How To Get Your Home Ready To Sell, Fast!

There’s no denying that getting your house ready to sell can be overwhelming, but with the right tips you can be on the fast track toward successful open houses and showings. Buyers will be most interested in your home the first few weeks it’s on the market, so you’re in the best position to sell when your house is ready to go on day one.

Here are our tricks of the trade to help you get your home ready to sell quickly and for top dollar:

Heed the advice of your Urban Realty Broker Associate on pricing.

When selling a home, your pricing strategy can make or break your chances for a fast sale. Listing at the right price can almost guarantee that a buyer will quickly purchase the property, while listing at the wrong price can cause your home to sit on the market for months with not so much as a showing. Unfortunately, pricing is not a simple process, and without the right guidance, sellers can make mistakes that cost time and money. Your Urban Realty Broker Associate is constantly monitoring market trends, understands each neighborhood, and what buyers are looking for, so heed their advice!

Avoid chasing the market

The worst mistake a seller can make is “chasing the market”. If you list your home too high to begin with, you may find yourself making incremental price drops, but never quite catching up with current market conditions. For example, let’s say a Realtor® comes into a seller’s home and knows that, due to previous sales and current comps, the appropriate price for the home is

$949,000. However, the seller says, “My neighbor recently sold his home for $950,000, so I want to ask $999,000.” Then, after six months of the house not selling, the seller realizes the price must be reduced. The issue here, though, is during the six months that the home has been sitting on the market, more homes have now come on the market and now, the correct price should actually be $899,000. In this situation, the seller is chasing the market down, and will ultimately sell for less than the original suggested price.

Stage your home

Staging a home will help it sell faster, and for a higher price. Go room by room and eliminate any unnecessary furniture that is taking up valuable space, as this will make the rooms appear larger. Resist the urge to cram things in a closet, as buyers are typically looking for homes with ample storage space, and full closets can make your home appear as though it doesn’t have enough room.

Prepare to invest in necessary repairs, but don’t over-upgrade

Staging and easy updates such as a fresh coat of paint, a deep clean, and making necessary repairs will go a long way to get you top dollar for your home. However, you don’t need to invest in huge improvement projects before putting your house on the market, as you may not get your money back in the sale price. Quick fixes like new curtains, lighting, and replacing door handles or cabinet hardware can make a big difference without breaking the bank.

Always be ready to show

Your home needs to be “show ready” at all times, so we recommend having a ‘Show Plan’ in place so you know exactly what to do when the call for a showing comes. By this point, you should have already cleaned, organized and staged the home, so there shouldn’t be as much clutter to put away as before. Once everything has a place out of site and furniture and decor are staged, run through the following checklist to ensure you’re show-ready:

  • Clean and put away all
  • Make all
  • Put all clothes away, and try not to have them in the washer or dryer, as potential buyers will likely look inside those appliances during the
  • Vacuum and sweep all
  • Wipe down all counters, sinks and appliances (especially stainless steel).
  • Have clean, unused linens on-hand, and place them in the kitchen and
  • Put all pet supplies away and take the pets with

You never know when your buyer is going to walk through the door, so you have to be available whenever they want to see the home. De-clutter, keep things clean, and make sure all personal items are put away. It can be inconvenient, but it will get your house sold.