We get it. Circumstances can change, emergencies and opportunities can arrive, unexpected, in equal measure, and as such, sometimes upping sticks quickly can be a necessity. And whether you’re planning on upscaling, downsizing, relocating or simply recalibrating your life, selling your home can be a tricky business at the best of times, full of paperwork, bureaucracy, emotion and headaches.
And if you’ve chosen to sell your house fast, these can reach migraine levels. The good news is that there are ways and means to get the job done efficiently and effectively, without having to sacrifice a huge amount of value in the process. These are those; our 5 IDEAL tips for selling your house fast.
FIND OUT HOW MUCH YOUR HOME IS WORTH
If you’re under pressure to sell up quickly, we’re going to assume you’re doing much of the leg work in terms of admin. Great, that needn’t be as stressful as it sounds. Before doing anything else, you need to find out how much your home is worth. You can ask estate agents or sales agents at places like Closify to value your property, without actually committing to selling your home through that particular agency.
Don’t feel guilty about doing this, theirs is an industry of smoke’n’mirrors, after all. Take a look at the property section in your local papers or online to get a sense of a ballpark asking price – is a similar home going for a price you’d be happy with? You can even get an online estimate, though these are based on algorithms and data about the surrounding area, so are not house specific.
MAKE YOUR HOUSE LOOK THE PART
While there’s not much point in doing any major renovations just before selling, there are always minor repairs and tweaks that will raise the overall feel of the property. Will a lick of paint make your house look more attractive? Then do it.
When people come over to view your place, they certainly don’t want to see disorder. They want to see a place they can imagine living in. Clutter, rubbish, a weird doll collection – anything that will negatively detract from them being able to see themselves living there – is a bad thing. Think about moving the furniture around so the house looks bigger. Also, baking bread or putting a pot of coffee on just before they come round is a classic estate agent trick which really does work.
Go in hard and focus on the finer details. If you’re trying to sell your quaint country cottage, for instance, leave some walking boots or wellies by the door and logs by the fireplace, so the buyers can imagine themselves going for country walks then warming up afterwards. Should you have a city penthouse for sale, then ramp up the sense of bachelor/ette, professional city slicker living by adding an ice bucket with some fizz and showcasing some gadgets. You get the picture.
TAKE GREAT PHOTOS
According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, homebuyers revealed photos as the feature they used most when searching for a potential property. It’s certainly true that those with bad (or no) photos don’t make it past the cursory glance stage, and when trying to shift fast, that cursory glance stage is awfully important. So, make sure you do your house justice by taking great photos of all that it has to offer. Blurry photos from your iPhone just won’t do. In fact, we think they’re pointless and counterproductive.
Think about the image you want to capture before shooting. Do it during the day so you capture it in glorious natural light rather than seedy shadows. Open the curtains and turn on the lights to make the rooms look as bright and open as possible. Stage your home by popping some fresh flowers on the kitchen table, adding cushions to your sofas or stack some magazines.
All of this adds up to an overall image of your house which will merit further investigation and, hopefully, facilitate a quick sale. If your own photography skills are in doubt, hire a professional – all good agents have one.
IMPROVE YOUR PROPERTY’S ‘KERB APPEAL’
While staging the interior of your house is important, equally important is to ensure your property looks attractive from the outside. A potential buyer could be put off before they even step inside the house if the exterior looks unkempt and shabby. A basic clean-up will go a long way towards brightening up the kerb appeal of your home. If your front door looks tired, give it a lick of paint to brighten things up.
Trim your hedge, mulch the flower beds and add hanging baskets, window boxes and pots filled with colourful and attractive plants. Consider hiding your waste and recycling bins with a wooden bin store. Remember, first impressions count.
KNOW YOUR HOUSE INSIDE OUT
It should go without saying, but when selling with an emphasis on speed, you’ll be doing a lot of the legwork and showing those prospective buyers around yourself, so do your homework.
As Williams & Goodwin, The Property People, implore, it’s essential that you remember to take measurements of the rooms and know the square footage in case someone asks (if you haven’t measured, they’re sure to ask). Make a mental note of all the best things about your house that you’ll want to show off. Does the bedroom get a lot of natural light in the morning? Are the windows double-glazed? Is the garden south facing? Then for heaven’s sake, make the most of these features.
Although keeping your house looking top-notch and showing people around may get tiresome, remember that being able to do this yourself puts you in a really strong position. You know your house better than anyone, so use that to your advantage and really sell it. Be prepared for any and every question that might come your way. And with that, good luck!
