The first house The Hubbs and I ever tried to sell was a complete disaster.
I thought for sure that I knew EXACTLY what it would take to sell our home.
I was absolutely sure everyone would love the plaid wallpaper in my kitchen just
as much as I did. I was also positively sure the red dining room would be a huge hit.
And that worn out carpet in the guest room – certainly it wouldn’t be *that* much of
an issue. I was wrong! I have come a long way since that first home sell – so here
are my …
10 Tips for Selling a Home Fast !
I learned quickly that ego, and unwillingness to listen to a professional was the FIRST
mistake I made. But more importantly, my husband and I learned the hard way
why choosing the perfect agent could make or break your entire real estate experience.
Fast forward two decades later – and many home sold along the way – and I know
that first disastrous sale was an important learning curve for me. After that first deal,
I set out to learn everything I could about preparing a home, staging a home, and selling
a home. And doing it all FAST! So let’s get started….
1- Know Your Market
Maybe you have decided to sale your property For Sale by Owner. If so, that is perfectly
fine. But, I implore you to give yourself a set period of time, and if you are unable to sell
your home on your own, you will seek out a qualified Agent to help you. Keep in mind
that timing is everything in any given market. Most Agents will tell you there are
“windows of opportunities” where homes sell quicker and for more. It’s important to
educate yourself about how your particular market works. Waiting to list your home
too late, or listing your home too early, can each be an unfortunate mistake. Keep in
mind the most advantageous time of the year to sell is Spring. But what if you can’t
wait until Spring? Or Spring has already passed? That is when the next tip is advantageous.
2 – Rely On Your Realtor’s Expertise and Market Analysis
I can tell you, as a former Realtor and Broker, for the most part, it is a myth that you
will make more money selling your home yourself. I am not here to say adamantly that
selling your home yourself is a mistake. In some cases, selling your home yourself may
very well be a good choice for you personally, or your only choice. (if you are upside
down on your mortgage.) I want to expel a common myth that most people think about
Real Estate Agents. Agents do not determine the price of your home. The market does.
Your agent will pull recent comparable sells within your neighborhood and determine value
based on likenesses or differences between your home and recent sales. While the final sales
price is always determined by the homeowner, do not ever forget that selling your home is first
and foremost – a business deal!
In other words – check your ego at the door. Yes, your home has the prettiest
front door color on the block. Yes, you installed top of the line carpet in your
newly painted Family Room. Yes, those handmade shelves you custom-built
in the bathroom look better than anything you have seen on Pinterest.
But the truth is, while those shelves and that carpeting and that door color
are all selling points, the Buyer is looking to emotionally and financially
connect to what could be their home. And I have some bad news for you.
An appraiser doesn’t care a bit about your hand-built shelves. To him, they
hold ZERO value. (I know, how dare he!) Most appraisers, when determining
value will not take into consideration cosmetic updates – for the most part.
Value is determined primarily by square footage, age, number of bathrooms
and some added components such as a large deck, a large shed, fence, etc.
Listen to you Realtor! Yes, he/she wants to sell your home. And he/she would like
to sell it faster than sooner. After all, it’s his/her JOB! The Agent doesn’t get paid until
your home sells. But, that agent has a fiduciary duty to YOU to get as much as he/she possibly
can. Listen to their expertise on price. No, the Agent isn’t a professional appraiser, but the
Agent has access to the exact same comparable sold homes as an Appraiser does.
3 – Declutter & Clean Like You Have Never Before
I can’t stress this enough! The #1 mistake home sellers make is NOT decluttering
and cleaning enough. When I was an agent and went to Listing Appointments, I devised
a prepared checklist I created on the spotwhich consisted of things the owners needed
to do in order for their home to sell. Most were items that cost nothing or at the least,
very little. I made them sign this agreement that they would complete the list in a set
amount of time, and at that point I would come back and put the home on the market.
This list included putting away anything that personalized the home, from
removing that wall of family portraits, to taking down that “Go TIGERS!” wallpaper,
to putting away that humongous pile of kid’s toys stuffed in the corner of
the dining room. Keep one thing in mind – the way you LIVE in your home
versus the way you SELL your home are two entirely DIFFERENT things.
Remember when I said selling your home was a BUSINESS transaction?
Again, remove all emotion from your preparations. You are not giving
away those family portraits or your kid’s toys. You’ll see them again.
But, if you want to sell your home and sell it fast – you need to make some
short-term sacrifices. Ask your agent to do a complete walk-thru with you,
or consider hiring a professional homestager to give you some tips or ideas.
4- Make as Many Home Improvements as You Can
I realize this particular tip gets tricky. As a Home Flipper, I have the
budget and the goal to go through and replace almost every surface of the home
with the purpose of making the home look brand new. As a homeowner, the
reality of what you can and cannot do boils down to time and money. If you have
a number of home improvements still to make, I would suggest you do the following:
Prioritize home improvements by both the time they can be accomplished and the cost.
