How to sell your home quickly
Buying a new home is exciting, but it’s also very challenging. Great homes don’t show up for sale every day, so it’s important to know how to sell your old home as quickly as possible.
By preparing your home for a quick sale ahead of time, you’ll be ready to jump in at a moment’s notice should an opportunity present itself. Better yet, you’ll be one step ahead of the other prospects also interested in that opportunity.
Here are a few ways to prepare your property for a speedy sale:
Make a good first impression
Take a long, hard look at your property from the street. Look at the yard, the front door, the walls and the windows. Be ruthlessly critical, and take mental notes (or actual notes) about all the things that could be improved.
You can take this one step further and send photos to your friends or family. Ask them what three things they’d improve if they could. Be sure to ask for a criticism rather than a general question, like “What do you think?” If your friends and family are nice, they probably won’t be critical unless specifically asked to be.
Make sure your property appeals to the masses
Your market needs to be able to picture their lives playing out in your home. They should be able to visualise how the home matches their belongings and lifestyles, not yours.
To make that easier for them, your objective should be to depersonalise. Remove anything that ties the property to you or your life – pet accessories, DVD collections, closet stuff, etc.
Your home will feel like a model home for a while, but that only means you’re doing it right. Make it easy for your market to imagine, and you’ll make it natural for them to want.
Upgrade the little things
The first thing to remember when it comes to upgrading your home is that the ROI on home improvements is generally less than 100%.
So if your property is worth $430,000 and you spend $20,000 on a kitchen remodel, even though your property will increase in value, it won’t be worth $450,000. Think of it like a new car that loses value as you drive it out of the dealership.
But if you have a busted faucet or you think a kitchen would look markedly better with a small improvement, it can still be worthwhile to invest in an inexpensive upgrade.
Find a great real estate agent
If you really want to be prepared for a fast sale (and a great outcome), you can’t beat a good local agent. Agents have better access to prospective buyers than just about anyone, which means they can get your property in front of interested parties quickly.
An agent who specialises in selling properties like yours will have been through the sales process many times. They’ll understand what needs to be done, and they’ll know the fastest and most efficient methods. They’ll also provide guidance on how to increase your home’s perceived value, how to market your home and more.
When it comes to finding the right agent, there are a range of comparison services (such as iSelect for insurance) to choose from that can make life easier. But LocalAgentFinder is the only such service that provides fee information for you to compare. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking to prepare for a fast but well-managed property sale.
Chad's understanding of the real estate sector comes from years of writing for various service providers within the industry. At LocalAgentFinder, part of his role involves advising consumers on the best ways to appoint real estate agents. He turns information that can be overwhelming into easily digestible insights consumers can use to make decisions with confidence.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not legal or financial advice. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider the appropriateness of the recommendations, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation, and needs. We encourage you to consult a finance professional before acting on any suggestions provided in this article or on this website.
