What do you do if you get a job offer that requires you to move to a whole new area? What if you had a family emergency and needed to go back home to care for a loved one? What if you’re on the brink of financial ruin and to save yourself, you need to sell quickly?
There are a million and one reasons why someone would have to sell their house and when you throw in the stress that comes with needing to buy a house while selling your existing home… It can be a lot.
We have a few tips that will help to improve your home’s marketability and (hopefully) get your house sold quickly so you can move on to the next phase of your life.
1. Find a top-selling real estate agent
When you’re looking for a real estate agent, you don’t want to hire just anyone. You want to find an agent who really knows their stuff. You want to work with someone who can put together a marketing strategy that will reach potential buyers quickly and effectively. More importantly, you want to find an agent who will work with you to sell your house for the price you’re asking or at the very least negotiate on your behalf so everyone is happy.
2. Timing is key
Right now, HomeLight’s 2021 insight survey shows that it’s a strong seller’s market in most of the country. Since it’s a seller’s market, if you decide to sell now, your house is likely to get offers almost as soon as you put the “For Sale” sign on the front lawn.
3. Spring for a professional photographer
Most people begin their house hunt online and your real estate agent should ask to take photos of the property as part of the marketing strategy. You could let the agent take photos, but if they’re doing it themselves, tell them that you’d like to hire a professional photographer to do it instead. A pro will be able to capture the true beauty of your home and potential buyers are going to become interested upon seeing the photos.
4. Neutrality is the name of the game
Although you’re still living in the house, you’re going to want to remove as much personalization as you can. Why, you ask? Well, when buyers see all of your knick knacks, family photos, accessories and decor, it’ll be difficult for them to picture themselves living there. You can do this by switching out bold colors and patterns with neutral colors, you could also consider replacing family photos with neutral artwork.
5. Take time to deep clean and declutter
Regardless of how quickly you want (or need) to sell your house, you want to make sure there’s no clutter anywhere. Not only should you go through your house and declutter, you’ll want to deep clean everything. Buyers aren’t going to want to see a house covered in dust, grime on kitchen cabinets, hard water stains in the tub and so on. A clean slate makes buyers happy!
6. Be realistic with your listing price
You may be selling at a great time, you need to reel in your expectations and list your house at a fair price. The market is so hot right now and buyers are highly competitive with their offers, it’s quite possible that you’ll get appealing offers that’ll be worth your while.
7. Ask your agent to get feedback
If you’ve had a lot of activity but no one has put in an offer, don’t hesitate to ask your agent to reach out to the buyer’s agent and ask for feedback. Once you get the feedback, you can address the problems and try again a new prospect. The more feedback you get, the better!
When you make the decision to sell your home, you’re going to feel a lot of emotions and it’ll be easy to get overwhelmed. However, when you take the time to heed your agent’s advice (and implement some of these tips), you should feel a little more at ease. After all, the name of the game here is a quick and painless sale!