Are you looking for a quick sale on your house? If so, you do not have the luxury of trial and error when preparing. You need to know the correct steps to ensure a fast, smooth turnaround.
Luckily, this preparation can be done in around a week if you can clear your schedule. Read on as we tell you how to get your house ready to sell in 30 days.
Know Its Value
The first step is to know the value of the home you are selling and its current equity. Check similar houses in the local area, that match both the size and type, in similar neighborhoods. This should give a rough value as to the price of your home.
Alternatively, you can ask a real estate agent to come and value it for you. They will have a much better idea of the local market and may be able to offer advice on how to do minor improvements to add to the value itself.
Once you have this, you need to check the equity in the property if you have a mortgage. Equity is the amount you have left to pay on your mortgage deducted from the property value. Always remember that costs incurred in selling the property, such as fees and taxes, are going to cost around 10% of the property's overall value.
From here, you need to consider if you are ready to get your home ready to sell. If you have low equity, it may be worth holding on a little longer until more mortgage is paid and the value of the property has risen.
Selling a House for Cash
If you really need to sell a house in 30 days, then you may consider selling to a cash buyer. The benefits are that cash sales are usually a lot quicker than selling to those in a chain or who are awaiting mortgage approval. In fact, if you go with cash for home companies, many can have the paperwork done and the sale complete with a three-week window.
The downside is that you will get a low offer. For some people, this does not matter, especially if they have to do a lot of renovations and find someone who will buy as-is. When you factor in real estate agent fees, it may also work out the same.
Finding a Real Estate Agent
If you are not selling a house to cash buyers, then you will need to enlist a real estate agent. While you will have to pay a fee to them after the sale (6% on average, 3% to this agent, and 3% to the buyers) a good estate agent will be well worth the money. They will have networks and contacts you do not have access to, along with marketing methods and experience of the process.
Try to find at least three quality real estate agents to interview. Look at local listings and reviews, and ask others in the area for recommendations. Once you have a shortlist, contact them and arrange an interview, letting them know you are aiming to sell within 30 days.
Once you meet them, then conduct an interview to see if they are likely to be able to offer the service you desire. Base this on their years of experience in the local area, their transaction volume, the average spend of their sale, and any testimonials.
Liaising With Your Agent
Once you have selected an agent from your list, it is time to conduct a walkthrough of the home. It is important that you leave the home as it is before the agent comes to see it. This way, they get an idea of what the home is like in its raw state.
A good agent should give advice on how to get your home ready to sell. They will be able to advise you on how to stage the house and make arrangements that will make it more likely to attract buyers.
More crucially, they will be able to advise on any repairs and renovations. They will know which ones will add the most return on investment. These changes may not actually be the ones you think.
How to Get Your House Ready to Sell In 30 Days
The agent may give you advice on a number of renovation and staging ideas. Below are a summary of some that you could expect.
Painting
Painting is a low-cost way to revitalize some of your rooms and spaces. If you have bold color choices in the house, then painting them neutral tones and colors is advisable. It makes visitors more likely to imagine and visualize their own belongings and furnishings in the home.
In addition, a coat of paint can really make a room look fresh and give the illusion of more space. Once walls are done, do not forget to do fittings such as doors, window sills, and skirting.
Make Minor Repairs
Making minor repairs makes the house look as if it has been cared for. Small fixes include all those tiny, finicky jobs that have been pushed to one side. They could be fixing leaking plumbing, replacing missing tiles, or filling in cracks in the wall.
Lighten Up
Next, try to enhance the light in the home. Natural light makes a house look spacious and airy as opposed to dark and cramped.
Make sure you replace low-watt bulbs with higher-strength ones. Open up all blinds and curtains. Finally, retract any awning or shade from around the house.
You can carefully manipulate light inside the house by using mirrors. If you have dark corners and recesses, reflect the light from a window by placing a reflective, mirrored surface there. Use strategically placed lamps to do the same in the evening.
Setting a Price
In consultation with the agent, you will need to decide on a price. The agent should know the current market and its values.
A buyers market is one where a lot of houses are available and the power is in the hands of the buyer. A seller's market is one where few houses are available, making it better for you as a seller. If you want a quick sale in a buyer market, then you may need to consider dropping the price.
The second influence on price will be the value of the home itself. Perhaps the home is a certain size or at a certain value. The agent will know if these houses are attractive to buyers and selling well, or are hard to make sales on.
Finally, you need to consider how badly you want to sell a house in 30 days. Certain concessions may have to be made to the price to influence its attractiveness to potential buyers.
Work on Curb Appeal
Once you have agreed on a price, the agent will start listing and people will begin to start looking at your home. The first view they get of the building is referred to as curb appeal by real estate agents. If you want to know how to sell your house, then you need to address curb appeal.
Start with a powerwash of the home exterior, driveway, and path. These can be rented for a low price, or you can hire someone to come and do this for you.
Next, address any issues with the facade of your house. This could be fixing up rendering, brickwork, the roof, or any siding. You could also paint the home and fittings such as the front door.
After this, tend to the garden or yard. Mow the grass and cut back any foliage or shrubbery that has become unruly. You may also decide to add to the garden by planting flower beds and small bushes or trees.
Prepare For Visitors
Once you have worked on the outside, it is time for the inside. You may already have started the work suggested by the real estate agent; however, there is a lot more you still have to do.
The first job is to declutter the home. If you want to move in 30 days anyway, this is a great way to ensure your packing is ready and will be a lighter load. Anything you no longer use should be listed online, sold in a garage sale, or donated to charity.
Next, you are going to start depersonalizing your home. This is so any visitors that come can view the space as their own, not as one already occupied by a family. Take down family photos, memorabilia, trinkets, and ornaments and pack them up safely, ready to move house.
Finally, clean everything from top to bottom. Done correctly, this could easily fill up a whole weekend of your time. Break it down into rooms, making sure it is deep cleansed.
Leave the Home
With this advice on how to get your house ready to sell in 30 days, the offers should come thick and fast. If you have an agent, make sure to leave the home when they show people around, taking pets with you. With the touches you have made, it is sure to be a success.
If you are selling your home, your first stop should be Hommati. We have thousands of home listings and a handy blog to give advice. Click here to use our real estate search tool and start the process of your home sale today.