We’ve all heard it before—moving is one of the most stressful things in life. And this is can be true for you too. But it doesn’t have to be. There are ways to make this experience a lot simpler. In this piece, we’re looking at four obvious things to do before selling your house that will make your life easier.
The housing market at the moment presents just a few challenges to sellers. Inflation remains high, mortgage rates are frightening buyers off, and the available housing inventory is starting to grow.
Expert views differ, but by and large, they are predicting that house sales will drop further in 2023. The estimates range from the 7% drop predicted by the NAR to 16% from Redfin.
A challenging market means that if you want to sell your home fast, you will need to show its best features, or find a buyer who is only interested in a quick purchase.
4 Things to Do Before Selling Your House
There are countless articles talking about things to do before selling your house, and they generally involve decluttering and decorating. Some will suggest you renovate, and others say that simple repairs are more important.
A quick visit to I Buy IL shows that some properties don’t need any of these things to help them sell. If you are after a quick sale then the 4 tips below might help you to get there.
1. Become a Motivated Seller
How much do you want to sell your home quickly, and what is your true motivation? Is it simply to sell up and move on, or do you need the maximum returns possible from your home?
If it is the latter then move on to the second tip, but if you want a very fast sale, you need to become a motivated seller. What does this mean? You can find out right now.
2022, saw a record amount of all-cash house buyers across the country. These people break down into different groups but a large part will involve some form of property investor. Some fix and flip houses as individuals, and some companies advertise for sellers to come forward.
The latter only deals with cash and if you want to become a motivated seller you only need to Google cash home buyers in your area to get results. A motivated seller is someone who needs to sell quickly for whatever reason and is willing to take a lower offer for cash and a fast sale.
2. Bring in Professional Services
If you can afford to then consider using some professional services.
You can use the following to help attract more viewings, and get the highest bids:
- Professional cleaners
- Home stagers
- Professional photography
- 360 virtual tour creators
You can make your listing stand out with professional photography, and staging can put your home in its best light online. The use of virtual tours came to the forefront during lockdowns, but they are still a very good way to market a home.
And all of these services require minimal input from you while helping you to sell your home.
3. Give your Curb Appeal a Boost
Forget about landscaping, installing decking, and planting trees, and keep it simple. Curb appeal is a vital part of getting a potential buyer out of their car and through your front door, and a few alterations can go a long way.
While cash home buyers won’t care if your lawn is overgrown and full of weeds, other potential buyers will. So, take the time to look at your home’s facade from a visitor’s point of view.
What do you see, weeds, a broken porch light, and clutter in the front yard? Give your front yard a bit of TLC, and a clean-up. Pull up the weeds, pressure clean the driveway, and put a lick of paint on the fence if necessary. It might take a bit of time, but the expense will be minimal while the gains could be substantial.
Don’t forget the back yard either. Learn how to declutter your house and garden, and you will have a more inviting home in general.
4. Complete a Seller’s Inspection
You may be surprised to find this one on a list of things to do before selling your house, but your buyer will certainly be hiring someone to inspect your home. If you get your inspection done first you will be aware of any issues in the home.
This gives you the option to either remedy them before you put the home on the market or to disclose them (where necessary) and be prepared to accept lower bids.
Summary
None of these tips involve a staggering amount of work, and even improving the curb appeal can be done between you and your family to reduce time.
However, all of these tips can help you to attract more buyers, get a faster sale, or simply be prepared for when your buyer’s inspection spots a problem.
