Selling Fast Tips

Home sellers are often pulled toward two different and sometimes opposing goals: selling their home fast and selling their home for the best possible price. Based on what you read online, you might assume that you need to sacrifice one goal for the other.

Does selling fast mean cutting corners on listing and staging, then accepting one of the initial offers you receive, even if they are low for your area? Or does selling your home for top dollar require you to put extra money into home improvements, then leave it on the market for months until you’re sure you have received the best offer you are going to get?

Neither of those approaches are necessarily the right way to go, and there’s no rule that says you must choose one and sacrifice the other. There are many little things you can do as a seller to prepare your home ahead of time so you can optimize it for selling quickly and for top dollar. 

Get Ahead of Smells

If your family cooks foods with particularly strong odors, if there’s a smoker in the house or if you have cats and dogs, chances are your home has some distinctive and notable odors. As someone who lives in the house, there’s a good chance you don’t even notice them, meaning you’re unaware of how strong they are.

Although it seems like a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of property ownership, odors do have a strong conscious and subconscious role to play in the home selling process. It can color a prospective buyer’s impression the moment they step into your home. Even if they like the layout, size, location and amenities, the smell of multiple dogs and cats might influence their overall impression and make them lean toward a comparable home in your area.

Consider using a blacklight to spot odor-inducing stains that might have dried and are not easily visible, then spot treat with a water and white vinegar solution. Also, look into upholstery cleaners or even renting ozone machines, especially if you’re showing your house with your furniture in it.

Professional-grade carpet cleaning can also help if your home has carpeting. You can also invest in air purifiers, sprays or plug-in devices, but be wary of overdoing strong potpourris to cover up odors, as those smells can also be off-putting to people viewing the home.

Declutter

Decluttering is arguably even more important than staging when it comes to showing your home. If you’re still living in your home while you are listing it, you may want to consider temporarily renting a storage space and moving some of your belongings into it. This can have a secondary benefit of allowing you to get a head start on the packing process during decluttering. Emptying closets as much as possible can contribute to a clean appearance and make it easier for people to see how much storage space there is.

Paint Rooms That Are an Odd Color

Painting rooms that need freshening or are currently painted in an unusual color can be beneficial prior to showings. Although people touring your home will know that they can repaint on their own – and they may choose to do so regardless – having neutral interior paint can make it easier for them to envision the space as a blank canvas for their own modifications.

Get a Showing Set of Towels

Having a nice set of white, high-quality towels, bathmats or even a nice plain shower curtain that you put out only when the home is being viewed can be a great way to give your home a clean and move-in-ready appearance. Although mismatched and old towels might not seem like a big deal – after all the buyers aren't going to get them with the home – these little things can reinforce negative perceptions regarding the quality or cleanliness of the home.

Clean Countertops and Kitchens

Leave your countertops as clean and empty as possible to highlight surface area and space. This goes along with decluttering – you don’t want these spaces to look crowded. Kitchen countertop space is often highly valued, so you want to ensure they look as big as possible.

Deep Cleaning

Take the time to thoroughly clean every nook, cranny and surface of your home so it looks and smells as good as possible prior to showing. Cleanliness is an easy and affordable way to make a positive impression on people touring your home. While you don’t have to hire professional cleaning services to do move-out cleaning, it might not be a bad idea to do so. It’s often best to do this step after you have decluttered and moved a lot of your belongings into storage.

Get More Tips From a 72SOLD Real Estate Agent

Our entire business model at 72SOLD is selling homes faster than the competition without sacrificing value. We have independent studies that show, on average, we get sellers median sales prices that are 7.8 percent higher than the average in their local MLS. Get your price today, learn how we can help you sell your home fast.