Selling your house quickly is not only a convenience. It can also bring huge relief, as you’ll earn money from the sale more smoothly and can simplify the next steps in moving out of your house during a major life transition.
This complete guide to preparing your house to sell fast explains how much time, effort and money will go into the sale of your home, as well as how to speed it all up and close the sale.
Before you start the hands-on work to get your house ready, research the market and selling options, then outline the steps you want to take to sell your house fast. Our complete guide can help you decide the best way to handle the process.
Choose How to Quickly Sell Your Home
You can pay for help or manage the sale on your own. Start by researching the options below to get a clear path to selling your home quickly.
iBuyer
The quickest option is to apply for an instant home offer through an iBuyer. iBuyers are tech-based home investors that buy and sell houses online, streamlining the process for themselves and their customers.
They’re real estate investors that have grown in specific markets within the past five years. They often charge slightly higher fees than realtors, plus a repair allowance and an additional offer discount to account for risks and other costs. They can close the sale quickly, in as little as seven days, offering fair market value to buy your home as-is.
Realtor
It’s most common to hire a realtor to help sell your home. You’ll pay an average commission of 5-6% of your home’s sales price to list it on the market. A realtor will manage much of the work in listing the home, finding buyers and coordinating offers. Their expertise can help the sale move faster, but the standard process to find buyers and negotiate offers can slow the timeline.
FSBO
If you want more control over the process and have some experience in the area, you can try the For Sale By Owner route or FSBO. You can then manage your own listings on sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. With this route, you might spend more of your own time on the sale, but can also save money and control each step.
Know Comparable Homes and the Market
Researching comparable homes that sold recently in your area can tell you what buyers are looking for in a home. It also gives you an understanding of your market’s condition and your home’s fair market value.
In a hot market, you’ll find buyers quickly who are more willing to compromise on the condition or price of a home. In a cold market, buyers can be picky and the sale may take longer if the price is wrong.
Make a Clear Timeline
To understand how quickly you can sell your home, work backwards from closing to your current point. List the steps, from research, to hands-on work, to coordinating a sale. This will help you break down the amount of time it could take to complete each step and to prioritize what steps are most important for a faster sale.
Do Maintenance and Renovations
Buyers want to see a house in working order. For a new homeowner it means the home is move-in ready. For a real estate investor it means there is less risk in the purchase. Finish maintenance projects such as leaking faucets, clogged drains or holes in walls. A pre-listing inspection can make you aware of necessary repairs.
On a larger scale, the condition and value of comparable homes that sold recently in your area will tell you what buyers want and whether renovations will help you reach that standard.
Hire an appraiser to learn the value of your home and see if the market suggests that upgrades can help you list at a higher price or sell faster. Typically the most valuable renovations affect the overall safety and functionality of the house.
Clean and Declutter
Think of your house as an asset that you want to sell, and let go of your personal attachment to it. Remove items such as your family photographs and trinkets to allow buyers to more easily picture themselves in the home. This could involve painting over bold colors with neutral colors, as well as decluttering the space.
Organizing storage spaces in the home is just as important as organizing rooms. Rent a storage unit for excess belongings instead of hiding them in closets around the house.
From there, staging the home can help buyers see its true potential. This could involve moving furniture to adjust the flow of rooms or adding decorative pieces throughout the home to create warmth.
Landscaping also impacts a home’s appearance and can make a solid first impression. Invest in sprucing up the yard to show its potential, just like the inside of the home.
Present Your Home Professionally
A buyer’s first look at a house is likely through the photos of an online listing. Having professional photos taken of your home can ensure it’s shown in the best light and from the best angles.
Once your home is on the market, you’ll want to present yourself professionally as well. Potential buyers, as well as inspectors, and appraisers will need to visit your home. Anticipate these appointments, have paperwork and information ready, and be flexible with scheduling to keep the sales process moving quickly.
Prepare Your House to Sell Fast
With this complete guide to selling your house fast, you can make your own clear path to closing the sale.
Choose how you’ll sell, do the research, and decide what hands-on work is needed, then find a buyer fast. With this information, you can sell your house quickly and move forward more simply.
Recommended Reading
https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-prepare-your-house-for-sale-1799018