Thinking about selling your home? Here, Reader’s Digest offers 13 smart ways to sell your home faster!
1. Sell at the right time
If you have been debating whether or not to sell your home, spring it the best time to do so. Listing your home from March through May is usually the best time, since conversation rates and sales velocity usually are at their highest levels for the year.
2. Price your home right
Pricing your home correctly from the beginning is very important. This not only will allow you to sell your home faster, but it also will help you net more money. Try putting yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Would you offer full price if the house across the street has been on the market for five months? Buyers are less likely to get into a bidding war over a house that has been on the market too long, so price competitively from the beginning.
3. Take great pictures
Most buyers begin their search for a new home online, where images are key. Posting low-quality, not enough or unappealing pictures will turn away potential buyers. Pictures should be high-quality and shot with a 5-megapixel or better camera rather than a cell phone. Also be sure to let in as much light as possible when taking your pictures, and make sure you don’t have any burned-out bulbs and turn on all the lights.
4. Write an enticing listing description
Give potential buyers details on how amazing your home and area is, including facts about nearby schools and shopping or regular events that happen nearby. A buyer should feel like the home is a special piece of property to be acquired.
5. Improve the curb appeal
The first thing a buyer sees is the exterior of the house, so it’s vital that it looks as best as it possibly can. Focus on giving the exterior a well-maintained look by removing weeds and debris and trimming the lawn and bushes. You also might consider adding some potted plants or shrubs, a sculptural item, and maybe a bench or chairs.
6. Update your home with fresh paint
New paint can refresh the look of your home and help it sell quicker. For exterior color, ask if the home looks inviting and well-kept from the road and whether the color makes it look more expensive. For interior paint, choose colors that are appealing for most buyers, such as a neutral, warm beige. Keep in mind that if the paint is tired, marked, chipped and worn looking, it will give the impression that the home is not taken care of.
7. Stage your home like a pro
Cast personal preferences aside and stage your home in a way that appeals to the mainstream market. Top of the list is decluttering to help create a canvas for the buyers to imagine their own life in the home. Since you have to pack anyway, get a head start and store the majority of the items you don’t use daily.
8. Take out personal touches
Family photos and heirlooms can be a hindrance when it comes time to sell your home. Remove the distractions of your personal items so that the buyers are picturing themselves inside the home rather than looking at your stuff.
9. Be flexible with showing times
Balancing showing your home alongside a busy work and family schedule can be challenging. If you can make your home available to see at any time for two weeks, however, there will be a greater chance of it moving off the market. The easier it is for agents to show a property, the more it will get shown, and the more showings, the more offers.
10. Say Goodbye to Fido
Pets aren’t always a favorable factor when it comes to selling your home. In fact, many of people seeing your listing, may not find your dog or cat cute. On top of that, they may worry about the damage your pet has done to the house. It is important to remove your pet and its items—such as dishes, beds and litter boxes—from sight for photos and showings.
11. Make your house smell good
Potential buyers evaluate your home with all of their senses. Not only are they examining the look of your space, but they also are judging the smell. Be sure to shampoo carpets to remove any stains and pet orders, and try adding a scented candle of vanilla, cinnamon, apple or lavender.
12. Light the way
Walking into a house that is clean, airy and has a lot of natural light flowing through gives the impression of a happy home. Stage your home to accentuate the positive, add lighting where appropriate and opening the clean windows.
13. Go modern with drone footage
Investing in a photography package with drone footage can help your home listing stand out above the others. This service can cost anywhere from $300 to $500, and should only be used if it will add value to the listings due to great surroundings such as lakes, canals, golf courses, parks, and of course, a clean and good-looking neighborhood. Don’t have great surroundings? Just stick with professional photos.