News and Events
July 2, 2007
Ask the Pros: Ways to Speed up the Sale?
What are the Ways to Speed Up the
Sale of My Home?
Whether you are selling your home in
a slow or fast paced market you want an offer. When an offer does not come you
begin to wonder what is wrong with your home. Is it truly market conditions or
is there more behind the scenes? A house that goes too long without selling
begins to see fewer buyers and hurts the future chances of a sale.
How long is too long? Should I be
taking different steps or should I pull it off the market completely? Are my
expectations too high or am I overpriced for the similar home sales in my area?
Not every home will sell within a month but if it is not attracting enough
people or a lot of people and no offers maybe it is time to truly look at your
home.
Videotape your home, inside and out,
and watch the tape as if you are the prospective buyer. Is the lawn weedy or
the flowerbeds bare? Is your home uncluttered and spotlessly scrubbed?
Sparkling clean homes sell faster than those that look lived-in or show too
much of the owner’s personality.
Take a look at your listing price.
Visit other open houses in your area. Are similar homes priced lower? Have
selling prices dropped since your market analysis? If you do lower your price
make it enough to make a difference. Also consider a figure below the other
comparable homes if you are interested in a speedy sale.
Leave treats out to make people more
comfortable. Cookies, candy or other snacks that are not too messy can be a
nice touch! Stay in the background as people are looking through your home.
Buyers want the opportunity to wander freely and talk openly with each other.
Listen to any feedback regarding
your home. This can be a guide to make repairs such as toning down paint,
wallpaper or even improving landscaping.
Consider offering extra perks to
your buyer. Allowances toward closing costs or decorating are very typical. You
may want to expand to gift cards for furniture or paying toward mortgage
payments or buying down rates.
Neutralize color schemes throughout
the home. Most buyers prefer colors that are easy to imagine a new home as
their own. If they start thinking about changing colors in several rooms it can
be overwhelming. Whites, off whites or neutral beige are always good choices.
You may have to ultimately readjust
your expectations. An offer early in the process at a lower price can seem like
a “lowball” but it is important to consider every offer carefully. In a
longstanding soft market some homes will sell at a loss. You will want to
consider all factors in an offer not only price and work from there. You never
know if your next offer will be next week or next year!
