Quicker Sales in Difficult Markets
While Calgary is in a buyer’s market at the moment, some sellers can still manage to sell their home faster than others, provided they follow specific strategies. The art of speeding a sale can be done in a variety of ways:
In the era of MLS® browsing, it’s imperative for a home to catch a buyer’s eye. A recent post from Ruby Home shares how a home’s exterior can result in a faster home sale:
Curb Appeal
You want your house to look great, attract qualified buyers and beat the competition. The process doesn’t have to be a difficult or expensive (barring major repairs).
Today’s home shopper will first see your house online or by perusing neighborhoods they like, noticing the “For Sale” sign in your yard. In both cases, first impressions matter. For the drive-by home shopper, if your yard looks a little worse for wear, they’ll likely keep on driving without giving your house a chance.
Weed and feed your front lawn and repair bare patches. Prune all of your shrubs and plants in your flower beds, pull those stubborn weeds and cover the dirt with fresh bark. You’ll be amazed how just a little bark can make your yard “pop.” Trim back any tree branches that block your windows. A groomed yard that looks tight will impress. Via rubyhome.com
It’s not just aesthetically pleasing, either. A clean exterior means that buyers won’t have to put as much effort into landscaping after purchasing, giving them more ease of mind.
Next is staging your home. A new post from Bigger Pockets explains why a staged home will sell faster compared to others:
A staged home will sell faster
According to UpNest.com, 90% of buyers use the internet for their home search and for this reason a well-staged home with images and video tours will generate more buyer interest. A staged house means arranging your furniture in the best way to showcase your floor plan and make use of the space.
This will also speed up the sale of your property. The Real Estate Staging Association found that homes staged before listing sit on the market for an average of 23 days and sell 87% faster than homes staged post listing. h/t biggerpockets.com
Appearance is a big deal for most home buyers. While it’s certainly possible to stage your home yourself, a REALTOR®, if you have one, is able to add a professional touch.
Lastly, home renovations. This is an obvious one on the surface, but what some enthusiastic sellers don’t know is that too many renovations can hurt a sale:
Make Minor Repairs
In some seller’s markets, you can sell a home in lived-in condition without much complaint.
But in normal markets or a buyer’s market, repairs can make or break your sale.
Replace cracked floor or counter tiles and patch any holes in the walls. Fix leaky faucets and doors that don’t close properly, as well as kitchen drawers that jam.
Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if they’re currently hot pink or purple. Don’t give buyers any reason to remember your home as “the one with the orange bathroom.”
Replace burned-out light bulbs and consider replacing those that have been in service for a while as well. Avoid the potential of having them give up the ghost and blink out at an inopportune time, like when you flip the light switch to show someone the room. It’s not the end of the world but it’s all about psychology. read more at thebalance.com
Repairing a broken counter is a lot more practical than redesigning the kitchen, as the buyer may choose to do that anyway. Keep in mind the extent that repairs can help.