Sell Your Home

Sell Your House Fast with These Home Selling Tips


 

It is no secret that the current real estate market is bad for sellers. In real estate, bad market conditions for sellers are often good for buyers and there are many smart buyers taking advantage. Here are a few things that you can do to get your house sold.

• Look Closely at Your Agent’s Online Listings
Most homebuyers never bother to look at homes that lack compelling online listings; 92 percent of them prefer to house-hunt online. If you want your house to grab the attention of prospective buyers, provide multiple pictures. According to Trulia, a listing with 6 or more pictures is 100 percent more likely to be looked at by buyers compared to listings with fewer pictures.

• Make a YouTube Video About Your Home
If your phone has a good camera or if you have a flip cam, make a video and walk through your home and your neighborhood. Tell your viewers about both. Also, tell that why you loved the house and show off things in the area that you enjoyed. The fact that a home was loved by the previous owners is a major selling point for many buyers. Videos are also good for helping them to picture their life in the home.

• Let Your Neighbors to Find You a Buyer
Are you on an online neighborhood forum or email list? If so, send your neighbors a link and invite them to your open house. You may even want to turn it into a social gathering. The benefit here is that your neighbors get the opportunity to sell your home for you. They can share your listing with people in their circle who have expressed interest in moving to the area.

• Share Your Listing on Facebook
Facebook is presently a very popular way for people to communicate with each other; it allows you to leverage your friends to find buyers. Consider the power of a network made up of your friends and all of their friends.

• Leave Useful Items Behind
Every other home seller will be offering closing credits, so those are no longer enough to make your home stand out from others on the market; however, leaving useful stuff can separate from home from the competition. This is especially so when the items cost more than what typical buyers in your home’s price range can afford. Items that fall into this category can include high-end appliances or even a plasma TV.

• Use Condition to Beat the Competition
Many housing markets consist largely of foreclosures and short sales. To compete, focus on your home’s condition. Ideas for doing this include having your home inspected for termites before listing it. Having a pest-free home is a highly attractive selling point. In addition, repair as many issues as possible. Correct all the small things like nonfunctioning doorknobs and scratches before showing your home to potential buyers.

• Stage the Outside As Well
The first step should be to paint the exterior; next, work on your landscaping and consider using outdoor furniture to conjure up images of brunch on the deck. Buyers often picture themselves entertaining in their backyards and enjoying their outdoor space.

• Provide Access
If you do not show your home, it probably will not get sold. Foreclosed homes and short sales are already empty, so buyers can see them whenever they want. Make it easy for agents to show your home. By requiring appointments too far in advance or limiting them to a few hours per week, you increase the chance that they will pass on your place and move on to homes that provide easier access.

• Be Realistic When it Comes to Pricing
Modern home buyers understand comparable sales in the area, which impact your home’s fair market value. They also know that they are in a buyer’s market. If you want to your home to be competitive, ask your broker or agent to provide you with the sale prices of the three homes in the area that are most similar to yours. These should be homes that sold within a month of your request. Your list price should be 10 to 15 percent less than the sale prices of those homes. Not only will this get your more visits from buyers, you may even receive several offers or even start a bidding war.

• Pay Attention to Your Competition
Find out the price, sale type and condition of other homes on the market. Attend local open houses and be realistic about your local housing market. Buyers will be weighing your home against the competition; ensuring that your home is in good condition can give it an edge.

• De-Customize
Remove all the things that make your home personal like family photos and memorabilia. You want buyers to see themselves in the house and having your personal possessions there makes that difficult.

• Eliminate Clutter
Remove any items sitting on flat surfaces in your home. Dispose of or pack anything that you do not use regularly.

• Listen to the Professionals
If your real estate agent and interior designer is experienced and has a history of selling homes in your neighborhood, listen to them. Find a trustworthy agent and follow their advice.