No one wants to spend months—or even weeks—selling their home. If there were a magical way to sell quickly, we would probably all take advantage of that option. Believe it or not, there are some unique strategies to help sell your home more quickly than other sellers. In fact, the cash home buyer strategy lets you close on your home in as little as five days. Sounds too good to be true, right? Read the full guide for all the info.
1. Choose a Real Estate Agent—or Don’t
If you’re listing your home on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), you’ll need a real estate agent. Experts recommend finding an agent who knows the market and knows how to position your home competitively within that market. Ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations, and thoroughly vet each person you interview.
Alternatively, you can list the home yourself. An FSBO (for sale by owner) listing has a few advantages. For one, you’ll save money on the agent’s commission since you don’t have one. You also have more control over the listing process, and you can make sure everything is done to your liking. The downside, of course, is that you have to do all the work yourself, and you may not have the expertise to sell quickly. Of the two options, working with a real estate agent is usually—but not always—faster. We’ll talk about this more later.
2. Clean Your Home
If you normally deep clean your home for guests, it’s time to take that energy and run with it. When you’re selling your home, prospective buyers look at absolutely everything. They won’t just walk through your home. They’ll use your restroom and make sure your toilet is bolted down properly. They may look under your beds for carpet stains or pay special attention to your baseboards and light fixtures. Clutter is especially unappealing for would-be buyers. Make sure you completely clear surfaces like countertops so your home feels more spacious. Not sure whether you can function with so little stuff? If in doubt, clean it out. You can always put it back before the next showing.
3. Stage It
By now, you’ve probably heard of home staging—the method of clearing all the personal clutter out of your home so it seems like a perfect, nondescript family lives there instead. It’s pretty easy to do, but it can be a little pricey. First, remove all your family photos and personal memorabilia. Buyers want to imagine themselves in your home, and that’s hard to do when your child is staring at them from the mantelpiece. Next, add beautiful decor—but do it sparingly. Again, the buyers want the place to feel homey but not overwhelming. Finally, arrange furniture for aesthetics rather than function. You may need to turn your sofa so it faces the fireplace instead of the television, for example. Yes, it’s harder to watch your favorite show, but you can turn it around when the showing is over. Staging is one surefire way to help your home sell quickly.
4. Complete Your Repairs and Maintenance
Nearly every homeowner has little repairs they’ve planned to do over the years. You were probably going to fix the broken toilet or replace the cracked light switch plate eventually. Well, that time is now.
Go through your home with a fresh mindset. Imagine you’ve never walked into the space before, and try to notice all the little details a buyer might notice. If something stands out, fix it. Here are a few common concerns:
- Leaky faucets
- Broken finishes (light fixtures, knobs, etc.)
- Paint touchups (consider repainting if you haven’t done it recently)
- Dingey caulking (replace it)
- Dirty gutters
- Roof Patches
- Landscaping
At a minimum, replace any missing light bulbs and make sure your front door works properly. Buyers will definitely notice these types of details.
5. Focus on the Entryway
Speaking of the front door, if you’re going to focus your efforts on one space, this should be it. Your entryway is the first impression of your home for potential buyers. Make sure it’s warm and inviting. You can give your front door a fresh coat of paint, sweep and mop your porch and entry floor, provide space for guests to hang their coats, and remove all the clutter. Also, consider adding storage for guests to leave their shoes and decorating the space with a plant or two for extra color. If you have an open house, leave the front door open if weather permits. Your home will feel more welcoming, and potential buyers won’t feel like they’re intruding on a private space.
6. Find a Cash Buyer
All of the tips above will help you sell your home more quickly, but they’re also a expensive and time consuming. Of course, even if you do everything right, you still might not sell quickly. But we have good news. There’s a solution that skips all those steps completely. You can find a cash buyer like Homeinc and sell your home now—with no showings, no repairs, no extensive cleaning, and no strangers traipsing through your home for weeks on end. Homeinc can perform a quick property analysis and make a cash offer within minutes. From there, just sign the contract and pick a closing date. It’s by far the easiest way to sell your home quickly. You can even make arrangements to stay in the home post-occupancy if needed.
Got questions? Call or text the advisors at Homeinc today to get started.
