If you have decided to sell your house, the goal would be to sell it fast. To do that, you need to generate interest. After all, the more potential buyers you attract the better chances you have of getting an offer close to your asking price, if not more.
A lot of first-time home sellers, however, think that simply listing their house on the market means buyers are going to show up to their doorstep with a bag full of cash. That’s not the case. There’s work that needs to be done.
Here’s a complete guide on how to sell your house for cash and sell it fast.
The first step is probably the most important and will set you in the right direction. A good real estate agent can help you throughout the entire process, from hiring professional real estate photographers for high-quality photos, staging companies to make your property more visually appealing, accommodating potential buyers, scheduling and hosting showings, and more importantly, negotiating the best price.
Find a competitive real estate agent who actually knows the market you are in. This should be easy, as there are tons of options on the internet.
When looking for a real estate agent, check both their sales history and professional designations. Look up their profiles to learn how long they’ve been in the industry, their number of closed sales, and the recognition they have earned in their career. Pay close attention to how and where they make their listings. Opt for the ones they use, and imitate the professional look of their photos – this should give you a good start.
While the whole idea of “selling my house for cash” is to earn a profit, setting an unrealistic price for your house is not the way to do it. The most effective way to sell your property fast is to set a competitive price. The last thing you want is for your property to spend more time on the market, as it will affect its value, which is the opposite of your primary goal.
A good realtor will help you come up with a competitive price – a price that is realistic and represents the true value of the home and is comparable to the properties in your area.
If you want to do this step on your own, you absolutely can. The real estate industry has advanced drastically over the years.
There are no algorithmic pricing tools that can help you get the best price for your property. These are basically online appraisal tools that use data from real estate listing sites, recorder’s offices, title companies, etc. Obviously, nothing can replace the accuracy of a professional appraisal or the comparative market analysis of a professional realtor.
If you are looking to sell it fast, then you can offer it for a little under the fair market value to attract the most interest. In many cases, this can spark a bidding war which can increase the value of your home.
If you have not received any offers by the date you set, consider knocking the price down.
Also, consider the price point. If you are going to list your property at $253,000, then potential buyers who are looking for properties under $250,000 may not see your listing. In most cases, asking for that extra $3,000 is simply not worth it if lots of potential buyers will not get a chance to see your property listing.
First impressions last. It’s an age-old saying that applies to almost everything. And it certainly applies to home selling.
The exterior is definitely the first thing that potential buyers see. Thus, you want to make it as appealing as possible. Repaint the walls and the door, plant flowers, lay new grass, wash the windows, fix any broken fixtures, sweep away debris, clean the porch, and make sure the lawn is well manicured. Keep everything clean and tidy. This will signal to the potential buyers you have taken good care of your property.
Potential buyers want to be able to see themselves in the house they are considering buying. They will not be able to do that if the house is full of clutter, your personal items, and your family photos.
Also, rearrange the furniture to make a room look more spacious and inviting. Remember, a crowded space looks small. You want your buyers to be able to move around without bumping into anything. Hide the bulky items in storage.
You can, of course, invest in a professional stager. These people can showcase the best assets of your property, make it look bigger than it actually is, and more importantly, impress buyers and make them visualize themselves inside the home. While staging services aren’t cheap, recent data shows staged homes sell a whopping 88% faster, and for up to 20% more than non-staged homes.
Address any lingering issues that may deter potential buyers or affect the price of the property. Tighten leaky faucets, make sure there are no clogged pipes, replace broken windows, doors, and tiles, remove carpet stains, and touch up paint.
Depending on how much time (and the budget) you have, you may need to replace old appliances with new ones, install new cabinets in the kitchen, and even repaint the interior with neutral-colored paint.
The best way to do this is to get a pre-sale home inspection. This provides you with a detailed list of everything that needs to be fixed on your property. You can include this detail in your listing to show potential buyers the property is ready.
Since people are looking for houses to buy online, you definitely need high-quality photos from professional real estate photographers. Your real estate agent can help you with this. He/she can recommend someone to take the best photos to use for your online listing.
Like stagers, professional photographers can highlight the best assets of your property. Make it look inviting and more appealing on the computer screen or mobile phones. Do not skimp on showcasing your home.