There are many situations in which homeowners may want to sell their home as soon as possible, such as relocating to start a new job, ending a relationship at home, or selling their current home to complete the transaction on a new home. Purchase.

Whatever the reason, there are strategies to help you sell your home quickly. We’ll walk you through the most common steps.

8 creative ways to sell a house fast

If you want to sell a house fast, consider these eight tips:

1. Choose an experienced agent

When time is of the essence, you can’t afford to take a chance on an inexperienced real estate professional. Instead, you want to work with a real estate agent who knows your market and has helped sellers in their current situation.

Start by browsing local “For Sale” listings and bookmark the ones that are known for having great photos and compelling descriptions. One of the agents behind these types of listings can be a good choice as they are serious about selling your home in a timely manner. Referrals go a long way in the real estate business, so ask family and friends or your social media contacts if they’ve worked with a good agent in your area.

Make sure you look for an agent who has worked in your area for years and has sold many homes. They may have connections to help you find the right buyer. When you start contacting prospective agents, let them know what your exact closing time is and if it’s realistic and how they can help you meet it.

Finally, don’t be afraid to interview multiple agents: most buyers will go with the first one they talk to, but you may find a better fit by exploring multiple options. Once you find an agent you like, check their license with your state’s real estate department. Also check online reviews or ask about previous clients you can find as references.

2. Set a competitive price

By researching online real estate websites, see what homes like yours in the same area have sold for recently. Then calculate the price per square foot for these equivalent sales. To do this, simply divide the price by the number of square meters. Take this number and apply it to your home’s square footage to get a reasonable starting price.

Move it down if your home is actually more desirable (eg on a quiet cul-de-sac) or less desirable (remember you’ll want to raise this number if the roof is important, for example). replaced).

Here’s why you want to err on the side of undervaluing when listing your home:

• Your home will appear in more searches. Buyers often set the highest price when searching for listings online. You don’t want to miss out on potential buyers because your list price is $505,000 instead of $499,000. Buyers may be willing to stretch their budget a bit if they find a home they like.
• Buyers can increase the price. If your home is below market value, you may be able to get more offers. You can sell your home for what it’s actually worth, but a lower price may attract more attention and help you sell faster.

If you’re working with a real estate agent, they can help you determine the right pricing strategy for your market. But if you’re going it alone, consider these strategies as a starting point.

3. Clean and tidy your house

It may seem like common sense to clean and declutter your home before listing it. But browse real estate listings in your area and you might find a few houses scattered around. This can be very unpleasant for buyers, perhaps they find it difficult to imagine themselves if they are in the way of clutter and garbage.

If you don’t have the time or physical ability to take care of this yourself, your agent will probably know who you can hire to clean and declutter for you. If your budget is tight, consider asking friends or family for help.

4. Rate your home

After cleaning and decluttering, buyers can make you feel at home with professional home staging.

Depending on your budget and moving timeline, you can work with existing standards or provide rented furniture and decor. While it’s possible to stage a home yourself, professionals will have experience with layout and design, and know the tricks to win over buyers—so if you need to sell your home in a hurry, it may be worth checking.

Buyers’ agents say buyers find the living room, master bedroom and kitchen the most important areas to stage, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). You can expect to spend an average of $1,728 on home staging, with prices ranging from $749 to $2,825, according to HomeAdvisor. Your total cost may vary depending on the size of your home, location, and the costs of moving out.

5. Take professional detail photos

Many buyers see homes online first, so providing great photos is key. Here are some reasons for high quality real estate listing photos:

• Cleaning, editing and preparing in advance
• Early morning or early morning light (also known as the golden hour)
• Additional lighting
• Framing and cropping each shot
• Avoiding obvious photo filters (these can look fake and hide something)
• Wide angle shots (but not wide so they are distorted or misleading)
• More than one view of each room
• A logical sequence, starting with an attractive exterior shot
• Eliminate accidental duplicates

To make your listing stand out, you can consider these additional factors:

• drone shots; These can give a sense of what the immediate area and the wider neighborhood are like. They can also be higher quality and more up-to-date than the street views that buyers can see on Google Maps.
• 3D walkers These help buyers feel like they are in your home and see how the layout flows.

6. Consider iBuyer

If you want to sell your home as quickly as possible, going with iBuyer or Quick Buyer may be a good choice. iBuyers are technology-driven companies that buy directly from buyers’ homes. Computerized appraisals use Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) – combined with photos, virtual tours and home inspections to make financial offers, within 24 hours of receiving your information.

Unlike the traditional selling process, you won’t have to worry about cleaning, staging or touring your home, and you won’t need to hire an agent. But in return for this convenience, you’ll have to pay iBuyer a service fee, typically 5% to 14% of the home’s selling price.

7. Choose a financially qualified buyer

If a buyer has to close a loan to purchase your home, the process can take up to two months. On the other hand, a cash buyer may be able to close within days. However, most buyers must finance their home—so if you want to wait for a cash buyer, your options are limited and may result in a lower sale price.

Another option to consider is a buyer who wants a loan but has a pre-written loan, which means the lender has thoroughly reviewed the buyer’s finances and allowed them to take out a certain amount on the home. Prewriting is considered a step past beta. Final approval is determined if the home appraisal is satisfactory and the property meets any conditions the lender or loan program has.

8. Sell to someone you know

Selling to someone you already know – like a friend or family member – can take the guesswork out of the home selling process and help you avoid paying an agent commission for a FSBO property.

In 2020, three out of four FSBOs will sell in less than two weeks—even though they have 10% less desire to sell than agent-listed homes, according to NAR. So even if you can save on commissions, you can easily go broke.

Also, keep in mind that selling to someone you know can put strain on your relationship if things don’t go as planned.

How quickly can you sell a home after buying it?

After you buy a home, you can sell it as you wish—although selling too quickly means losing money on buying, selling, and moving costs, which can decrease or increase equity.

It’s best to wait at least two years before selling to offset closing costs with the equity you can build up during this time. But ultimately, you’ll have to decide whether breaking even is worth the wait based on your personal circumstances and your desire to sell.

If you have to leave your home quickly, make sure you consider the possible losses in advance.