Selling your home quickly and for the best price can be difficult in a buyer’s market. Follow these tips to give yourself the best possible chance of achieving a good deal.
Sellers come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common - they want the best possible price for their home, in the shortest possible time. This of course doesn’t mean that all sellers are totally unrealistic as to what their home is worth, but it does mean that they will fight in order to get their price.
Fortunately, there are ways to ensure that a property not only sells quickly but that the seller also walks away satisfied that they have gotten a good deal.
Here are 11 tips to help you sell your home quickly:
1. Get your house in order (literally) before putting it on the market. This is a no-brainer and yet it’s surprising just how many sellers believe that buyers won’t notice defects and that even if they do, will still be willing to pay top dollar for the property.
2. Source at least three valuations from local agents in order to get some idea of what the property is realistically worth. Ask for a comparative marketing analysis to see what has recently sold in the area, and at what price.
3. Find the right agent. Work with someone with whom you are comfortable and who has a proven track record in the area in which you live. Make sure the agent is registered and is in possession of a valid Fidelity Fund certificate.
4. Consider signing a sole mandate. Agents who have a vested interest in a property will often work harder to ensure the property is sold. A sole mandate is prized in the real estate industry and agents should have a clear idea as to how they intend marketing the home. Ask to see a detailed marketing plan before signing the agreement.
5. Take your chosen agent’s advice and price the home according to their valuation. Agents have a sound knowledge of what sells, and at what price. Overpriced homes generally take longer to sell and the bad news is when they finally DO sell, it’s often for less than the price originally recommended by the agent.
6. Decide what is and what isn’t included in the sale. If you plan on removing any fixtures ensure that your agent is aware of this and that these are included in the listing and offer to purchase agreement.
7. Don’t only rely on your agent to get the message out that you are selling. Send the listing to friends and family, and post it on your local WhatsApp and Facebook groups. Some sellers even go as far as making YouTube videos of their homes.
8. Keep the house clean and tidy while it is on the market and make yourself as available to buyers as possible. While it may be disruptive having people viewing your home at inconvenient times, remember that these visits could well lead to a sale.
9. Don’t do a disappearing act. If you are going on holiday, inform the agent that you won’t be home. Better still, employ a house sitter in order to allow the viewing process to continue while you’re not at home.
10. Choose the best offer on your house. Don’t assume that the buyer offering the highest price is offering the best deal. Cash will always be king, even if the offer is lower than those that come with suspensive conditions such as the buyer selling his own property first. Remember that suspensive conditions mean that the home will be taken off the market until those conditions have been met and this can prove disastrous if the sale falls through. If you want to sell quickly and a cash buyer isn’t an option, it’s often safer to go with a buyer who has already sold his existing property, or a first-time buyer.
11. Get the right conveyancer on board. It’s a good idea to chat to your agent and ask for recommendations. Agents only receive their commission once a property has been transferred into the new owner’s name and so will usually recommend someone with whom they have worked before and who gets results quickly.
