Yahoo Finance 10 Secrets to Selling Your Home Faster
Time your listing for a fast sale.
Selling your home quickly not only allows you to move on with your life, it also means fewer days of keeping your home in pristine condition and leaving every time your agent brings prospective buyers for a tour. Real estate information company Zillow crunched data from 2008 to 2016 and found the optimum time to list a home for sale was on a Saturday between May 1 and 15 -- at least looking at national numbers. Homes listed during those times sold nine days faster and for 0.8 percent more than the average annual home price, according to Zillow's analysis. In more moderate climates, the optimum time came in March or April.
Timing isn't everything when selling your home.
As you list your home, remember those numbers are historical averages and this spring may be different. "With 3 percent fewer homes on the market than last year, 2017 is shaping up to be another competitive buying season," Zillow chief economist Svenja Gudell said in a news release. "Many homebuyers who started looking for homes in the early spring will still be searching for their dream home months later." But how fast your home actually sells, and at what price, depends on a lot more factors than when you list it. A National Association of Realtors survey published late last year found that the average home was on the market a month in 2016, down from 11 weeks in 2012.
Here are 10 secrets to selling your home faster, no matter when you list it.
Take great photos.
According to an NAR survey, 51 percent of homebuyers found the house they eventually bought online and 95 percent used the internet in their home search. If your listing photos don't show off the features of your home, prospective buyers may reject it without even taking a tour or going to the open house. Hiring a professional photographer and posting at least 30 photos of your home, inside and out, is a good way to attract a buyer.
Clean everything.
Nothing turns off buyers like a dirty house. Hire a company to deep clean if you can't do it yourself. That includes washing windows inside and out, removing any clutter and cleaning the garage, basement, baseboards, ceilings and closets -- and anywhere else the buyer can see.
Depersonalize the home.
Remove all your family photos and memorabilia. You want buyers to see the house as a home for their family, not yours. Remove political and religious items, your children's artwork (and everything else) from the refrigerator and anything that marks the house as your territory rather than neutral territory.
Let the light in.
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. If your house is on a lockbox and your real estate agent isn't going to be there to open blinds and turn on lights before showings, leave everything open when you leave for work every morning.
Make your home available.
Buyers like to see homes on their schedule, which often means evenings and weekends. Plus, they want to be able to tour a home soon after they find it online, especially in a hot market where they're competing with other buyers. If your home can be shown with little or no notice, more prospective buyers will see it. If you require 24 hours' notice, they are likely to see and perhaps choose others homes first.
Set the right price.
No seller wants to leave money on the table, but the strategy of setting an unrealistically high price with the idea you can come down later doesn't work in real estate. Buyers and their agents have access to more information than ever, and they know what most homes are worth before viewing them. A home that's overpriced tends to stay on the market longer, even after the price is cut, because buyers think there must be something wrong with it. Set the right price from the beginning, otherwise you might cost yourself precious time and money.
Remove excess furniture and clutter.
Nothing makes a home seem smaller than too much big furniture. Rent a PODS self-storage container or a storage unit and remove as much furniture as you can. It will immediately make your home seem calmer and larger. Remove knickknacks from all surfaces, pack them away and store the pieces upon which you displayed them. Take a minimalist approach to books, CDs, throw rugs and draperies, and clear off your kitchen and bathroom countertops, even appliances you normally use. If you can remove half the stuff in your closets, that's even better, because it makes the home's storage space look more ample.
Spread the word.
Your neighbors are often the best salespeople for your home because they love the neighborhood. Make sure they know your home is for sale and are invited to your open house. Share your listing on social media and ensure your agent does the same. Put flyers on neighborhood bulletin boards and share the news on neighborhood email lists and Facebook groups. If you have the skills, make a video to tell the story of how much you love the house and the neighborhood and put it up on YouTube.
Repaint in neutral colors.
A coat of paint will do wonders to freshen up your home, both inside and out. This is the time to paint over your daughter's purple bedroom and cover up your red dining room accent wall. You want to create a neutral palette where buyers can envision putting their own personal touches. Warm neutrals such as gray, taupe and cream are better than bright white.
Spruce up the front of your home.
You've heard it 100 times before, and it's still true: Curb appeal matters. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. A new or freshly painted front door, new house numbers and a new mailbox can breathe life into your entryway. Fresh landscaping and flowers in beds or in pots also enhance your home's first impression. Trim trees and bushes, and pressure wash walkways, patios and decks. Leave the outdoor lights on, too, because prospective buyers may drive by at night.
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