Every person selling their house dreams about how they'll put their home on the market and immediately have people going into a bidding war.
This is usually not what happens. But, there are some things that you can do that will help increase a buyer's motivation to put in an offer and potentially sell your home faster.
In addition to these tips, you may also want to read our posts on home improvements that increase your property value, so you can get the most out of your investment.
But, make sure not to waste time or money on the home improvements that won't bring the bacon.
Now, let's dive in to your strategy plan for how you'll sell your home fast.
1. Price Your Home Right:
The right price is not necessarily what you want or what you think it's worth. We are talking about what the market is saying in your area. Your realtor should be pulling comps in the area, as well as looking at market trends up to three months back.
If you're looking to break some records in your area, you can certainly price it high and wait it out, but you probably won't be selling your house fast.
To sell fast, you need to price your home competitively, in line with the market. You can even consider selling it slightly below the market trends to appeal to buyers and then hope to start a bidding war that will up the price for what you wanted to list it for in the beginning.
Bottom line: get a great realtor who can help you price your home right to sell fast.
2. Leverage Auction Platforms:
Like everything else, we are seeing technology change real estate. There are new bidding platforms, like our sister site Homebids, that allows buyers and sellers to see, in real time, what the bids are on properties.
We are seeing homes sell in 3 days, often for over ask, with full transparency. If you've ever endured the brutal home buying and selling process where there's multiple bids and nobody has a clue what anybody is offering, you know how valuable this transparency can be for making the best decision.
Imagine watching your property go live on Homebids and seeing the offers come in - in real time. It's thrilling! Reach out if you'd like to list your property on Homebids: 916.524.9733.
3. Stage Your Home:
Yup, we said it. Staging your home is one of the best investments you can make if you want to sell fast. Studies have proven time and time again that the money you pay in staging will come back to you, because staging accomplishes a few very important goals:
Staging completely neutralizes the home and takes out any personalization that makes potential buyers feel like they are in somebody else's house.
Staging maximizes the space and floor plan. These designers know exactly how to use the square feet in the best possible way. They highlight the best architectural features and areas, while drawing attention away from anything that could be a distraction. This helps the buyer imagine how they might decorate and live in the space, too.
Staging makes the home appear bigger. They don't fill every nook and cranny as we all tend to do when we own and decorate a home. This makes the space appear much larger, which is exactly how you want buyers to feel.
For more information on home staging, read this post with 10 home staging tips that attract buyers!
4. Declutter & Depersonalize:
If you'll be living in the home and can't stage, it's time to be ruthless. Declutter and depersonalize like you are on a mission. Get a storage unit nearby and move out absolutely everything that you do not need to have on a daily basis.
You can even bring in a home stager to consult on how to best use what you do have to maximize the space, and they will also bring in some home decor touches that will appeal to buyers.
Either way, the goal is to remove anything that could make a buyer feel like a trespasser. If you've ever walked a home for sale to find huge photos of the family leering at you from the walls, you understand why this is important.
We have also seen possible buyers get distracted by things in a home, like large religious artifacts on the walls or even sports paraphernalia for an opposing team.
If you're looking to sell fast, remove anything that could make the home feel occupied.
5. Deep Clean:
People look everywhere, especially if they like the home. We recently walked a property with a client that had horrible stains on the carpet and pungent smells in the bathroom. They couldn't get out fast enough.
There's just no way to sell the layout and square feet if a buyer is turned off by mold on the shelves.
So, before you list, get a professional cleaning team or roll up your sleeves and make sure that your property really shines. It's difficult for us to always see the things in our home that an outsider will notice, which is why hiring out is so valuable.
6. Smart Updates:
You want to move your property fast, right? It's time to make smart updates. For one family we worked with, that meant investing in the interior walls so they were all an even texture and neutral color. Over the years, replacing leaks and putting in copper piping had left the walls riddled with patches and mismatched paint.
By freshening up the walls, they removed a huge distraction for potential buyers and gave the entire property a brighter, bigger, newer look. This small investment up front led to very interested buyers who offered over ask and the property sold quickly.
Talk to a realtor about what your property really needs to shine and sell. Also, check out these other posts with things you can do to get your home ready to sell:
8 curb appeal tips to make a great first impression
7. Use Social Media:
Social media offers an unparalleled opportunity to reach new potential buyers. Utilize social media to spread the word about your property.
Ask your realtor about options such as:
A blog post with key points and tons of pictures about your property
Social media posts with pictures and info, utilizing important hashtags to increase reach
A detailed email to their email list with info, pics, links to the blog post and more
A post on LinkedIn to spread the word
People are on social media, so why not leverage these tools to attract potential buyers? Be sure to look for a realtor who is already using social media and has an established audience online that they can share your property with.
8. Get Great Pics & Video:
The difference that professional photos and video of your property will make cannot be understated. There are times when photos will sell a house without a buyer even setting foot on the property. Sometimes, buyers are shopping from out of state and they have to make a decision before visiting in person.
Usually, an established realtor will have a photographer and videographer that they work with regularly, so you won't need to shop around for different people. Ask to see examples of the photographer and videographers work or just look at the realtors YouTube and social media pages to see what their previous client work looks like.
Remember that the photos and video will be the very first impression that will make buyers want to come and see the house for themselves.
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This is just a starting list to get you thinking about what you can do to prep your property to sell fast.
Working with a talented realtor who knows how to prep homes and get them sold will also be a powerful asset. Reach out if you're looking for a relator in the Sacramento area, although we also do work with clients all over California. Give us a call at 916.524.9733.