If the phrase “sell my house” has ever crossed your mind, then this article is for you. Know that many factors can affect the process of buying and selling real estate. These include the type of home you’re looking to sell, the condition of your property and whether or not it has been well-maintained, and whether or not the market conditions are conducive to making a sale at that time.
Here are 10 tips for how to sell your house quickly, easily, and efficiently.
Start with a clean slate
A fresh coat of paint can go a long way in making your home look like a new place, and that’s often enough to convince prospective buyers. Many house sellers choose neutral colors because they don’t want to take away from their decor and furniture, but doing so could also be hindering you from selling your home.
Potential buyers are attracted by bold colors and natural light. If you’re painting your walls white and no one is buying, it may be time for a change.
Take good photos
One of the most important aspects of selling your house is creating great photos. This will be what potential buyers see first and can sometimes make or break a sale. Take advantage of natural light and use a tripod to set up your camera so you can take crisp, clear shots. Make sure that in each room, you showcase any features your home has that would make it appealing to buyers, such as a big backyard or open floor plan.
And finally, don’t include photos with clutter in them. It might seem basic, but clear photos will help potential buyers imagine living in your house. And remember: show off those hardwood floors!
Consider waiting until spring
Since your house is on a busy street, it might not be a good idea to put your house up for sale in winter. Most buyers will be focused on holiday shopping and vacation during that time of year. So if you’re looking at selling your house, consider waiting until spring when more people will be home-shopping.
If you have to sell now and there aren’t as many potential buyers on the market as you had hoped, consider lowering your asking price. Again, we recommend reaching out to local real estate agents who can give advice based on experience with selling homes in your neighborhood or area.
Plan in advance before you put your house on the market
Before you can sell a home, you first have to fix it up and prep it for the market. And that takes money. Depending on what’s needed, sellers will typically spend about 20 percent of their sale price on renovation.
That means if your house is worth $300,000, plan on spending $60,000 making repairs and updates before putting it up for sale. If you don’t have that kind of cash lying around, you’ll need financing; most mortgage lenders require an inspection as part of the loan process, which can cost more than $500.
Get it ready to be shown
The first step in selling your home is a bit of preparation to get it ready for its close-up. If you have already done some cosmetic improvements around your house, then you’re well on your way to making it as sellable as possible.
However, sometimes you need more than just a few coats of paint and a fresh coat of floor wax. Depending on what’s wrong with your house, that might mean something as simple as giving it a deep cleaning or something as major as replacing an aging furnace or upgrading leaky windows.
Take stock of what needs fixing before you get started and make sure those jobs are complete before you start showing off your home.
Open up the property at showings
You must be present during all showings of your home. By being there, you will be able to address any questions and concerns prospective buyers may have about your house, which ultimately leads to a more successful sale.
If you can’t be there in person, hire a professional stager or cleaning service to make sure everything is perfect before open houses and showings. This means vacuuming, dusting, window washing, and sprucing up any areas of concern.
Show it while it is warm and sunny
When most people are trying to sell their homes, they are planning on buying a new one. Don’t fall into that trap and make sure your house shows as well as possible when there is warm weather outside. If you wait until colder months it will be harder for people to see what your home has to offer.
Make sure your lights and faucets work properly and de-clutter your house so it doesn’t seem like a storage unit. If people can easily picture themselves living in your home because of how well-maintained it is, then you will have more showings, and more offers, and ultimately find yourself with a higher selling price for your hard-earned equity.
Get everything in order before the sale takes place
Getting your home ready to put on the market isn’t just good for buyers; it’s good for you, too. A quick refresh of sorts will get rid of clutter and make your house look as appealing as possible. If you have time and money, consider some upgrades or repairs before putting your home on market.
Before listing your home with a realtor, make sure there are no leaks in faucets or running toilets. Fix any broken doors and windows, change dead light bulbs and clean up spider webs around windows and door frames.
Don’t forget the details like home warranties, etc.
If you’re selling a house that has been lived in, you probably have some items that need fixing. A new owner doesn’t want to have a repairman show up on their first day with a long list of jobs for them.
Therefore, if there are items needing repair, make sure they’re fixed before putting your house on the market the last thing you want is people walking through and taking pictures with their cell phones. You can do small repairs yourself, but for larger projects, call in an expert. The cost of these fixes will be worth it when it comes time to close.
Inspections are important, but so offer!
One of your primary goals is to make a sale, right? So when an offer comes in, you should take it seriously. At least consider it, if only for the sake of comparison with any other offers you’ve received.
If you have someone on your team who can walk through a prospective buyer’s home and offer critical feedback and advice, do so it could be worth a significant premium.
Conclusion
The three key ingredients for a successful sale are time, location, and price. You’ll need to assess your property and figure out what will sell it for top dollar. Remember to put yourself in a buyer’s shoes and look at your house through their eyes. This is how you determine if it’s ready to say the words “I am going to sell my house” or not, as well as if it will attract buyers and hold its value until you can sell.
