How to sell your house quickly

So, you’ve decided to sell. But what steps can you take to ensure that you find a buyer within a reasonable time-frame?

Moving home is hardly the most stress-free experience for the majority of us. Once the initial excitement of deciding to sell and move on has died down, we’re left with the task of ensuring that we gain offers similar to our asking price.

Once the property is on the market, the first week or so can be a little exciting as you wait for that first viewing to get booked. Once you get to the third or fourth week without hearing anything from your agent, however, the insecurities can begin to set in.

You may even begin to ask yourself if the agent is pulling their weight with regard to the sale – or maybe it’s the house itself? As time passes, the stress begins to occupy every waking moment as you edge ever further towards the day when you consider dropping the asking price to encourage buyers and ask yourself “Could I have done more earlier on to ensure that I sell my house fast?”

And for many vendors, the answer is a simple ‘yes’. Luckily, you don’t necessarily need a degree in marketing to help the odds play out in your favour.

In order to sell your house fast, it’s often worth harking back to the perspective you personally held when you bought your own home. For many people, despite the scale of the potential purchase, the decision to buy is often made within an hour of viewing a house – so what can you do to maximise your home’s desirability to a buyer?

Choose your season

For those who wish to know how to sell a house fast, it’s worth biding your time until the majority of buyers are looking. So, when is it best to place your home on the market?

During the winter, the shorter days and poor weather can make any house look a little dreary, and there are few vendors or buyers looking to sell over the Xmas period. During summer, a large number of parents are busy looking after their children while they’re off school, and many people are busy planning a getaway to sunny locations abroad.

Traditionally, the best times to sell are during either spring or autumn. The kids are in school, and there’s still enough sunlight to flaunt the attractive external aspects of your home and garden – but more importantly, these are the seasons during which the bulk of potential buyers are active.

Clean and declutter

No matter how you decorate your home while you live there, remember that when you are selling, you are advertising. Knowing how to sell your house quickly comes down to helping potential buyers feel comfortable with the thought of living there.

A house which is unkempt or full of clutter will barely gain a second’s thought from the majority of buyers – especially when they most likely have several other properties to view that week.

It is also worth remembering that applying a little elbow grease around the property can’t hurt either:

• Have the windows been cleaned recently?
• Could the front door benefit from a quick re-varnishing?
• Are there walls inside that could enjoy a fresh lick of paint to make them look their best?
• Have you weeded the garden and driveway for their arrival?

Nobody expects you to pull off a TV-style makeover, but a little effort goes a long way.

Use natural light

During viewings, make sure that you keep curtains drawn back, blinds rolled up, and that they are scheduled when the sun is out. Natural light helps a house feel more spacious and airy and you should use it to your advantage.

Maintain showroom quality

It’s not easy to keep your house looking perfect 24/7, even when you’re trying to sell – but it is important to try. Cleaning as you go is a great way to avoid being caught off-guard by a surprise viewing on short-notice – and learning how to deal with surprise appointments is a great way to learn how to sell a house fast.

Promote your neighbourhood

When we purchase a home, we usually have to factor in the additional benefits its location presents. Sometimes we buy because of its proximity to local amenities such as shops and leisure facilities, other times it’s because it happens to be in the same district as a renowned local school.

Whatever your reasons were for originally purchasing your house, make sure that you pass on this information to your agent, or through a welcome pack for potential buyers to read while they come for a viewing, reminding them that the services on your doorstep are part of what makes your home such as bargain.

Be prepared to say goodbye to certain appliances

Sometimes we love to indulge ourselves with a few fitted appliances in either our bathrooms or kitchens that really make living in our homes a joy. When we move, however, it can be quite tempting to bring that luxurious gas fire, expensive oven or fridge/freezer with us.

Nevertheless, if those appliances are a focal point of the décor in your home, most buyers would assume that they are included in the asking price – learning to let go of some of your favourite purchases is an important part of learning how to sell your house quickly.

Know when it’s time to reduce your price

You could have the perfect home, the perfect location, and the perfect time of year – but sometimes, luck just isn’t on your side. Knowing when to lower the price of your home is an important part of the house-selling process – and if approached with a strategic mindset, can really help encourage buyers.

Therefore, before you place your home on the market make a decision at which point you would consider lowering the price, and also by how much.

While we all aim to achieve our original asking price, it’s important to temper expectations with reality, and don’t forget, it’s better to lower the price earlier before the home has been on the market so long that buyers begin to question its saleability.

Gain additional planning permission

Does your home offer a number of opportunities for extending? If done correctly, adding an extension to a home is usually a sure-fire way to guarantee a greater return on your investment.

Sadly, many of us do not necessarily have the financial reserves for extending our homes – but the people who are considering buying your home, however, may have deeper pockets. Take advantage of this by gaining planning permission for any possible extensions and make sure that you notify any interested parties to make buying your home seem an even more attractive proposition.

Are there any tips and tricks that can be used to sell my house fast?”

Most people try to be as objective as possible during viewings – tallying the number of rooms needed, checking for ample storage space, as well as deciding whether or not the garden is big enough.

What many viewers don’t realise is that it’s often the subjective, subliminal side of their minds that help them settle on a potential purchase. So why not try the following?

• Don’t let an amateur take photographs of your home. The photos are the first thing a buyer will see at the agents, and great photos can make your small family home look palatial.
• Turn on the central heating 2-3 hours before they arrive – warmth can easily sway a buyer’s opinion in your favour.
• Spray a little furniture polish on the radiators while they’re heating up – the scent often evokes feelings of nostalgia and comfort.
• A bowl of fresh fruit, or a pot of freshly brewed coffee on display can easily encourage a buyer to see your house as a home.
• Clear drains using caustic soda to eliminate any smells from bathrooms and kitchens that may otherwise deter those looking to buy.
• Try to use a combination of secondary lighting such as floor lamps as opposed to a single fixed ceiling light to prevent the rooms from feeling too sterile.
• Add a few plants in and around communal areas. A bit of nature can add a little variation to your standard décor.

Of course, you can make all the effort in the world to make your home look beautiful, but it’s all for nothing unless you have a good agent – so ask around and make sure you find the right one for you.

If you do need to sell your house fast and would prefer not to deal with estate agents, however, remember that you can always use property buying companies who will buy any home, regardless of location or condition, at a competitive price.

Looking to sell your home? Why not ask National Homebuyers for advice, as we buy any house. Call 08000 443 911 or request a call back to find out how much you could get for your property.