Selling your home can be exhausting and time-consuming. When I sold my first house, it took months of back and forth with buyers. For some homeowners, this process can stretch on and on.
A quick look at Zillow and you can see that some homes can take weeks to almost half a year to sell. Working with a real estate agent and selling through the traditional process eats up valuable time and energy. First, you need to find the right real estate agent for your home, prepare your home, show the home, negotiate … and everything up to closing.
Now, for the average homeowner, the sale eventually goes through. Whew! Time to move on. But what happens when the market is in a downturn or the home is distressed? When your house has been on the market for months you’ll do just about anything to speed up the sale.
I feel your pain. I’ve worked in real estate in one way or another for many years. There isn’t anything I haven’t seen. So let me give you my five best tips that might get your house out of the quicksand, and help you sell your house fast.
Tip #1: Improve your Home’s Appeal
Have you looked at your house lately, curb to yard, basement to attic? Ask a close friend to come over and look at your it. Get honest advice. If your home isn’t spick and span, it’s time to get in there and put in a little (or a lot!) of elbow grease. Here are four things you can do today to make it nicer and more welcoming.
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- Cut the lawn and do some landscaping or manicuring.
- Throw out or donate any junk. Call a junk removal crew for the serious stuff like an old swing set.
- Deep clean the house. Power wash the driveway. Wet-dry vac those carpets.
- Do some light interior decorating. Buy some rugs. A $100 can go a long way to sprucing up the house.
Tip #2: Repair or Renovate
If you can’t make the sale, it’s time to put some more money into making sure a buyer will want to snap up your property. In my experience, there is always something that needs to be repaired or renovated. Set a budget and dive in. Here are a few ideas.
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- Replace doorknobs, light fixtures, wall socket panels, and faucets. Small wins.
- Knock out those old, dated cabinets in the kitchen.
- Paint the interior. Accent walls are a great way to add color without the hassle of repainting everything.
- Buy new or like-new appliances.
- Tackle a major problem or two, like that leaky ceiling or the out-dated electrical system.
Tip #3: Choose the Right Price
Are you sure your asking price is right? You’d be surprised how many times this is the one major factor keeping a home from selling.
If your home isn’t priced competitively, you could find yourself stuck on the market for months. If you are selling on your own, you’ll need to do more research to find a better price. I recommend you call a real estate agent. A local pro will know your market and can help you chose the right price.
Tip #4: Do an Image Makeover
In today’s online world, the first impression usually comes from a picture or online listing. Don’t make the mistake of showing a low-quality picture, poor lighting, or one that doesn’t show your house in the best possible way.
I recommend you hire a professional photographer. Ask around to find a photographer that specializes in real estate. You want someone who can really make the home shine. If you’re working with a real estate agent, talk to them. They should already be on top of this.
Tip #5: Understand your Local Market
Each local market is unique. Have you gotten to know the in’s and out’s of your area?
This is one of the most important ways to speed up the sale of your home. This can take a lot of upfront work, and you’ll have to learn about market demand and the economics surrounding home buying and selling. Here are some important questions to answer about your local market.
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- How many homes are for sale?
- How long does a home list before closing?
- What is the average household income of the area?
- How much have homes sold for in the past 6 months, 12 months, 18 months?
- Are people moving to or from the area?
- What are the demographics of the market and how are they changing?
Sell to a Real Estate Investor and Skip the Headache
If these five tips sound like too much, then skip the hassle and sell your home fast. Your home isn’t selling on the market, and the months and months of waiting are draining you of time, money, and energy. Don’t wait any longer.
You can avoid the realtor headache and get a cash offer on your home in less than 24 hours. This is what I do. I meet with people like you every day who are exhausted with trying to sell. After months of negotiations and thousands of dollars of renovations, they are fed up.
Sometimes the fastest way to sell is to sell as-is. Leaky roof? No problem. Trashed carpets? No problem. Cracked foundation? No problem. My job here at Clean Slate Homes is to meet you, listen to your needs, look at your home, and provide a no-obligation cash offer for the house. Find out what your home is worth, and if you are ready to escape that money monster, you can sell to me in less than a week.
