How to Sell Your Home FAST!

In this market, pricing the home correctly is the number one thing to do to get your home sold as fast as possible. Don't forget that you're competing with every foreclosure and short sale out there and the price your neighbor sold for 6 months ago just isn't the price you'll get now.

Before you put your house on the market, there are five tips I can give you for selling the home quickly.

1. The pre-market appraisal: Nothing is more frustrating to a Seller than getting a contract to purchase their home, going through inspection and possible repairs and then finding out that the home did not appraise for the purchase price. And since our Purchase Agreement Contract here in Tucson (and most everywhere else) contains a contingency that says the Buyers can walk away from the purchase if the home doesn't appraise at purchase price, this is truly a critical piece to examine early on to avoid any last minute gliches. Find a good appraiser and tell him or her that you're putting your home on the market and want to make sure it will appraise for the purchase price. These people really know what they're doing and it's well worth the $300 average cost. It doesn't mean that you need to start out with a price the same as the appraisal since you may want a little bit of wiggle room when the house first goes on the market. But let me be clear. I said a little bit of wiggle room and by this I mean no more than 2 - 4%. The pre-market appraisal will save a significant amount of heartache in having to re-negotiate a price or even put your house back on the market if the property fails to appraise at purchase price.
2. The pre-market inspection: Lots of Sellers make the mistake in thinking that the "little problems" that plague every resale home won't make a big difference to someone purchasing the home. They sometimes think that these things didn't really bother them the whole time they lived in the home so why would they bother a Buyer. In a Seller's market, this thinking is ok, but in a shifting market like we're seeing here in Tucson, it's important that a home be in excellent repair prior to placing it on the market. Buyers have thousands of homes to choose from and tend to want the homes that appear to be well maintained and in perfect move in condition. The pre-market inspection will identify all the little nitty things that may not be working properly in the home. It will also identify any safety issues like a lack of GFCI circuits near sinks and tubs or leaky faucets or outlets that don't work. My advice is to find a good handyman and give them the inspection report. Most of the time the cost to repair these items is no more than a day of your handyman's time. It's well worth it.
3. De-personalize your house: Buyers want to be able to imagine themselves living in their new home and may get caught up in looking at family photos or awards or other items that personalize a home. This doesn't mean you have to take the personality out of the house .... just take the person out of the house, and it will sell more quickly. Remove all photos and any items that put your signature on your home.
4. Clear out clutter: I can't count the number of times I've shown a home to a prospective Buyer that appeared 500 sq. ft. smaller due to all the clutter. Clutter just doesn't mean papers and knicknacks and toys and stacks of magazines. When I talk clutter, I'm also referring to the numerous appliances we all tend to keep on our kitchen counters, the excess pots and pans we keep in our cabinets, the walls filled with too many pictures and the rooms that have too much furniture. Take the time to go through your home room by room. De-clutter it once and then again and again until Buyer's can appreciate the size of the rooms and the extra cabinet space. Buyers will open all your kitchen drawers and cabinets and pantry. Get rid of the cans of soup you've been keeping for the last 3 years and the almost empty household cleaners under the sink. Box up everything you don't need and store it neatly in the garage. Take those shoes you haven't worn since your niece's wedding and give them to Good Will. Your home will show better and that's what it's all about.
5. Work on the Curb appeal: The last thing you want is for prospective Buyers to drive up to your home and make a quick u-turn without coming inside. Take an objective look at the front view of your home. Are there oil stains all over the driveway? Does your front entry way look welcoming and inviting? Are there dead plants in the landscaping? Spend a day ensuring that Buyers don't do a u-turn by cleaning up the front landscaping and adding some colorful flowers to the front entry way. Spiff up the front door and make sure the door handle looks new and shiny and that the door opens easily with the key. Buyers usually spent a good minute standing at the front door while their agent gets the key out of the keysafe and opens the door. A little work will make sure that their first impression is a good one.