If you’re ready to sell your home, you may have reason to want to sell it fast. Whether you're relocating for a new job that starts soon or have a pending offer on a new place, it's important to drum up interest in your house especially if you're looking to close quickly. The more potential buyers you can attract, the better your chances of selling fast—and at a good price.
Tips for selling your house fast include finding the right real estate agent, pricing it correctly so that it sells, ensuring it's cleaned and decluttered, boosting your curb appeal, taking care of quick repairs, and sweetening the deal. Below, we discuss these tips in detail.
Key Takeaways
- When looking to sell a home quickly, begin by hiring a real estate agent to manage much of the process on your behalf.
- You or your agent can price the home competitively and can adjust the terms and conditions if there is lukewarm initial interest.
- Prior to showings, clean the whole house, remove clutter, and hide personal items so buyers can picture themselves in the space.
- Boost the curb appeal to make the right first impression. Clear away the cobwebs, paint the front door, and plant flowers.
- Offer terms that might sweeten the deal for buyers—such as paying part of the closing costs.
1. Find the Right Real Estate Agent
If you want to sell your home fast, the first step is to hire a real estate agent. The ideal person will know the local market and have a sales record that proves they know how to sell. Keep in mind the seller is often responsible for paying the commission for both the buyer and seller agent. In exchange for the convenience of an agent, you're likely on the hook for a selling commission between 2% and 3% of your selling price.
Keep in mind that a real estate agent will help with the entire process. They'll oversee the professional photographer who will take top-notch photos of your home as well as negotiate the best price. They also will write up a real estate listing that sells, schedule and host showings, and market your property to get it seen.
2. Price It to Sell
One of the most effective ways to sell your home fast is to price it competitively. If you price it too high, you detract prospective buyers and price out potential bidders. In addition, it may take longer to settle the negotiation process if prospective buyers want your price to come down.
Your real estate agent(or realtor) will research comparable homes (aka “comps”) in your area to set a realistic price. If you really need to sell fast, then consider pricing your home a little lower to attract interest (and maybe even spark a bidding war). If you haven’t received any offers by a certain date, your agent can further reduce your selling price.
It’s also helpful to think about the price points that buyers search for in your area. If you list your home for $302,000, for example, then you’ll miss all the potential buyers who are looking for homes under $300,000. It’s probably not worth asking for the extra $2,000 if it means fewer buyers will see the home.
Pricing Psychology
"Just-below pricing" is a popular pricing strategy that has a psychological effect on consumers. This pricing strategy is employed throughout supermarkets and online retail and involves dropping the price below a rounded number, for example, $9.99 instead of $10.
3. Clean, Declutter, and Depersonalize
Buyers need to be able to picture themselves in the space, but they won’t be able to if your house is a mess. Give your home a thorough cleaning from top to bottom, get rid of clutter, and hide the family photos and other personal items. It's fairly standard industry practice to hire external cleaners especially prior to a major showing.
Rearrange the furniture so your home looks inviting and so buyers can move through your home without bumping into anything. If necessary, put bulky items in storage. A crowded room looks like a small room.
Consider hiring a stager to help you showcase your home’s best assets, impress potential buyers, and sell it quickly for the best possible price. Staging isn’t cheap, but on average, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than non-staged homes.
4. Boost Your Curb Appeal
If you want to sell quickly, it’s essential to make a good first impression. The first thing a buyer sees is a home’s exterior and how it fits into the surrounding neighborhood. To boost your home’s curb appeal, give attention to both the house and its surroundings.
It may be too late to do major renovations. If a sale is urgent, consider minor repairs and maintenance to the outside of your house such as touch-up painting, window washing, and fixing anything broken. If repainting your entire house doesn't fit in your timeline, slap a coat of paint on just your door. You can also swap out your address numbers or door handles for newer, more attractive replacements.
If applicable, make sure the pathway from the curb to your porch is clean and safe to walk on. This includes straightening any uneven paths and pruning overgrown bushes. In addition to being a safety hazard, you want to make sure prospective buyers can see and focus on the appearance of the house as they approach.
There's plenty to do with your surroundings as well. Plant flowers or sprinkle bark mulch to give your yard a freshly-landscaped feel. Lay out a welcome mat and make sure your mailbox is clean. Dust away spiderwebs and debris from windows, eaves, and porches.
Not only does a positive curb appeal welcome prospective buyers, but it also signals to the market that you've cared for the home and they can believe the rest of the house has been well taken care of as well.
5. Take Care of Quick Repairs
You won’t have time for any major renovations, so focus on quick repairs to address things that could deter potential buyers. Survey the house and take care of the easy fixes including:
- Fix all loose tiles in the bathroom or kitchen.
- Fix all loose hinges on doors or cabinets.
- Unclog or replace stuck drawer tracks.
- Repair any leaky faucets and ensure all plumbing systems work.
- Remove carpet stains or refinish hardwood floors.
Depending on how much time and money you want to spend getting the home ready, you might also want to update fixtures, buy new appliances, install new hardware on the cabinets, and give the interior a fresh coat of (neutral) paint.
Screening Applicants
If you want your home to sell fast, consider only working with cash buyers or buyers who have secured financing pre-approval. Buyers who have not been approved may delay the process and end up not qualifying for your home.
