Need to sell your home fast? Getting a quick sale in today’s housing market can be a little tricky. If time is of the essence, you might have to settle for a bit less than your asking price, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get a good deal.
Selling a home can be stressful at the best of times, but it can be even more so if you need the money quickly. While it isn’t always easy, it is possible if you implement the right tactics.
1. Get professional photos
The quality of your photos can significantly impact the success of your online listings. You’d be surprised how many realtors simply take a few snaps on their phones and post them. Don’t make that mistake.
If you have to, hire a photographer, preferably one with experience taking pictures of homes to sell.
Better pictures can make a huge difference in how appealing your home looks online. This means you’ll get more viewings in a quicker time period and, therefore, more sales. Don’t skimp on your photos if you’re trying to sell your home quickly.
2. Drop the price
You might not like this one, but the price is the number one thing that will make your home sell faster. Everything has a price, and most homes that stay on the market for a long time do so because their owners have unrealistic goals.
This can be a difficult step to take, but you have to decide how important that quick sale really is to you.
If it’s not quite as important as you thought and you would rather wait around for a slightly higher price, that’s fine. But if you really need to sell your home as soon as possible, the best option might be to lower the price. At the right price point, you should see quick offers flooding in.
3. Have an open house
If you want to drum up tons of interest quickly and easily, try having an open house. Make your home appealing, lay out some snacks and drinks, and invite as many potential buyers as possible.
This is an excellent idea for someone who wants a quick sale. When potential buyers see some competition and other interested people, they’ll be encouraged to act much faster.
4. Advertise locally
Don’t just rely on estate agents. Advertise yourself. Put signs on lamp posts and leaflets in newspapers. Add your listing to classified websites and online marketplaces. Share it on your private social media channels. Make sure as many people know your home is for sale as possible.
5. Tell your friends
Some people like to keep their home sale secret, but there’s no reason to. The more people who know about your sale, the more likely you’ll find someone interested. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool.
6. Tidy up
When you get your photos done or invite people to view your home, you don’t want them to see a lot of mess. It shouldn’t make a difference in the value of your home, but it does. So tidy up.
Since you’ll have to pack up your belongings when you move, why not start now? Moving the things you can live without for the next few months into storage will help prospective buyers see more of your home and less of your belongings.
7. Rearrange your home
If you can quickly rearrange some of the inside spaces in your home, you can create different set-ups that will be popular with potential buyers. Try adding an additional bedroom or office nook or creating a more open-plan living space.
If you can’t physically add or remove walls, try staging these areas of your home to show off their potential.
8. Decorate
A quick lick of paint can go a long way. Don’t spend too much if you’re trying to make a quick sale, but fresh paint is an easy way to update and refresh your home.
9. Use multiple realtors
Don’t sign up for exclusive deals with individual realtors unless they offer you outstanding rates. You want as many people trying to sell your home as possible, and you want it listed in as many newsletters, magazines, and websites as you can.
10. Improve the exterior
People go a lot on first impressions when visiting a potential property they want to buy, so try painting the exterior or re-cladding to make it even more appealing.
Giving your yard a quick cleanup, planting some flowers, and mowing grass also adds curb appeal.
11. Add security features
A new alarm system could make your home sell even quicker. Thanks to smart home technology, it might not be as expensive or complicated to install as you think and can really add to the value of your home. The investment could really be worthwhile.
12. Keep the decor inoffensive
You might have excellent taste, but not everyone will agree with you. Keep things as clean and minimal as possible so you don’t put off potential buyers who don’t have the same tastes as you.
13. Get quicker lawyers
A slow part of selling a home can be because the lawyers are taking their time getting everything ready. Make sure you consult quicker ones if this is a problem. You might have to pay a bit more, but it could be worth it.
14. Have your surveys ready
Some interested buyers will want to get surveys done of your home before they make an offer. If you’ve got your own certified and guaranteed surveys done beforehand from a well-known surveyor, you can simply show them your copies to speed up the process.
It’s also smart to have copies of any other pertinent documents available so interested buyers can quickly make an offer.
15. Have an auction
Another way to make people feel like they’ve got to act immediately is with a property auction. That way, if you’ve got enough interest, you should be able to get a concrete offer on the day of the auction rather than simply waiting for offers to come in. Combined with an open house, this can be a great way to sell a home quickly.
Hopefully, using these tips will help you get your home sold as quickly as possible so you can move on to the next chapter of your life.