Sell Home Fast

Wow!  Is it any wonder we talk so much about preparing (by cleaning, de-cluttering, and staging) before trying to sell your own home?

HomeGain recently conducted a new survey of top 12 low cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements for people getting their home ready to sell.  Nearly 1,000 REALTORS® responded to the survey.

To sell your own house and sell it fast, you’ll need to take great pictures, inside and out!  You’ll use the photographs in nearly all of your marketing, so take plenty and pick the pictures that showcase your property the best!  Since many houses are discovered and sold over the Internet, you’ll want to post your house pictures on the Web for others to find when they’re house-hunting.

All cameras do fundamentally the same thing, so don’t fret about having to buy an expensive digital camera.  Use can use the digital camera you have but if you need to buy one, get one that you’ll use for years to come, not just to take pictures of your property.

Before you start to take house pictures, hire a maid or clean the house yourself to avoid losing any potential buyers.  I once saw an MLS listing where the entire family room was covered with snack wrappers, and shoes and clothes were strewn all over.  You need to clean up the clutter to succeed with your sell home fast strategy using pictures!  Buyers will not even consider walking thru a house that looks cluttered in pictures.  Remove family pictures and if necessary, move furniture into storage.

So, go ahead and get started.  Study each room carefully to find the best angle for your photographs.  Make sure to let in as much natural light as possible when taking your photos.  If natural sunlight isn’t available, be sure to turn on overhead lights and lamps.  A rule of thumb is to make sure you’re always taking pictures with the light behind you to avoid any glare.

Take pictures of the entire room, not just one corner.  Stand in the doorway and try to get as much of the room in the picture as possible.  We’ve seen someone go as far as getting into a boat to take a beautiful backyard photo of their property.  That may seem like a lot of effort, but those pictures just about sold that property!

Be sure to get close ups of any noteworthy items that will be sold with the house.  For example, if you’ll be leaving a beautiful light fixture behind, get a close-up of it.  If you have a six-burner gas stove, get a close up of that too!  Anything that’s unique, snap a picture of it.

When you are trying to sell your own house, be sure to showcase pictures of the yard.  Buyers want to see that you’ve cared for your house, and it will show from the outside in.  The landscaping doesn’t need to be extensive, just a few simple plantings.  Be sure to weed the beds, trim the bushes and the lawn; that will make for beautiful pictures.  If there’s an area for children to play, be sure to get a few great shots of that too.  Do you have a built-in fire pit or any other unique items on the property?  Get great photos of those items and you’ll be on your way to sell own house fast!

You need to sell your house and you need to sell it FAST.  In today’s market, that’s the goal of nearly every seller.  But there are so many houses on the market, and they seem to be sitting for months.  So what do you do?  How do you get your property to stand out and get it sold FAST?  To be different and successful you need a solid Sell Home Fast plan. 

It’s going to take a little time and some planning, but it’s certainly worth the effort.  I can tell you this from experience!  In one weekend, I had over 100 people walk through my property and I received 3 solid offers!!  So, take the time to stop and think about exactly what you’ll need to do to get it sold FAST. 

First and foremost, the property must look, smell and feel fresh and clean inside and out.  Get rid of any clutter and take down family photos.  Be certain to let in as much sunshine as possible.  That means the curtains should be opened, and the windows should be clean.  O.K., so, now your property looks and smells great.  But, nearly everyone knows those small tricks.  What’s next, how do I get someone to BUY my place? 

This is when you put an exceptional marketing plan to work.  Yes, you must have a fantastic marketing plan in place if you want to get your house sold fast and for the amount you want.  Good marketing works some of the time, but exceptional marketing works all of the time!  We see this nearly everyday.  Most of us buy nearly every gadget we own due to exceptional marketing.  Think of the products you’ve recently purchased.  You heard about them, know about them because of an exceptional marketing campaign.  The companies with the finest marketing get the most products sold. 

The same is true in real estate…great marketing will sell your property!!  Let people know that they need your house, that it’s an amazing property, in high demand, and there’s only ONE of them!  Scarcity drives people crazy; no one wants to miss out on a phenomenal opportunity.  Especially one that brings comfort, joy and an increase in value down the road!  Now, that’s a marketing plan that cannot fail!