Houses sell pretty quickly these days. In fact, the average list-to-sale time for a house is just 64 days.
Do you want to sell your house even faster than this, though?
If you want to speed up the sale of your house, you’ll likely need to be strategic about how you market it and what you do to make it more appealing to potential buyers.
Not sure where to begin when it comes to getting your home ready to sell? Start by giving one (or more) of these ten proven tips a try.
1. Get Feedback Before You List It
If you’re just barely getting ready to list your house, have some friends or family members come over and walk through it.
Ask them for honest feedback about what you can improve and what would hold them back from buying it. Then, take their feedback and act on it.
It’s true that it might take you longer to make the improvements. But, it’ll be worth it if it means your house is on the market for a shorter period of time.
2. Clear Out the Clutter
Nobody wants to buy a house that’s full of junk. Not only does clutter hide the appealing features of your home, but it also makes it harder for buyers to picture themselves living there.
Dedicate a weekend (or maybe several weekends) to getting rid of unnecessary items. Donate them to charity, hold a garage sale, or keep them in a storage unit. Leave behind only the essentials.
And, keep in mind, too, that clearing out the clutter now means you’ll have less to do when the time comes to pack up your house and move.
3. Stage Your Home Properly
Once you’ve cleared out all the clutter, your next step is to stage your home properly.
Home staging helps make your home more appealing and makes it easier for people to imagine themselves living in it.
Home staging might seem overwhelming at first. It doesn’t have to be, though.
If you just do some basic upgrades — putting fresh towels in the bathroom, placing a vase of flowers on the kitchen table, etc. — you can make your home look much more inviting.
4. Give it a Fresh Coat of Paint
Touching up the paint job in your house can also make a big difference.
Even if your paint seems fine at first glance, go over it one more time just in case. You may have missed something initially, but chances are the people looking to buy your house will not.
Pay careful attention to areas like the baseboards and corners, which might be chipped or scuffed.
5. Consider a Cash Sale
At this point, you might be thinking, “I need to sell my house fast and I don’t have time for renovations.” If this is the case, you might want to consider a cash sale.
If you sell your house for cash, you might not be able to get as much money for it as you would if you sold it in a more traditional way.
But, you’ll get an offer much faster and will be able to move on without having the weight of your old house holding you back.
6. Improve Your Curb Appeal
If you have the time to enhance your home before you list it, try making an effort to improve your curb appeal. Remember, the exterior of your house is the first thing people see.
Take some time to clean up the outside. Consider repainting the front door, or repair any cracks that are visible in the walkway or driveway. Keep your lawn neatly trimmed, too, and your flowerbeds fresh and free from weeds.
7. Make Sure the Price is Right
If you haven’t listed your house yet, you also ought to consider how quickly you want to sell the house when setting the price.
If you want it to be sold as fast as possible, you might need to ask for a little less than you would have if you had time to spare.
Remember, too, that you might want to consider adjusting the price of your house if it has been on the market for a while and simply isn’t selling.
8. Prioritize the Kitchen
If you’re only going to upgrade one area of your house, make it the kitchen.
This is one of the most frequently used rooms in any house, and if it’s out of date or worn out, you’re going to have a hard time selling your home.
Some basic kitchen upgrades you might want to make include repainting the walls, painting the cabinets, and installing new cabinet hardware.
If you have the money to spare, consider installing at least one new appliance, too.
9. Focus on the Details
Details can make all the difference when you’re trying to sell your house quickly. Simple changes can make your house look much nicer and newer.
Go over your house with a pair of white gloves (literally or figuratively) and look for things you might need to clean up.
Even something as simple as cleaning or replacing your outlet covers or replacing the hardware in your kitchen and bathrooms can dramatically change the look of your whole house.
10. Make Sure Your Home is Always “Show-Ready”
Finally, make sure your house is always “show-ready.” This means that it’s always clean and free of clutter.
Consider putting together a pre-show checklist so you can easily get your house together at a moment’s notice.
Some items you might want to include on this list are putting away dishes, making the beds, and wiping down the counters.
Need More Help Getting Your Home Ready to Sell?
Getting your home ready to sell isn’t exactly easy. But, if you implement these strategies, you’ll increase your chances of selling your house and will be able to get it off the market faster.
Are you interested in more tips to get your house sale-ready? If so, we’ve got lots of articles to help.
Start by checking out this article on small house renovations that can have a big impact on your sale price and the speed of the sale.
Don’t Sell a Broken Home! The Most Crucial Home Repairs Before Selling