ask any realtor and they'll tell you: houses that sell within the first five weeks of their
listing are most likely to fetch their asking price. The longer your house lingers on the real
estate listings, the more pressure you'll feel to knock the price down - and the less likely it is
to sell without some incentives from you, the home seller. Even if you don't have to
sell your house fast, it's the best way of getting the price that you want for it. Put your home sale on
the fast track with these tips and tricks from professional Realtors.
Find a Realtor
Your best option for selling quickly is to give the job to a professional, and let their experience
guide you. A realtor knows all the ins and outs, as well as what selling strategies work best in
your area. They can help you set the right selling price for your property (which is the second
most commonly offered piece of advice to help your home sell quickly), offer concrete suggestions
for improving the chances of a sale, hook your home into the Multiple Listing Service, and guide
you through every step of the selling process.
Choose your Realtor carefully, and accept their advice. He or she knows what will sell your house.
(Here are some guidelines to
find a good realtor). A good Realtor will suggest most of the house sell tips listed below - tips
that you can follow with or without the help of a realtor.
Set The Right Price
Every Realtor asked said that the most important factor in selling a home quickly was to price it
right. Further, the most common mistake sellers make is pricing too high. Experienced real estate
agents strongly suggest starting from the average price in your area and working from there, rather
than starting with your desired net gain. Your best gauge to determine the right selling price for
your home is the recent selling prices of similar homes in your neighborhood. Your realtor is the
best source of those prices - they have insider access, after all.
If you're not using a real estate agent, you can still check recent sales listings through
online home valuation service, your local registry of deeds, and other sources. Figure in the
condition of your house, additions or special circumstances, but don't expect to sell for much
more than the average price in your neighborhood.
Prepare Your Property BEFORE Listing It
There are a number of things you can do to make your property more appealing, and they should be
done before you start showing it - and this is called
home staging. 'Staging' has been known to make home sell faster. The key is being sure
that your house looks its very best from the start. Now is the time to make needed repairs.
If it needs sprucing up, get that done first. Fresh paint, trimmed bushes, mowed lawns and
immaculate cleanliness are all important factors in making your home attractive and saleable.
After Listing, Keep The House Immaculate
Be ready to show the house at a moment's notice. Make sure you pack up
the junk and rent a storage unit as clutter and junk will erode the
potential equity your house will bring. If there are too much 'junk' in
a room it makes the room look smaller and distracts the buyer's
attention. Perform a thorough house cleaning. Make the windows shine and
wipe down the baseboards. Keep the sink empty and wiped, and make sure that the bathroom and kitchen
are spotless. Don't forget to eradicate unpleasant odors. It's important
that your house should look as close to move-in condition as possible - all the time!
Fade Into The Background
When the house is being shown, be as unobtrusive as possible. If you've contracted with a Realtor
let him or her do the selling. If you're doing the selling yourself, be available to answer questions
and conduct a brief tour - but give the prospective buyers plenty of 'alone time' to explore and kick
the tires.
Offer Incentives To Make The Asking Price More Attractive
Got a buyer that just loves the house, but needs a little extra boost to make the commitment? There
are a number of incentives you can offer as an alternative to lowering your asking price. This is another
place that a good realtor can make valuable suggestions based on their own experience. An offer to cover
buyer closing costs,
for instance, can bring the up-front expenses of buying your home into range for a
first-time buyer struggling to meet a down payment, points and closing costs (read the
tips to sell your house in a cooling market here).
Other common incentives include a 'decorating allowance' or including household items and appliances in
the purchase price.
Take Advantage Of Employer Help If It's Available
If you're relocating for work, check your company's relocation assistance plan. Some may cover the cost
of long-distance selling, or even purchase the home and resell it, depending on the circumstances.
There you have it. Apply these tips to sell your house fast as the peak
home selling and buying season is upon us.
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