8 Steps to Get From For Sale to Sold
There is no doubt that selling a home is stressful – and this is doubly true if you are working against time constraints. You may need to complete a fast sale because you have to relocate for a job, are facing repossession or are dealing with a myriad of other financial and/or personal situations. Regardless… time is of the essence. How can you sell your house as quickly as possible?
We have some helpful tips.
8 Tips for Quick Sale of a House
When you need to move quickly:
- Deep Clean and Declutter
In most cases, cleaning and decluttering is an absolute must. You need to ensure your home is – first and foremost – neat and tidy but also that it appeals to as many prospective buyers as possible. They don’t want to see your knick-knacks or family portraits: they want to see themselves living in this space.
- Be ruthless! If you need to watch a few videos from Marie Kondo for inspiration, do. But everything that is not essential, sentimental or valuable should be donated or tossed.
- If you have or can rent a storage unit, do so in order to store excess belongings and large furnishings.
- Clear the closets. People love closet space, so they will certainly have a peak. Give them a good clear-out so you can emphasize your home’s storage space (a key factor in many buyers’ decisions).
- Remove all personal belongings (e.g. family photos, religious items, knick knacks, keepsakes, your children’s primary school art projects…).
- Scrub, scrub, scrub. Thoroughly clean everything… from baseboards to bathroom tiles and carpets to ceilings.
- Decide How You Will Sell
There is more than one way to cook a goose, as it were. You can opt to:
- Work with an estate agent
- Put your house up for sale by owner
- Sell to an investor or developer
- Sell at auction
Each has advantages and drawbacks, just as any situation in life. Examine the pros and cons to see what works best for you.
- Price Your House Appropriately
Even in a hot market, your house can sit on the market for far longer than is optimal for you and your goals. One action you can take to speed up the process is pricing competitively. Strategically pricing your home at a bit lower price can help generate more interest.
To price appropriately, it is important to know the true market value of your home.
- Complete Quick Fixes
Small imperfections and flaws and turn off potential buyers and impact your selling price. With a few easy steps, you can boost your appeal:
- Apply a fresh coat of paint anywhere that needs freshening
- Fix loose tiles
- Deep clean/shampoo any rugs/carpets
- Tighten loose door handles, knobs and other hardware
- Address leaky faucets
- Make sure all light fixtures are clean and functional
- Install newer hardware/fixtures/faucets in the kitchen and bath
- Make sure your address numbers are clean and visible – or replace them
- Boost Your Curb Appeal
When a prospective buyer drives/walks up to your home, what do they say? Your “curb appeal” is critical. Create a welcoming scene by:
- Cutting the grass,
- Weeding your garden
- Trimming bushes, hedges, shrubs and tree branches
- Clearing walkways
- Making the windows sparkle
- Ensuring exterior lights are bright and functional
- Repainting the front door
- Planting bright flowers or placing arrangements in beautiful containers
- Develop a Winning Listing Description
A compelling description can help sell your house faster. In it, emphasise your home’s best features and include desirable attributes in the neighbourhood/community (e.g. great schools, easy access to public transit, excellent restaurants etc.).
- Accommodate Prospective Buyers
Viewings are critical especially if you want a quick sale of a house. Be as flexible as you can. If you get a last-minute request… yes, it’s a hassle – but it could mean a sale! Whether you do private showings or hold an open house, remember that you may need to accommodate buyers’ schedules when at all possible.
- Disregard All These Steps
Need to complete a quick sale of a house? You may simply not have time for all of this, even if you scramble as fast as you can. If you work with a cash house buyer, you can skip the painting, scrubbing, listing, marketing, viewings and myriad other steps. A reputable buyer will be able to move with speed to make an offer, complete valuations, submit a formal offer, handle all legal requirements – and deposit cash into your account within weeks.
It’s up to you: You can take many steps to affect a quick sale of a house… or you can take one.