Sell it fast!

6 Tips for Selling Your Home Fast in Today’s Market

1. Price your home aggressively — Look at the other homes in your neighborhood that have sold in the past three months (except for distressed sales) and price your home below the lowest sales price. If there are active listings in your neighborhood the price you select must also be below that of the most comparable home to yours.

2. Make your home the neighborhood showplace — Updated kitchens and baths are what hook most new home shoppers. Look to install granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and new ceramic or hardwood floors. Carpets should be as nearly new as possible. Add a new coat of paint to your home’s interior and exterior.

3. Enhance Your Home’s “Curb Appeal” — Avoid the appearance of a “drab” yard by planting colorful flowers in selected locations. Seed or plant sod in areas lacking grass. Make certain the yard is mowed, edged and mulched.

4. Clutter Must Go — Even the most up-to-date house will look disorganized if it is filled with unnecessary furniture. Remove all furniture you do not absolutely need. Also, remove personal items (including family photos and portraits). Prospective buyers want to imagine a house with their own things in it, not yours.

5. Make Certain Your Home is Properly Staged — Consider hiring a professional to “stage” your house before prospective buyers begin coming through your door, especially if your house has been vacant for a while. A professional stager will generally charge between $1,000 and $2,000, and arrange home furnishings so that prospects can more easily envision their own furniture in the house. At the same time, an experienced stager can add a touch of class to your home.

6. Don’t Forget Financial Incentives — Offer buyers’ agents a four percent commission rather than the traditional three percent, along with closing cost assistance to buyers. Closing cost assistance is especially attractive now that credit has tightened significantly and 100% loans are next to impossible to obtain.

Homes that take months to sell often require the asking price to be cut multiple times. Additional costs to the seller include continuing mortgage payments, utilities, taxes and insurance, repairs and other associated costs. Following the six tips outlined above can help to greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to sell a home in today’s market.

12:23 PM - Mar. 23, 2008 - comments {3} - post comment

RE: Sell it fast!

Its a nice thought but I have one listing that has a house full of school children and large hairy dogs. It is impossible to talk them into spending $1000 - $2000 to have the home staged and expecting it to stay that way until after they have moved out. Thats not to say it doesn't look great when they finally have a showing.  But heaven forbid the buyers would come back and hour after the showing for a second look...haha.  Its one very exhausted housemother whose husband has already relocated.   

Ruth Parker - 5:26 PM - Mar. 23, 2008

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RE: Sell it fast!

If you are really desperate to sell your house fast then one more option is to sell it at below market value for cash to get an instant sale. It can be useful for people stuck.

quick house sale - 5:00 AM - Mar. 24, 2008

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RE: Sell it fast!

Hi Ruth:

I hear what you're saying.  I think we all have listings with sellers as you described.  I believe that if the house is staged correctly - furniture removed or placed correctly, pictures taken down, clutter removed - it will still show better, even if it is messy with kids running around.  We generally stage most of our listings and I can't ever remember one that cost $1000 to $2000.  Most were less than $500.

It all depends on how motivated the sellers are I think.

Andi

Andi Durbin - 10:21 AM - Mar. 24, 2008

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