6. Sweeten the Deal
Another way to make the home and deal more attractive is to offer something to sweeten the pot. Buyers love financial incentives, and if you are pressed for time, consider how you can make your offer attractive. Examples include:
- covering all closing costs
- accommodating move-out/move-in schedules with the buyer's preference
- agreeing to all inspections
- agreeing to pay for known items of concern to a buyer
- offering a transferable home warranty that provides discounted repair and replacement services for household appliances and systems
How Do I Sell My Home Fast?
If you need to sell your home quickly, consider the short-term improvements to both the interior and exterior of your home. Consider hiring a real estate agent, photographer, and staging company. Be prepared to have flexibility on sale terms and conditions.
Should I Hire a Real Estate Agent?
A real estate agent handles many aspects of selling your home for you including researching the market, coordinating viewings, and negotiating the price. For these services, the seller often pays the agent a commission between 2.5% and 3% of the home's sale price.
For some, the cost is too high and the service might not be worth it. For many, a real estate agent is indispensable as they often provide peace of mind during the selling process.
How Long Is the Home Closing Process?
The average home closing process lasts between 30 and 45 days. Delays are also possible, though you can close quicker if you and the other party are prepared.
The Bottom Line
Selling a home can be stressful—even more so if you’re on a tight deadline. Fortunately, whether you need to sell fast because of a new job, a life event (e.g., a divorce), or financial reasons, there are ways to speed up the process.
If you don’t have a big budget to get your home sell-ready, focus on that first impression of what buyers will see when they see your home for the first time. Buyers can make a decision within seconds—a few from the curb, and a few when they step inside the front door. Make those seconds count with a great agent, a spruced-up house, and a strong financial offer.
FAQs
What is the secret to a fast sale of a property? ›
Price It to Sell
One of the most effective ways to sell your home fast is to price it competitively. If you price it too high, you detract prospective buyers and price out potential bidders. In addition, it may take longer to settle the negotiation process if prospective buyers want your price to come down.
Replace door handles, cabinet hardware, make sure closet doors are on track, fix leaky faucets and clean the grout. One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-personalize it. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there.
Is it better to show a house with or without furniture? ›An empty house presents a blank canvas and buyers can renovate the space to their liking. But when you add furniture to rooms, it limits the room for creativity. It takes a lot of time and effort to furnish a house for sale. But selling an unfurnished house makes the selling process faster and convenient.
How to stage your home to sell for top dollar? ›- Stage your home. ...
- Depersonalize it. ...
- Maximize light and space. ...
- Update and repair, but don't remodel. ...
- Focus on the kitchen. ...
- Boost curb appeal. ...
- Hire the right real estate agent.
Your price is too high
No doubt about it, the most common reason for a home not selling is that the asking price has been set too high.
Never underestimate the power of a well-designed kitchen and master bath. These two rooms are truly the make or break it rooms for prospective future buyers. Get it right for you, but build it with these resale thoughts in mind. Are you ready to design your new home?
What are the 4 unique selling points? ›A business can peg its USP on product characteristics, price structure, placement strategy (location and distribution) or promotional strategy. These are what marketers call the "four P's" of marketing. They are manipulated to give a business a market position that sets it apart from the competition.
What makes a house sell better? ›- Find a trusted real estate agent.
- Invest in value-adding improvements.
- Up your curb appeal.
- Get a pre-listing inspection.
- Highlight with pro photos.
- Stage your home.
- Set the right asking price.
- Remove personal items.
Factors that make a home unsellable "are the ones that cannot be changed: location, low ceilings, difficult floor plan that cannot be easily modified, poor architecture," Robin Kencel of The Robin Kencel Group at Compass in Connecticut, who sells homes between $500,000 and $28 million, told Business Insider.
What type of house sells best? ›Colonial. Colonial-style homes have the highest resale factor when all other elements are equal.
What not to say when showing a house? ›
Sellers might be present during home showings if they are still living on the property or have uncooperative tenants. Sellers should never discuss things like price, why they are selling, problems with the home, other offers, or closing with buyers.
What should I hide when showing my house? ›'Put away anything that makes you think about cleaning and maintenance. Seeing your toothbrush, vacuum cleaner, pile of bills, lawn mower and bathroom scales are distracting and even depressing – definitely not inspiring. '
What should you not do when staging a house? ›- Too Much Furniture.
- Furniture That Doesn't Fit the Room.
- Household Smells.
- Keeping Knick Knacks on Display.
- Excessive Dark Paint.
- Drastically Different Paint Colors Throughout the Home.
- Pushing All Furniture Against the Walls.
- A Lack of Light.
How long to complete with the average cash buyer is a bit dependent upon them. Typically you can expect the sale to happen between fourteen days and a month after the two of you have made the agreement.
How can I sell my listing fast? ›- Pick a selling strategy.
- Hire an experienced real estate agent.
- Clean everything.
- Depersonalize your home.
- Let the light in.
- Remove excess furniture and clutter.
- Consider staging your home.
- Invest in a professional photographer.
So what is the fastest way to sell your house? Selling your home directly to a reputable, well-funded "cash house buying company" is the fastest way to sell your house. Most of these companies will make you a formal offer within 24 hours, and will be able to complete the purchase within as little as 2-3 weeks.
What is the quickest time to sell a house? ›The timeline for selling a house will vary depending on your situation and chosen selling method but as a general average if you're selling on the open market, then it can take between 16 weeks to 34 weeks.