4 Tips to Sell Your House Fast
We are now the “microwave” generation. We want it fast and we want it now in order to save time and money. But, not everything fast can give better results, save more money or time. Selling a house fast is not always easy, but it’s still possible to do. You’ll need the help of a professional, which will be worthwhile.
1. Get your Home Pre-inspected
If you want to sell your home fast, it'll be smart to find out if there are problems right away so the sale goes through smoothly from start to end. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- How old are the roof and water heater?
- Is the plumbing in good condition?
- When is the last time the house was painted?
- Have you replaced the carpet?
- Are the toilets or faucets leaking?
- How old are the heating/air conditioning systems?
- Have you replaced the windows? Do they open and close properly?
- What about the electrical system?
- Any missing face plates or nonworking electrical outlets?
- When was the last time I had a termite inspection?
- Do you have working smoke/carbon monoxide detectors?
- When is the last time you’ve had any of these systems checked?
The buyers more than likely are going to get a home inspection, so knowing of any issues or concerns ahead of time gives you a chance to fix them before you put the house on the market to sell. This will pay off with having the least hassles, as this seems to be one of the main issues I find that brings a deal to a screeching halt.
2. Price it Right!
When you're thinking of selling, you need to know what a buyer is willing to pay for a house like yours. A local agent would want to meet the future seller, tour the home, and then provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). This is basically a snapshot of homes that have recently sold in your area. Even if you’re months or years away from selling, talking to an agent early in the process gives you the ability to start gathering information and tips to sell your house fast.
A home sitting on the market is as unattractive as day-old bread. Pricing it right gets the most showings and offers. If you price it too low you may be giving away your equity. If you price it too high you won’t get many showings and your overpriced home may just help sell the house down the street! As much as you love your home, it’ll always be priceless to you. Also, you may get less after lowering your price rather than pricing it well from the beginning.
As a seller, you can’t put a price on memories. For a buyer, however, this is just a building with walls and a door. Don’t ruin your chance of getting your home sold. Price it right!
3. Pictures, pictures!
They are the first impression people see. In fact, I wouldn’t suggest a seller putting the home on the market without them. Why do you have to take pictures of your home? Because lots of homebuyers look for houses on sites like Zillow and Realtor.com. If your house is listed for sale, it will likely show up on these sites also. It will be the first opportunity for the buyer to take a first look of your home. How can you sell your house fast if it doesn’t look attractive on the web? If the buyers don’t like the way your house looks on the web, there’ll be little chance that they’ll be willing to see your home.
Make sure the best features of your home are the first pictures buyers see. Don’t forget to freshen the outside of the home, as that’s the first thing buyers will see if they drive by your home. If you can make your home looks attractive and show it good to the buyers, the result will be much better. If there's one thing that you love most about your home, be sure to share it with potential buyers.
If you want to sell your home fast, you will need some help from someone who takes clear and professional looking photos. To make the inside of your house, rearrange the furniture to highlight the best parts of each room. Declutter the house to create a lovely view of your home. A well-decorated home will sell faster and for more money than one that is not.
Organize your home and storage areas such as the bathroom, basement, garage and closets (yes, buyers look there too!) so that your home will look organized and clean and tidy. Also, a little paint goes a long way to make your home look its best.
4. Hire an Agent
Most importantly, you’ll find that using an agent to market will be your best investment of all. We have the knowledge, resources and expertise to market your home for a fast sale. We also know of electricians, plumbers, HVAC professionals, home stagers, photographers, home inspectors and home warranty companies and more to help you prepare your home for sale.
By the way, I talk to For Sale By Owners a lot, and they think it’s so easy to sell a house. For a rare few, the homes do sell. However, at most about 17-20 homes are sold by For Sale By Owners as opposed to the hundreds of homes sold by agents every month. Agents get sellers about 20% money more than those who sell without an agent – and that’s including agent’s compensation! Why waste time and money it can be saved by hiring someone who does this on a daily basis. Agents are usually paid by commission, so it’s in our best interest to get the job done as quickly and with the least hassles possible.
Selling home fast is not an impossible thing to do. It will cost you some time and the help of a few professionals. In the end, those expenses are really worthwhile compared to the money that you will get once it’s sold.
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