Have you ever wondered why some homes sell in just a matter of days and others may take years? Price is one major factor that plays a part in the success rates of homes selling quicker than others, but not entirely. We sold our home in just 8 days after it was listed! There were a few things that we did to ensure that our home did not sit too long on the market. If you are planning on selling your home, or are currently on the market and your home is not moving, check out our 8 tips that we personally did to sell our home in 8 days!
Check out our video, “8 Things We Did to Sell Our Home in 8 Days!” below.
Clean, Declutter & De-Personalize
We can’t say this enough, make sure you clean and declutter your home inside and out thoroughly before you list it. You want your home to look and feel larger than what it actually is. If someone enters your home and they see a lot of stuff lingering around, they are going to assume that your home may be too small for their needs. Cleaning is also very important. Would you buy dirty clothes off the sales rack at one of your favorite department stores? Probably not…but if you did you better believe that you will ask for a discount…right? The same goes for your home. You may be loosing out on your full asking price just because someone devalues your home based off of their first impression. You also want to make sure that you put away family photos of any sort. Buyers want to imagine themselves in your home, without seeing a lot of photos of your family hanging around.
Choose the Right Agent
When we were looking to sell our home, we interviewed agents like someone would interview for a job. It was important for us to find someone that would hustle to try and get our home sold as quickly as possible. As well, we were looking for someone that we knew would proactively follow up with us every now and then to give us any updates or news.
Set the Right Price
If you have a quality agent, they will compare your home to other homes similar to yours in the area to determine a price for your home. If you are selling your home on your own, make sure you do your homework and price accordingly. All too many times homes sit on the market without selling; because homeowners feel as if their home is worth more money than what the market is suggesting. Always remember that your home is only worth, what the market says that it’s worth and not a penny more.
It’s All About The Pictures
Nowadays, most buyers are doing their searching for homes via the internet. Which means, you better make sure you have great pictures in your listing with just the right amount of lighting. You could have a gorgeous home, but if your pictures are less than favorable, no one will ever step foot in it. Make sure you get as much of the room as possible in your photos. We suggest standing in a corner of a room and get a wide span of your space. Also, don’t forget to open up blinds and turn on the lights so that your pictures don’t look dark and gloomy.
Staging
Staging is another important step to selling your home quickly. Stage each room appropriately so buyers can see for themselves what each room’s purpose is. Another nice touch is to have a candle lit when buyers enter your home. Choose a homey scent such as baked apple pie. The scent you choose should scream welcome home!
Go Away
Please, please, please go away and allow any potential buyers to freely roam your home. Buyers can freely open up closets and inspect your space much better without you being present. If you have to stay home, then ensure that you stay out of the way. Buyers may feel uncomfortable prying in your home if your standing right there. This usually results in them leaving and you not getting an offer.
Pets
If you have any pets, make sure to have them out of the home; and try to alleviate any indication that a pet lives in your home. There are some buyers that are completely turned off if they see pets live in the home. Furthermore, there are also buyers that may have children that are allergic to pets as well as themselves and will cross you off their list if they see pets. Some people also equate the presence of pets with uncleanliness.
Description
This step is so important when listing your property. The proper description can usually get a lot of potential buyers to your doorstep; right along with having quality pictures. When writing your description, be sure to list any advantages such as shopping centers, major highways or any positive note that you would like to mention that may be of use to potential buyers. When we listed our home, we talked about the fact that our homeowner’s association was top notch, leaving no room for worry to buyers who may be concerned about buying where there are homeowners associations.
In conclusion, there are plenty of actions that you need to take if you want to sell your home. There is plenty of competition on the home market nowadays, so you have to do what it takes to make your home stand out from the crowd. Implement these eight tips and watch the traffic to your home increase.
