How to Sell Your House Fast

If you are in a situation where you’re saying to yourself “I need to sell my house fast,” you’re not alone. Homeowners often need to sell their home quickly for a variety of reasons. The good news is that it can be done - with some help. 

Here are some tips to help you find a buyer for your home quickly, without having to lower your asking price.

1. Hire a real estate agent

You have two options when it comes to enlisting outside help to sell your home. You can hire a real estate agent, or you can look into an estate service.

A real estate agent will handle contracts, provide a list of referrals (lawyers, mortgage brokers, etc) sales forms and other documents, ensuring you understand each and every piece of information relevant to the transaction. They will also set up and co-ordinate showings to your property and promote the sale of your home. In exchange for their services, real estate agents normally take a commission, which is typically a flat fee or a % of your home’s selling price and for this fee, agents or real estate teams should also provide thorough marketing service that highlight your home, this should include photography, measurements, and even video in many cases. 

If you want to avoid a commission, you can opt for DIY real estate service. This type of service helps you with selling your home, but you’ll have to take on more work. You will need to be available to host visits, and generally be more involved in the process. 

2. Settle on a fair price

While it can be stressful, settling on a selling price for your home is a key step in the process. If you are in a situation where you need to sell your house fast, consider balancing market data with  your time constraints. In the end, it’s best to get advice from a trusted expert: either an experienced real estate agent or professionals available to you through your estate service, including valuation or appraisal professionals.

A valuation professional (appraiser) can provide you with a thorough report of your home’s market value for a fee. Since they don’t earn commission for their services, they are impartial. 

It is important to note though, that how you market and present your home can directly reflect the amount it sells for. Experienced real estate agents and teams will position your home in front of the most qualified buyers, and market your property to other agents to generate as much interest as possible. 

3. Showcase your home’s distinctive features

Every house has unique features that set it apart from the rest. Yours should be no exception. Try to showcase these features if possible:

•        newly renovated kitchen or bathroom
•        large and bright common area
•        nice looking backyard with landscaping
•        amenities such as a pool

Make these features really stand out in your listing. Pay special attention to your property’s presentation photo - it’s what will attract the attention of buyers first!

4. Reinvest in your property

Consider investing in home staging when you need to sell your home fast. If your home is vacant, it's especially important to take this step into consideration. This service will enhance the look of your house and make it feel warmer and more inviting. It will optimize your space and attract buyers’ attention. It's very difficult for some buyers to truly understand and appreciate a space when it's empty, even bedrooms can appear and feel much smaller than they truly are as the buyers have no references (beds, dressers, etc). 

You should also complete any necessary renovations - this will give the buyer peace of mind. If you need to take out a loan for these renovations, you can look into a home improvement line of credit or consult a financial advisor to help you secure the funds you need. Having a move in ready home is one of the best ways to attract the most amount of buyers, homes that require TLC and repairs (especially if they're numerous) can add up quickly in a buyers mind.

5. Focus on the front door

It’s easy to overlook your front door when working on your home’s presentation - but don’t! The front door is the first point of contact a potential buyer will have with your home, and it’s crucial in making a great first impression.

If your front door is dirty, damaged, run-down or outdated, fix it up! Either clean and repair it, or replace it entirely. It won’t be a huge investment, and it can make a huge difference.

6. Repaint the interiors white

This is a simple but key tip: make sure your home’s walls are white or fairly neutral. If you have any rooms with walls that are different colors - even if you think they look good - repaint them white or more neutral. This will improve the look of your property in real estate pictures. Neutral walls are universally appealing. They also lighten up the space and make rooms seem bigger.

7. Create space - eliminate clutter

Everyone accumulates things they don’t need over time, whether it be furniture, clothes, books or renovation materials. The rule seems to be: the more space you have, the more you’ll fill it with stuff.

Moving is a great opportunity to get rid of things you don’t need or use anymore, but you can get started on this early. Removing clutter from your home will create more space and make your property look bigger. Potential buyers will be able to visualize themselves in the house more easily if there’s less stuff cluttering up the space.

8. Put away personal items

To continue the theme of potential buyers visualizing themselves living in your home, it’s important to put away all your personal items. You want to go around and de-personalize your house: remove kids drawings, family photos, and so on.

This purging of personal belongings should be balanced with making the property seem inviting, however. You don’t want the space to feel too cold. Use warm but impersonal items to achieve this, such as a nice bouquet of flowers.

9. Don’t forget about your home’s smell

We might not realize it, but odors can affect how we perceive a space. How a house smells can affect how a potential buyer feels about it, even if they are not conscious of it.
Make sure your closets and cupboards don’t smell musty or stale. These should smell clean, but without the scent of cleaning products. Try to achieve that neutral, clean balance.

10. Be generous with potential buyers

If you’re looking to sell your home quickly, you can increase your chances of sealing the deal with a potential buyer if you’re generous. If there are any items you don’t want or can’t use in your new place, such as a patio furniture set, you could consider throwing it in for the buyer. Leaving hard to move items like a hot tub or include the curtains for free. Things like this will help make the buyer’s life a bit easier and just might influence their decision in your favor.