There are hundreds of home selling tips that individuals swear by. Everything from days of the week to add your listing to the best flowers to add curb appeal are available to sellers who are desperate to sell their home. While there may be a lot of tips, the most successful method to sell your home is to hire a real estate agent who will help you stage, photograph, market and sell your home. While this process works for most home sellers, it isn’t foolproof. Despite having the best photographs and the most appealing blurb, a home can sit on the market for an exceptionally long time, which can bring down buyer interest and the final sales price. If this is happening to you as a seller, it may be time to utilize a few old-fashioned but effective home selling tips.
Make Your Home Smell Great
The largest part of selling your home is creating a visually appealing space for buyers. But a truly welcoming home selling atmosphere is appealing to not just one sense but at least two. So while you may have appealed to the sense of sight, you are probably missing a few important senses. The sense of smell is just as if not the strongest of all the senses. Scents can either connect or disconnect buyers to a house. To create a home that appeals to the buyer’s sense of smell you should first remove unpleasant odors.
The most common unpleasant odors are musty and mildew scents as well as animal and leftover cooking odors. Keep mildew smells away by placing odor absorbing packets in the laundry room, bathroom, and basement where musty smells occur most often. You can remove animal odors by steam cleaning your carpets and furniture as well as removing items that contain strong pet smells like the cat’s litter box and your dog’s bed. Leftover cooking smells occur most often with seafood and foods that contain grease. These types of odors can linger for a very long time so refrain from cooking them when you are selling. If you must cook high odor foods, use your stove’s range hood, open windows, and immediately clean your cookware.
After odors are removed from your home you can create an appealing home scent that buyers will love. Common scents that evoke feelings of warmth are fresh baked cookies, vanilla, fresh laundry, and coconut oil. These can all be infused into the air through candles or wax warmers. Place these strategically around the house with one upstairs and one to two downstairs depending upon the size of your home. When you choose a scent, stick with it. Opposing scents such as lavender and cinnamon will only interfere with each other. Finally, don’t overdo it on the smells. Overpowering scents will turn off buyers rather than appeal to them.
Sell in Spring or Summer
When is the best time to sell your home? The spring, the summer, the winter? According to top real estate agents, spring is the best time to sell a home. Overall, the months of March, April, and May with close to 60% of agents saying that March is the best time to sell if you want a quick home sale. However, more homes sell in the summer with prices increasing between 5-15% on average. Of course the months when buyers are searching for their perfect home can vary from region to region so you should discuss the best selling times with a local real estate agent.
Spruce Up Your Backyard
While you may think that you only need to update the interior of your home, to sell quickly and at a great price you should update your backyard. For starters your backyard should be clean and well manicured with a healthy lawn and dedicated landscaped areas. Aside from basic backyard lawn care, you can add one or several backyard items that will increase your home’s marketability and resale value. Homebuyers are always impressed with a well built backporch constructed of either wood, brick, or concrete. They are also happy to have a shade structure such as a pergola, umbrella or gazebo. Additional structures that buyers are interested in include fire pits or outdoor fireplaces and outdoor kitchens. These structures can vary in size, material, and cost however even the most basic of these additions can increase your sale value. A fire pit will increase your home’s value by $1,394 while a new paito can add close to $5,000 in resale value. When considering what types of outdoor structures to add to your backyard, choose ones that add the most value and will provide a comfortable inviting atmosphere.
Consider a Rent-To-Own Offer
Rent-to-own offers can benefit buyers just as much as they can sellers. Sellers who are trying to cast a wide net to find as many possible buyers as they can, benefit from a rent-to-own agreement. Buyers who are unable to obtain financing but want to purchase a home can also find assistance with a rent-to-own offer. A rent-to-own offer will consist of you the seller drawing up an agreement with the future renters that includes the purchase price of the property and a term for the lease. At the end of the lease the buyers will have the option to purchase the property. In general, a down payment will be made on the property as a good faith intent to purchase the property at the end of the lease. Sellers should be aware that renters could leave at the end of their lease without purchasing the property. At this point you could hold the down payment and the extra money that was put toward the purchase of the home.
Sell Your Home Furnished
A furnished home sale can be beneficial to buyers who are moving from a long-distance and do not want to transport their belongings. It could also assist a seller who is downsizing or has no interest in moving their furniture. However, selling your house furnished does not mean you can just leave all of your furniture behind for the incoming buyer to deal with. Selling a home furnished requires an itemized list of furniture that will be left behind. These pieces will need to be staged properly as well. Fully furnished homes are often sold in areas where buyers are searching for second homes but do not want to take the time to furnish another home.
Advertise the Old-School Way
Digital marketing has taken over the home buying and selling process. However, that does not mean print media is entirely dead. You can advertise your home in print media such as the newspaper, local flyer, and magazine ads. Advertising in the newspaper allows you to reach an additional population of buyers that on average have a net worth that is 30% higher than total affluents. Neighborhood papers are more affordable listing avenues that national papers. Your listing should be simple, bold, and clearly memorable to readers.
Find Local Investors
If you are searching for a fast and guaranteed sale, investment companies that purchase homes may be a good option for you. These companies often pay cash for properties and are willing to purchase them in “as-is” condition. Be cautious with these companies as they are known for purchasing properties well below market value. To ensure that you get the best price for your home, talk to a real estate agent and fully research the company.
Invest in a Virtual Reality Tour
Yes, virtual reality is a newer concept in real estate that can be costly. However, the additional cost may be good if you are trying to show your home to as many buyers as possible. Virtual staging costs can range from $300 to $700. Busy executives or those with a fast-paced lifestyle or those that live overseas may prefer a virtual showing so that they do not need to miss work to see a property. Consider virtual staging if your home fits the mold of one that has interest for these individuals.
Selling your home can be a long process that requires extra work and a bit of creativity to find a buyer. Alternative methods of selling will help your home stand out to more buyers and increase your chances of a quick sale with a higher sales price. To ensure that you are reaching as many buyers as possible speak to your real estate agent about selling options.