Make a list with four columns. In the first column, write every single home
improvement item you need to do, from decluttering the bookshelves to removing
that Winnie-the-Pooh bathroom border. In column 2, write down the estimated
cost. In column three, write down the estimated time to completion. Finally,
in column four, determine the order you need to start your projects based on
budget, time of completion and importance. Your agent can help you with this.
Here is a FREE Home Improvement Printable for your own use!
5 – Pets!
Ok, sticky situation here. As a pet owner, I realize when it comes to your furry
babies, having someone tell you what to do with them is getting into a touchy
conversation. Afterall, they are your babies and part of your family aren’t they?
I am in no way saying that in order to sell your home you need to get rid of
your pets. If I did, I think I would lose every single one of you from here on. 😀
All I am saying is… keep the BUSINESS SIDE OF THIS SITUATION IN MIND.
Not everyone loves Fluffy, your adorable 120-pound Rottweiler. Not everyone will
appreciate walking into a bedroom and seeing Precious, your 7′ long python
eying them like….well, dinner. And not everyone will like seeing a litter box
filled with little poop bombs. In fact, there are few things that will turn a Buyer
away more than pets and pet smells.
So maybe you can have someone snake-sit, or maybe you can simply
take Fluffy out for a walk during showings.
*Speaking of showings, do NOT be in the house for showings. No matter
how much better you think you can show your home to a potential Buyer,
the truth is your presence will make them feel very uncomfortable and they
will hurry through and leave as fast as they can. Take a walk, get some ice
cream – go next door to have coffee. Just please leave!!!!
6 – Watch the Scents & Smells in Your Home!
Now that we have talked about Pets, let’s talk about PET SMELLS.
I don’t have to tell you how offensive and off-putting they can be.
Not sure if your home smells like Fido? Ask a family member or friend.
Or perhaps you are a smoker? Your home needs to smell clean and fresh
and welcoming. There are some things you can do to achieve this.
First, have all of your carpets completely cleaned by a professional and have
them add an enzyme treatment which will help neutralize smells.
Next, use an air freshener before showings like Febreeze. Don’t over do it.
When a Buyer smells a lot of Febreeze or sees/smells a lot of candles, they
will wonder what you are trying to hide. Buyers are NOT dumb!
It’s a proven fact that the smell of baking bread makes someone who enters
your home feel instantly welcomed. Bake some frozen bread dough just before
a showing if you have time. Don’t have time to bake bread? Sprinkle some
cinnamon and nutmeg onto a cookie sheet and turn your oven on for about
10 mins. I also love to boil fresh lemon slices with rosemary in plain water
for a fresh and clean smell.
7 – Stage Your Home
Okay, what is the difference in cleaning/decluttering a home and staging a home?
Aren’t they one and the same? Well, yes and no. Cleaning a home is pretty explainable.
Sparkly windows, sparkly clean tubs and toilets, a clean fireplace, a swept out garage, etc.
So what happens during staging which did not happen during the decluttering process?
Simple. You are showing off and highlighting the best parts of your home. You are
visually SELLING your home. You are making potential homeowners fall in love with
your home and making them think – THIS IS THE ONE! So how do you do that?
Here are some of the things I do as a Home Stager when we have completed a Flip House:
- Pots of fresh flowers to greet Buyers at the Front Porch. Fresh mulch in the flower beds.
- A new doormat.
- New throw pillows which add pops of color.
- Consider purchasing a new throw rug for some added texture and color, too.
- Fresh, new window treatments.
- A plant or fresh flowers on the mantel.
- Set the breakfast room table with cute dishes and napkins.
- Set out a tray of fresh-baked cookies on the counter with a cute “welcome” sign.
- Fluffy white towels rolled in a basket in bathrooms.
- A tray of pretty soaps on the bathroom counter.
- Cleared countertops in both the kitchen and the bathrooms.
- Make sure marketing materials are in full view.
8- Take Great Photos
As an agent, there was nothing I hated to see more than when I saw a listing
and the photo’s were abhorrent. I called it “Lazy Agent Syndrome.” You know
the ones I am talking about. A picture of a room where you saw mostly
ceiling or mostly carpeting. A picture of the kitchen with dirty dishes in the sink.
And my BIGGEST peeve, a picture with the toilet lid up. NO, NO, NO. 🙂
Now I will say, some of the bad images are due to the Seller as much as the
Agent. DON’T leave a dirty dish in the sink. DON’T leave a dirty pair of undies
laying on the bedroom floor. (you think I am joking here don’t you?) Put the
toothbrushes and mouthwash and toothpaste away. But, SELLERS – listen to
me… do NOT accept dark, blurry and plain bad pictures from your listing.
Ask to see your listing the second it goes live. It’s YOUR listing after all.
Keep in mind that almost everyone shops online for a home prior to ever
contacting an Agent. Even after they have contacted an Agent, the Buyers and
their Agent will look at homes on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) prior to
scheduling any showings. You have about 2 seconds to make a first impression.
