If you are set to “sell my house” fast, you may have a good reason to want to sell it quickly. Whether you’re relocating soon for a new job or have an offer on a new place, it’s essential to attract people to “sell my house fast.” The better your options for selling quickly and for a reasonable amount, the more people can be fascinated with your property. If you’re worrying “I’m having the toughest time to sell my house fast,” then you’re at the right place.
No matter why you want to sell my house fast, here are some 8 tips to do it quickly, even in a slow-down market.
Sell Your House Fast
Choose a Plan for Selling
Before you put a “for sale” sign in your yard, you should figure out the best way to market your house. The “for-sale-by-owner” (FSBO) option may be best if you feel confident in your ability to sell the home and negotiate, but it may not guarantee the fastest or highest price. Hiring a real estate agent might be best if you’d instead spend your time on other things. If you need to “sell my house fast,” you might want to talk to an iBuyer, a company that can close the deal more quickly than most homebuyers. You should be sure of the plan you choose to sell your house, and you shouldn’t switch from one to another while it’s on the market. Buyers might not be interested if things are constantly changing.
For Sale by Owner (FSBO)
In a “for sale by owner” (FSBO) arrangement, the homeowner sells the house without the assistance of a real estate agent, selling the benefit of the latter’s knowledge and objective perspective. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sell your house on your own. You just need to be more aware of what a licensed agent would do, especially when you list your house, take pictures, and try to sell it yourself.
The drawback of selling your house yourself? If you don’t already know who you want to sell to, you have to find one. If you tell people in your network, you might find a buyer immediately, but they might expect to pay a “friends and family” price instead of the market value. You’ll also be the listing agent, so you’ll have to market the house (with a yard sign or an online listing), show buyers around, and negotiate.
Real Estate Agent
You badly want to “sell my house fast,” but you also want to make as much money as possible. Your best option could be to hire a top-notch real estate agent. They will help you price your home correctly, set up photos that make people stop scrolling, write a great listing description, and be your advocate when it’s time to look at offers and negotiate.
Real estate agent commissions can vary, so a seller’s agent could cost you a lot of money. Commissions for the buyer’s agent and your real estate agent are usually about 6% of the home’s total sale price. A more experienced agent, on the other hand, may cost more (say, 8% commission, with 3% going to the buyer’s agent and 5% to the real estate agent). When meeting with potential listing agents, it would be best if you asked about it.
iBuyer
iBuyer will make you a direct cash offer to buy your home. The “i” stands for “instant.” With most iBuyers, you’ll need to fill out an online form, upload photos of your home, and get an offer within a few days. You must remember that iBuyers don’t work in all parts of the country and only buy certain kinds of homes. When you type in your address, most iBuyer sites will tell you right away if your place is eligible.
You can choose when your sale ends on iBuyers. This can help if you’re buying and selling simultaneously, but it also lets you move quickly. If you don’t have a mortgage, you may be able to close with an iBuyer in 7 to 10 days. How long it takes to close on a home sale depends on the iBuyer, your location, and the sale details. You’ll also have to pay the iBuyer a service fee, which is usually between 5% and 12% of the total value of the offer. Any repair work that the iBuyer has to do will also be taken out of the final amount you get.
What is the drawback of selling to an iBuyer? You don’t know how much you could have gotten for your home on the open market because you’re only getting an offer from iBuyer. But if you want to move as quickly as possible, you might be willing to give up the chance of making more money in exchange for a more predictable timeline.
Go with a cash buyer
Getting a cash offer from a buyer can also speed up the closing process, whether you’re collaborating with a real estate agent or selling your home on your own. The buyer has the money, so they don’t have to worry about their financing falling through or how long they’ll have to wait to get their mortgage approved.
You could be able to close in as early as two weeks if you have a cash offer.
On the other hand, cash buyers who are not iBuyers, or regular people, can be pushy. They may also try to give you a bad deal because they think cash is king. Alternatively, if to “sell my house fast” is your primary goal, you may be willing to leave some money on the table to ease a transaction that doesn’t involve a mortgage.
Get An Offer Today, Sell In A Matter Of Days
Clean up everything. Eliminate extra furniture and clutter.
A dirty house is the best way to turn off potential buyers. If you can’t do it yourself, hire a cleaning service.
Massive furniture makes a house look even smaller than it is. Rent a container for self-storage or a storage unit, and get rid of as much furniture as possible. Take a minimalist approach to your books, throw rugs and curtains, and clear off your kitchen and bathroom countertops, even removing the things you use daily. If you can get rid of some of the stuff in your closets, that’s even better because it makes the storage space in your home look more prominent.
Some of the most important places to clean while your house is on the market are:
- Counters in the kitchen.
- Behind doors and inside of appliances.
- Dusty areas of the floor and furniture edges.
- Shelves.
- Spaces like vanities, commodes, baths, and showers in a bathroom.
- Storage areas, such as closets.
- Both inside and exterior glass panels.
- Scraped walls, baseboards, and doors.
- Garage and basement.
Remove yourself from your home
Take away all of your family photos and other collectibles. You want buyers to consider the house their home, not yours. Take any political or religious items off the fridge, your kids’ art, and anything else that makes the house look like your territory instead of neutral territory. Buyers may become distracted from the house and start thinking about the owner if they see collections of figurines, sports memorabilia, or children’s toys. You can replace family photos with neutral art or take them all down. Just make sure to take out any nails and fix the nail holes where the images used to hang.
Hire a professional photographer
Ninety-five percent of recent buyers utilized the internet to look for homes, according to the NAR’s 2021 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Undesirable listing images can turn off potential buyers before they even schedule a viewing or visit the open house. To attract buyers, consider hiring a professional photographer and publishing at least 35 high-quality images showcasing both the interior and exterior of your home.
Be inviting about showings
Buyers typically prefer to view houses in the evenings or weekends when it’s convenient for them. They also prefer to see a home right away after finding it online, especially in a hot market where they are competing with other buyers. Make your house more accessible for showings with little or no notice to maximize potential buyer traffic. Be prepared to leave quickly when a showing is scheduled to avoid any awkwardness.
Consider the tax consequences
Many people won’t have to pay taxes on the money they make from selling their primary home. If you’ve lived in your home for at least two of the last five years before selling it, you won’t need to pay taxes on any gain up to $250,000 (or $500,000 for married couples). However, if your profit exceeds these limits, you must report it as a capital gain on your tax return.
Stage and improve curb appeal
Regardless of how quickly you want to sell, every seller can benefit from spending time cleaning up their home. A favorable first impression with potential buyers is crucial. Consider staging your home to highlight its best features and create a welcoming atmosphere. Professional staging can help potential buyers envision themselves living in the space.
Improve your property’s curb appeal
The facade of your house is the first impression buyers will get, so it needs to be neat, tidy, and inviting. Enhancing your property’s curb appeal can significantly impact its attractiveness to potential buyers. Consider hiring a professional landscaper to help spruce up your exterior.
The Rule of First
If you receive an offer in the first few days or months, sellers often wait for a more favorable offer. However, in most cases, this is a mistake. The first initial offer is typically the best, as the most interested buyers tend to make their offers early. Maintain a positive attitude and be open to accepting early offers to sell your house fast.