So, you’ve decided it’s time to sell your house and move into something new. There’s just one thing that’s holding you back. You need to finish selling your first home before you can move into your next one. You’re eager to get your house moved quickly. You don’t want to end up waiting for months for an offer. Fortunately, there are certain tips and tricks that can help you move your house faster than ever before.
It’s Time to Get Tidy
One of the first things you can do to prepare for when you need to sell your house is to start getting it ready for viewings. This means that you need to channel your inner neat freak and break out the sponges and the garbage bags. It sounds easy to declutter but oftentimes people struggle with getting rid of unnecessary items. Just remember that you want to focus on creating an aesthetically pleasing environment for your prospective buyers. It’s important to pay attention to certain areas that tend to collect the most junk. These include counters, mantels, laundry room shelves, and even magazine stands.
Getting tidy can also mean rearranging your furniture. You want your potential buyers to be able to take a leisurely stroll throughout your home without having to worry about bumping into things along the way. You can put large or unseemly pieces into storage. Then you can move your furniture so it’s not touching the walls. You want to represent an open, spacious area that’s also intimidating enough to inspire conversation.
Make Sure Your Price Point is Right
Pricing your home at the right listing point is important from the very start. This will let your home sell faster and helps you keep more money as well. You should try and put yourself into the buyer’s position when you’re considering how much you’re asking for. Buyers are much less likely to start a bidding war when a house has been up on the market for a long time, so you need to have a competitive listing from the very get-go.
Make sure that you or your real estate agent is making sure to do plenty of research on other homes that are on the market that resemble yours. You don’t want to go too low, but you also don’t want a price that’s too high either. You want something that’s going to draw buyers in and make them think they’re getting a great deal.
Make Sure your Pictures are up to Snuff
When someone is ready to begin their search for a house to buy, they’re most likely going to start by looking online. This is where images come into place, and they can be very powerful. Knowing how to take great pictures is very important! You want to avoid posting pictures that are low-quality or unappealing. This is a sure fast way to drive away potential prospects. You also want to make sure you have enough pictures posted. There should be pictures of every room, with a special focus on the different amenities that you might have to offer. If you have a hot tub, for example, make sure that’s included in the pictures. The same goes for a large bathtub, a fireplace, or double ovens. Having pictures of these things can make a huge difference when someone is browsing around, looking at their plethora of options.
Make sure you let in as much light as you can when you take your pictures. This means making sure your bulbs aren’t burned out and turning on every light in the house when you begin taking your pictures.
Write out a Great Listing Description
It’s not just pictures that are important when you’re posting your house online for potential buyers to look at. The right words can be very impactful as well. You want to give your buyers inside information on how great your house is, and even the neighboring areas around it. Talk about the nearby schools, the shopping districts, and events that might happen near your home. Just knowing about bedrooms and bathrooms isn’t enough. You want your home to feel like something special.
Make the Outside as Beautiful as the Inside
When a potential buyer decides to take a look at your home, they are going to see the exterior first – whether it’s through an online picture or by taking a drive-by. It needs to look appealing right away. So, make sure you maintain your exterior by removing any weeds and debris. Then you can start working on the lawn and bushes, making sure that it’s appropriately trimmed and mowed. You might even consider having a few potted and plants and some shrubs. Chairs and benches never hurt either, depending on the type of home you want. Remember that you want an intimate feeling, and these items can add to that.
You also want to make sure that your paint and trim is in good condition. You don’t want your home to look rundown, and having touch-ups done to ensure that your home looks like it’s the best representation of itself can turn into a huge advantage when it comes to getting bids.
Remove the Personal Touches
You probably love your family photographs and your collection of heirlooms and knickknacks. However, they can actually be determinantal when it comes time to sell your home. After all, you want your potential buyer to start picturing their own life inside the home instead of focusing on all your personal belongings. This goes hand in hand with our first point, which was getting tidy.
You can box up your personal belongings and store them while putting out items that are more neutral. Having neutrality will allow people of all different backgrounds and lifestyles can begin seeing just how they can make this home fit their personalities. You can read up on different decorating tips that will help your home sell faster.
Make Sure You’re Showing Times are Flexible
It can be quite difficult to balance your work schedule and family time. Adding in the extra time to show your house can make this all the more challenging. However, if you can be a bit flexible with your showing times, you’re going to have an easier time drawing in potential buyers. Remember that they have lives too, and those lives might be just as busy and hectic as your own. So, if they can only meet at six pm, then you want to make sure you’re ready for that. The more showings that you do, the more likely you are to find an offer. If you have multiple offers, you’re going to be able to sell for a higher price.
Don’t Use Your Pet as a Selling Tool
Plenty of people love pets, and you might be one of them. However, it’s very important to remember that not everyone adores dogs or cats as much as you do. They might not find them cute and adorable at all. In fact, having a pet in your pictures might make the potential candidates for buying your home worry about any damage that might have been caused by the animal to the interior or exterior of your house.
Therefore, when you prepare your pictures or your showings, it’s recommended that you put your pet, your pet toys, your litter boxes, or other miscellaneous animal items out of sight.
Take Scent into Account
Believe it or not, potential buyers are going to be looking at your house during a showing with all of their senses, not just their eyes. They might be in love with the way the place looks but be turned off by unpleasant aromas. Therefore, you should always shampoo your carpets – this will remove any stains as well as any lingering odors. You can also choose from a number of scented candles to light during your showing. Let your potential buyers enjoy the smell of vanilla, cinnamon, lavender, or even apple. Just make sure those scents are too overpowering. You don’t the place to resemble an overused perfume shop, after all.
Put Some Focus on the Lighting
It may seem strange, but lighting can actually be a huge help – or hindrance – when it comes to moving a house fast. You want your potential buyer to walk into a home that is open and airy and clean – and with a lot of natural light. This will give them the impression of a happy home. You can start by staging your home in order to punctuate the positive while adding extra light where appropriate. You can also clean your windows and make sure that they’re kept open.
Get Your Home Sold Fast
By following these tips, you can stand out above other sellers and really make your house seem like a dream home for the right person, couple, or family. It might seem like a lot of extra work, but you’re going to be reaping the rewards when your home sells quickly.
