You may think that the biggest challenge associated with moving house is finding a new place to live – whether you’re moving to a new country or staying within your hometown.
However, more often than not, finding a suitable property is relatively easy when compared to selling your current home. After all, the latter is dependent upon a variety of factors that are beyond your control, such as the property market or buyer preferences.
Nevertheless, there are many different steps that you can take as a homeowner to ensure your home is ready for the market, therefore facilitating a speedy sale and getting the money you deserve.
What Does a Market-Ready Property Look Like?
When it comes to selling your home quickly, it’s often advised that you ensure your home is market-ready. However, it can be hard to know exactly what this means or what a market-ready home looks like. After all, this standard can vary among buyers, depending on what they are looking for, as some may be more ‘picky’ than others.
Generally, however, a market-ready property will be:
- Clean, organized, and staged to appeal to viewers
- Free from any glaring maintenance issues
Think of the images often featured on letting agent websites – the kind that present the homes they are selling in the best possible light. Then, try to emulate this within your own home or property.
Understand the challenges you face.
The first step towards a speedy home sale is to understand what you are up against. That is, you should be aware of the challenges you may encounter when trying to sell your home so that you can find a solution where possible.
According to a study by Just Do Property, the following factors could make it difficult to sell your home:
- An unwelcoming neighborhood
- Unattractive landscaping
- Outdated or tired appliances
- Insufficient storage
- High utility bills
While, as mentioned previously, some of these factors are beyond your control, such as the neighborhood itself, many of the others are something you can work on before putting your property on the market. For example, you can remedy attractive landscaping by spending some time gardening.
Carry Out Any Necessary Maintenance.
Whenever you attend a property viewing, you’re likely keeping a keen eye out for signs of damage or maintenance issues. After all, if you’re looking to settle in quickly after moving house, you don’t want to have to carry out any home repairs while unpacking your cases.
As such, you must be able to view your home through the lens of a potential buyer. If there are many glaring maintenance issues present, they are unlikely to remain interested in the property or may put forward a low-ball offer. This means that you must tackle these issues ahead of time in order to better your chances of selling your home quickly.
However, if your move is time-sensitive, or you’ve never been great at DIY, the thought of carrying out maintenance may seem daunting. After all, you don’t want to make things worse in the process of trying to fix them. What’s more, there are some tasks that must be left to the expert, such as plumbing and electrical work.
This means that you need to reach out to a skilled local contractor who will be able to do the hard work on your behalf. This can sometimes be difficult, especially as you want to ensure you aren’t being overcharged. However, this can be remedied by working alongside Alpha Living, who can quickly and easily pair you with skilled and reliable repair and maintenance teams in your area.
Enhance Your Curb Appeal.
First impressions go a long way when selling a house, which means that a lack of curb appeal could also slow down the sales process quite considerably. Fortunately, there are many affordable ways to improve your curb appeal, which also require very little effort on your end.
For example, you could pressure wash your driveway or walls, which can remove worn-in dirt and grime and leave your property looking as good as new. Alternatively, you could spend some time ‘tidying’ up your yard by mowing the lawn and removing weeds. Small changes such as this go a long way towards making your home look as attractive as possible.
If you’re willing to invest a little money in your curb appeal, you may want to consider replacing the doors or windows. These changes can be reflected in your asking price, especially as “research has illustrated that the average value of a home can increase by 10% with a new double glazing installation.”
Work with a Reputable Letting/Listing Agent.
Working with a reputable letting agent will also speed up the sales process because they will do a lot of the hard work on your behalf. For example, instead of having to organize viewings or open houses independently, they’ll take on this task and will also play a crucial role in sales negotiations. They will also help to put together the property listing and take high-quality videos and photographs of your home.
Before you begin working with a particular agent, you may want to ensure they have the right experience under their belt. For example, how well do they know your neighborhood, or have they recently sold properties similar to your own? Both of these factors could impact their suitability for the role. If you’re struggling to find an agent online, you may want to ask friends and family for recommendations.
Stage Your Home Like a Pro.
Staging your home is another great way to get your property market-ready and can make it a lot easier to win over buyers.
For example, a report from the National Association of Realtors found that “buyers linger in staged homes an average of 40 minutes — compared to just six minutes in a vacant home.” Keeping buyers inside for longer often works in favor of the seller, as it means they are taking a vested interest in the property and, therefore, more likely to place an offer.
The same study found that “27% of buyers were more willing to overlook other property faults when viewing a staged home.” This is because a well-staged home serves as a blank canvas during the viewing stages, and potential buyers can quickly begin to imagine how the property would look if they lived there. For example, they may begin to think about ways in which they’d decorate or enhance each room.
As such, whether your property will be vacant during viewings or if you’re still living there, it’s crucial that you know how to stage the space effectively. For example, you should start by decluttering and deep-cleaning your home. This will also save you a great deal of time when packing for the big move itself.
Add a Fresh Coat of Paint.
Adding a fresh coat of paint to the walls in your home is a simple yet effective way to get your property ready for the market. After all, over time, walls will become marked or discolored, especially if you have children running around! While this will not necessarily be a deal-breaker for viewers, a fresh coat of paint will cover up these issues and make your home appear much more visually pleasing.
If you are unsure of which color to choose, it’s best to opt for a plain, simple color such as white or cream. After all, it is likely that the buyer will decorate the space when they move in.
Know Your Assets.
Knowing which aspects of your property are ‘stand-outs’ can also help when getting your home ready for the market, as you can ensure that they are highlighted in property videos, pictures, and descriptions. For example, given that many adults are now looking to be more eco-friendly, you may want to draw attention to your home’s overall sustainability, especially if you have installed solar panels or similar appliances.
Furthermore, as people are often willing to pay more for homes with access to outdoor space, you should also ensure you include photographs of your garden or outdoor space in your listing. Otherwise, you could miss out on connecting with a potential buyer.
Highlighting your assets can also turn a buyer’s attention away from the areas in your property that need work, which could increase your chances of selling your home quickly and without any stress.
Manage Your Expectations.
While the above guidance will help you put your best foot forward when selling your home, you must also manage your expectations somewhat. It often takes a few months to sell your home, but there are many reasons why the process might take a little longer. For example, a buyer may request that certain renovations be carried out before they sign a contract or simply take their time to make a decision. Alternatively, it may be that the housing market simply isn’t working in your favor.
Managing your expectations relating to the sale of your home will greatly reduce your stress and anxiety during your time, especially when you acknowledge that some factors are beyond your control.
What do you think?