If you’re thinking about selling your home, here are 7 secrets to selling your home faster this spring.
Remember: It’s All About the Buyer
The goal is to make buyers say “Wow, I Can Really See Us Living Here”
The first thing to do is assess your property from an outsider’s perspective and think about how potential buyers would perceive it. If they see a front door that needs painting, or some windows that look outdated, they might decide not to even go inside. That’s why it’s essential to create an inviting exterior first and foremost.
Clean Everything
A clean home is a happy home, and it’s also a key factor in getting your house sold faster!
When buyers walk into a dirty house, it’s hard for them to imagine themselves living there. They may even assume that the seller doesn’t take care for the property or that the seller isn’t living up to the standards of their neighborhood—both of which can make them less likely to make an offer on your house.
To ensure that you get top dollar for your home, hire a professional cleaning service (or do it yourself!) to deep clean every nook and cranny: inside cabinets, appliances and drawers; under sinks; behind refrigerator doors; inside closets; under beds and sofas; floors (including baseboards); walls (including corners); windows (inside and out)… even basement areas or garages!
Choose your Agent Wisely
When you’re interviewing potential real estate agents, pay close attention to their experience level. You want to find someone you can work well with who also knows the market.
A good agent will be able to help you determine the best price for your home and negotiate with buyers. They will also help you prepare for showings and make sure everything is in order for each showing.
The right agent will know how to advertise your home effectively and help you understand the process of selling a home so that everything goes smoothly.
Price it Right
When you’re selling your home, it’s tempting to set an unrealistically high price with the idea that you can come down later. But don’t do it! Listen to your agent, they’re experienced enough to know what works and what doesn’t. Buyers and their agents have access to more information on comparable homes than ever before, and they know what most homes are worth before viewing them. A home that’s overpriced in the beginning tends to stay on the market longer, even after the price is cut, because buyers think there must be something wrong with it. No amount of presentation is going to fix a price that is just too high.
Depersonalize your home
To sell your home faster, it’s important to understand that the buyers’ perspective of your house is very different than yours. When you look at your house, you see all the things that make it yours. The wall art you’ve collected over the years, the way you’ve decorated each room to fit your personality, and even things like your children’s artwork—all of those things can make a buyer think less about the house and more about you.
When they walk through your front door, they want to feel like they’re in neutral territory: not someone else’s home, but also not their own yet. They want to be able to imagine themselves there with no attachments—they don’t want any reminders of another family or another culture or another life. Removing political and religious items from the refrigerator and anything else that marks the house as yours is one way to help create a neutral space for buyers who are looking for a blank slate with which they can create their own story.
Paint
You may have heard that people buy homes in “move-in ready condition” but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to make some updates of their own. A new coat of paint will make a big difference when it comes to freshening up your home, both inside and out. This is the time to paint over your daughter’s red bedroom that she painted herself, put that quirky orange bathroom wall to rest and cover up the black accent wall in your dining room. Your goal is to create a neutral blank canvas so buyers can envision incorporating their own personal touches in the home. Here are some favorites this year.
Do small upgrades
You might be tempted to start with a major remodel—the kitchen or bathrooms could use an update, after all. But before you sink thousands of dollars into redoing the kitchen or the bathrooms, take a minute to consider these simple updates that can make a big difference in your final sale price.
If your home has hardwood floors throughout, then refinishing them will give buyers confidence that they won’t have to worry about maintenance down the road—and it will also boost curb appeal by making the rooms feel warmer and more welcoming with less harsh light bouncing off the imperfections.
Bathrooms and kitchens are another area where quick upgrades can make a big difference: new light fixtures will reflect more natural light into the space without having to replace old fixtures entirely; new shower curtains can add color and interest without breaking the bank; and even small changes like installing new hardware on drawers can make a big difference in the kitchen or the bathroom.
Bring in as Much Light as Possible
People love light and bright, and the best way to show off your house is to let the sunshine in. Open all the curtains, blinds and shades, and turn lights on in any dark rooms. Add lamps to rooms that are darker and wash those windows. You’d be surprised how much light is trapped behind the dirt!
Leave your lights on when you’re leaving the house for a showing.
This means that when a potential buyer comes by, they can enter an already-lit home, rather than having to walk around and find light switches. This allows them to focus on envisioning themselves in the space—and only that!
The most important part of selling your home fast is working with an agent that will guide you every step of the way. They will eliminate any confusion or uncertainty about the process and make your life easier.
The best agents are able to understand what matters most to you, and they’ll work hard to make sure that happens. They’ll also help you get top dollar for your home, so that when it’s time to move on, you can do it without worrying about how much money you’ll have left over after closing costs and repairs. If you’re considering doing extra work here is a
cost breakdown of common home renovations.
I’m that agent for you! Let’s connect and get that home sold!