Seriously. In a few mere seconds, a Buyer will determine if they want to see your
home in person simply by looking at the pictures online.
INSIST on good pictures, and if the Agent is not capable of taking quality pictures,
then you need to insist on a professional taking them. I cannot stress the importance
of this enough. It will not matter if you have worked your behind off decluttering
and repainting and replanting and staging if your home shows bad on the MLS.
Ask up front, prior to signing a Listing Agreement, who will take your home’s pictures,
and ask to see examples of past listings to see how well their descriptions are worded,
another important feature. In other words, see if they write “cute 3 bedroom, 2 bath home
for sale” or do they add some descriptive words like “located on a charming and
well-landscaped country lot.” You don’t want them to write a novella, but you want
an enticing write-up, too.
9- Marketing
You are probably asking yourself, why I have added “Marketing” as one of my 10 tips.
Because whether you are selling your home yourself or you have hired an agent,
marketing can be the difference between selling your home fast, or not selling it at
all. Real Estate is now an internet-driven business. You must choose an Agent that
is not only Internet savvy but has a strong presence on the web. Do they have a personal
website? Does their Broker or the company they work for have a site? Are they part of
the local MLS? Are they part of other area MLS’s? Are they a member of the National
Association of Realtor’s? Do not hesitate to ask what their marketing plan is for your home.
Ask to see what some of their marketing plans were for past listings. Most of all, ask to
see some of their flyers and marketing kits. Do they leave flyers on the sign? What sites
do they post your listing on? Do they have public or Agent Open Homes? How often do they
review their marketing plan if your home is not selling. I know. Lots of questions to ask,
but each one is so important. A quick sale means a put-together and fast-acting marketing
and media plan.
10 – Try to relax!
I know, I know. It’s an absolute silly piece of advice. But, once you have prepared
your home as much as you possibly can, and once you have interviewed and chosen
the right agent, and once your agent has created a specific marketing plan for your home
and the listing is activated on the MLS…it’s a waiting game. Have a glass of wine, say a
few prayers (some people like to plant a St Joseph’s statue in the yard). Selling a home
can be a numbers game. You may get 10 potential buyers into your home before you get a
single offer, or the first Buyer who walks through your door may fall head over heels in love.
Either way, if you are getting a lot of showings and no offers – something is probably wrong.
It will be one of three things – location, condition or price. (or a combo of all three)
Location is what it is, there isn’t much you can do about that. Condition, to a degree, is
something you can control if budget allows. Price is definitely something you can control.
Here is where once again, you MUST remember that this is a BUSINESS deal and try to
take out the emotion. Most people have at least ONE very important reason they are selling –
a contingency offer on another home (you have to sell your current home to buy the new home);
a new job (you have to report to your new job in SIX WEEKS); or maybe you need a larger
house because a new baby is on the way. No matter the reason, keep your goal in mind.
Weigh what it will cost you to NOT accept that offer which is a few thousand less than you
originally wanted. Is it worth it? Only YOU can make that decision.
Selling a home may be one of the toughest things you ever do. You WILL get
frustrated and discouraged and angry and incensed and elated and hopeful
and about every other emotion you can think of. If you have read this far, then I
assume you will be selling a home in your future. I wish you all the luck in the
world for a quick and prosperous sale. And if all else fails, you can order a statue
of St Joseph’s and a Home Selling Prayer * HERE. 🙂
*affiliate link
Happy Home Selling!!!
xxoo, Barb
…………………………………………………
If you would love to tour some of my completed
flip homes, you can see them here…
(click the images)
…and lots more projects HERE.
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Karla @Small Town Rambler says
Good tips! My Grandmother sold Real Estate for many many years and I went to a lot of houses with her. I can tell you that clutter and pets smells were the biggest turn-offs. I would see people walk right back out the door if there were pet smells. Staging is important too…and furniture arranging! I once saw a recliner chair sitting right in front of the fireplace and the curtains closed in the living room. I couldn’t believe they covered the pretty fireplace and the room was so dark…it made a huge difference!
View CommentBarb says
Karla I could write a book on what I have seen my 10+ years as an agent. 🙂
View CommentMary-the boondocks blog says
Barb this is an excellent post! I am going to be selling my home sometime in the future and it looks like I’ll have to get started from now if I am going to make all of these adjustments, er improvements.I had not realized how much work was involved in selling a home before. Thank you for all of this useful information. I am hosting a new link party, Sweet Inspiration and would love to have you join us, It runs Friday till Tuesday.
View CommentBarb says
Mary it’s honestly one of the hardest and most stressful things we have ever done. LOL Just be prepared! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. ~Barb
View CommentErlene says
Lots of great tips here. Thanks so much for sharing these tips on the Merry Monday.
View CommentJeanne Grunert says
Terrific tips! Staging a home is truly an art, and you’ve made it seem simple. Thank you for sharing this on the #HomeMattersParty
View Comment