We’ve started house hunting in the last few weeks and I have learned so much in this short amount of time! We haven’t found our house yet, but we’re diligently looking! I’m lurking Realtor.com like it’s my job right now!
In our search for our home I’ve noticed a few consistencies that have contributed to us to walking away from several for-sale homes, and to not even look at some. I want to share these things from a buyer’s perspective specifically with someone who is currently trying to sell their home (or who will be doing this soon) so that you can sell your home quickly and easily!
1. Clean your house. Please. To me, this is the most important thing a seller can do. If there is garbage, grime, dirt, or just junk lying around your house and/or yard I’m going to assume this level of care for the appearance of your for-sale home is consistent with how you cared for things like the roof, the plumbing, and the appliances. Please run a vacuum over the carpet, wipe down the fridge inside and out, and make sure you’ve removed all hangers and such from the closets if you’ve moved out already. You get one chance to make me think I want to spend the next 30 years of my life paying for your house. Make it count.
2. Keep and display manuals for all your appliances. This means so much- not just that you were considerate enough to lay them out for the buyers to use in the future, but that you kept them at all tells me that you probably maintained your appliances well.
3. Hire a realtor. Do not try to sell your house “by owner.” Hiring a realtor legitimizes your home in my mind and helps me feel more secure in buying it from you.
4. Maintain the yard. Even if you’ve moved out. This make such a huge difference to me as a buyer. If you’ve taken the time to (or paid someone to) cut the grass I will notice. Even the best, most lush yards look awful if they’re overgrown. I’m not saying you need to keep it perfect, but at least mowing the grass goes a long, long way in making your house look like it could be my home.
5. Fix everything you possibly can. We walked away from a house we really liked because the seller disclosed a leak but didn’t bother to fix it. I’m not going to take on that liability, it’s just too risky for me as the buyer! True story- we looked at a home last week with a 5 in x 5 in hole in a bedroom door. A hole in the door! Are you kidding me?!
6. Update. Do it within reason and within your budget, but if you can update please do! Things like wallpaper, contact paper, and wood panelling need to be ripped off every surface they cover! A little paint goes a long way! The less I will have to do to your house when I move in the better. I will consider a more expensive house if updates like newer appliances, fixtures, and flooring are included.
7. Post tons of pictures in your online listing. Do not just post a single picture of the outside of your house and call it a day. I know that realtors do this, but please provide them with as many pictures as you can. (Bonus points for extra pictures of your house decorated for Christmas! Something about this really makes it feel homey to me!) I don’t know a single person who doesn’t look online at a house before they schedule a showing. Long gone are the days of driving around calling the numbers on the yard signs or looking through real estate magazines at the grocery store. I’m going to be scouring every picture you post before I decide if it’s worth my time to see your house in person. Take pictures of every single room, hallway, and closet. Open the shower curtain when you take a picture of the bathroom! I want to see what the tub/shower looks like. If it’s closed I’m going think you’re hiding something like really old fixtures or cracked tile.
7.5 Post tons of good pictures in your online listing. Please make sure your pictures are in focus, don’t have fingers in the corner, and are horizontal. Cell phone pictures won’t cut it- use a real camera. Also, cluttered rooms are a big no no. I don’t care if you love knick-knacks. You’re moving anyway- put them in a box and make your house look as empty as possible. I don’t want to see pictures of your decorations, I want to see pictures of the rooms, the floors, and the walls.
Sell your house quickly with these 7 1/2 tips from a potential buyer! #RealEstate Click To TweetSo there you have it! My 7 1/2 tips to help sell your house quickly! If you don’t do these things, your house will move to the bottom of my “to see in person” list. I understand that selling your house is a huge endeavor, but so is buying one! Doing these 7 1/2 things will definitely improve your chances of selling your house as quickly as possible. Good luck!
Do you have any tips for someone selling a home? Post them in the comments and add to my list!
Love these tips! I’d say if you’re selling the house needs to smell nice! Bake some cookies or diffuse some good smelling oils. Nothing worse than a stinky house 🙂
Good tip Shannon! Stinky houses are the worst!
An old tip is to put a drop or two of vanilla extract on a lightbulb. Makes it smell like cookies.
Nice!!!
Clean the windows! Hardly anyone does this because it is hard, but it will make everything seem lighter and brighter and probably even bigger. No one will say “Wow! What beautiful, clean windows.” They will just think the house seems cheerful instead of dreary. I’m sure your dad would say a fresh coat of paint gives a similar result.
That’s a good suggestion! I never thought about it like that before but you’re right! We saw a house today with lots of new, clean windows and it really made a impact on the whole look of the house
A clean house is so important! Great list. 🙂
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There was a house for sale in our neighborhood and it got a fresh coat of paint for its listing… only on the front of the house! I guess they only listed a curbside view of the home in the advertisement. Never seen anything quite like it, but the new owners don’t seem to mind, since they haven’t painted the rest of the house to match!
Hope you guys find a great new home to plant your roots and grow! 🙂
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Wow that’s….interesting! I wonder why they decided to do just the front. I’m glad it worked out for everyone, though! Thanks!
Really good tips – especially about (flattering) pictures!
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Selling your home can be a roller coaster of emotions. However, I think these tips you have here are really helpful. The third tip you have is one of the most important, in my opinion. You should never try to sell your home without the help of an experienced realtor!
Thanks Silas!
Brittany, I love your point about how hiring a real estate agent will legitimize your sale. I also agree that keeping your home clean and free of grime, dirt, and garbage will make a big difference. My husband and I are wanting to buy a house this year. Knowing I can rely on the expertise of a professional will help put us at ease and allow us to find the perfect place.
Thanks Lucy! Good luck on your house hunt!
This is some really good information about selling a home quickly. It is good to know that it would be smart to clean up your house as much as possible. I like that you pointed out that buyers most of the time don’t want to fix anything before moving into a new home. Personally, I wouldn’t even want to have to paint the walls.
Actually I enjoyed painting before we moved into our new home. After years of rentals, it was fun to make something just the way I wanted it! Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for explaining that a way to sell a house quickly is by hiring a who can be working to sell the home all the time. That does seem like a good thing for you to keep in mind when you are deciding if you want to hire a real estate agent. It seems like it might be smart to check if the real estate agent has a good reputation.
I agree completely!