5 Undisputed Ways to Make Your Home Sell Faster
When you decide to put your house on the market, you want it to sell - and fast. Maybe even with multiple offers. A home languishing on the market can be stressful, time consuming, and even expensive for the seller. Today, we are sharing tried and true ways to help your home sell faster. Follow these tips so that you don’t find yourself asking, “Why is it taking so long for my house to sell?”:
1. Scrub the baseboards. You’re actually going to clean more than just the baseboards - but what we mean is do a deep, deep cleaning. Don’t just sweep and mop the floor - that’s the minimum (and we don’t do minimum). Take a toothbrush to the crevices by the oven, dust the tops of the cabinets and ceiling fan blades, clean the hand smudges off of the doors by the knob. Have you ever run your hand along a window sill and come up with a film of gunk? At no point during a potential buyer’s showing do you want them to say “Ewwww, what’s that?” In the mind of a buyer, a clean house means a well-maintained house. Pay special attention to spaces where your pet sleeps and eats. Clean out the turtle tank and the kitty litter box. And if you have the funds, hire a cleaning service to do a deep cleaning.
2. Invest in some baskets. The more clutter-free your home is, the more spacious it looks. The more spacious your home looks, the more impressive it will be to buyers. Decluttering is one of the simplest things you can do for a big impact. Clear off countertops, tabletops, dressers, mantels, and shelves. But sometimes that’s easier said than done, especially if you are still living in the house and have kids or pets (ditto for messy roommates). Donating items to charity is always a good idea, but what if you aren’t ready to part with your Pez collection? A trick of the trade is to purchase baskets that can fit under beds and on shelves and fill them with the knick knacks. A shelf full of wicker baskets not only corrals clutter, but also looks organized and stylish. Another option is to get a storage unit while your house is on the market. If you don’t want to take on the task yourself, some home staging companies will help with the decluttering process.
Decluttering tip:
Use baskets to corral clutter.
3. Price it right. With few exceptions (we’re looking at you 2022), homes that are priced too high will sit on the market longer than a home priced at market value. It actually discourages otherwise qualified buyers from seeing your home. The longer your home is on the market, the longer you will continue to pay the carrying costs, like your mortgage, taxes, utilities, and lawn care. It also increases the likelihood that you will not get your asking price. Likewise, if its priced too low, you might send the wrong message to the marketplace. For example, buyers may think that there is something wrong with the house, or that you in a bind and must sell quickly. Deciding on the right listing price is crucial, and it’s an art. Real estate agents are your best friend here. They can take specialized courses that enhance their skills in pricing properties, like the Pricing Strategies Advisor (PSA) certification offered by the National Association of Realtors.
4. Set the stage. There have been many studies on this topic, and the results consistently confirm that a well-staged home sells significantly faster than a comparable un-staged home. Staging a home involves using furniture, art, decor, lighting, and greenery to present a home in an attractive way. Well-staged homes appeal to the highest number of potential buyers, helping a buyer see themselves living in the space. Staging may involve replacing existing furniture, adding furniture or art, changing the use of a room to a more universally appealing use, and organizing and decluttering. It may also involve de-personalizing a home - removing very personal or specific art or belongings that may prevent a potential buyer from identifying with the home. Most staging companies charge a fee for developing a staging plan and implementing it, and a separate rental fee for any furniture or accessories you need to borrow.
“...results consistently confirm that a well-staged home sells significantly faster than a comparable un-staged home.”
5. Give the curb some love. You can make your home a spotless, clutter-free, beautifully staged property, but it won’t make a difference if a buyer doesn’t get past the curb. The outside of your home is its first impression on the buyer, and you want it to be a good one. It is not unheard of for a buyer to take a look at the outside of a home and decide that they don’t want to waste their time looking at the inside. The better your home looks from the street, the more buyers will become interested. Power wash your house, fence, and driveway, touch up the paint if needed, trim the hedges, rake the yard and re-mulch flower beds, and replace or remove dead plants. Hire a landscaping or lawn maintenance company if you want some outside help.
Keep these proven strategies in mind when putting your home up for sale. If you are looking for help to sell your home, give us a call, text, or email: Realty LV, 813-377-3826, contact@realtylvhomes.com.