How to Sell Your House Fast

You made the decision to sell your house, and you need to do it quickly. Maybe you accepted a job in another city and you need to move. Perhaps you need to sell your house in order to settle a divorce proceeding. There are a lot of reasons why you might need to sell your house quickly. Follow these instructions and your house will be sold faster than you ever thought possible.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paint
• Carpet

1. Apply some “lipstick” to your house. Give your house a cosmetic makeover to make it more attractive to buyers. Put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and replace any worn carpet. Plant some brightly colored flowers near the front door to make your home more welcoming.

2. Stage your home. You can do this yourself or hire a professional. Either way, the goal is for your home to be clutter-free and depersonalized. Try to make it look as generic as a hotel room or a model home. Put away the family photos, no matter how adorable your children are. Buyers need to be able to picture their own furniture and other belongings in your home. If it looks like someone else’s house, then they will have a difficult time picturing themselves living there.

3. Lower the price. If you need to sell your house fast, then lowering the asking price will definitely help to speed things along. If you will not be able to sell the home at a high enough price to cover what you still owe on it, then consider doing a short sale. A short sale happens when the mortgage lender agrees to accept the lower price as payment in full for the outstanding mortgage debt, and they agree to write off the shortfall. A short sale will cause a nasty ding mark on your credit score, but if you need to sell your house fast this may be your best option.

4. Offer the buyer an incentive. Get creative and include something with the sale of the house that a potential buyer would want. Offer them a gift certificate that can be used for new appliances or furniture. Offer them a cruise vacation for two. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

5. Advertise your house in as many places as possible. Do not rely on your real estate agent to sell your house for you. If you are serious about wanting to sell your house fast, then be prepared to do some of the work yourself to market your home. There are hundreds of websites where you can list your home for sale and post some pictures. Having your real estate agent list your house on the Multiple Listing Service and waiting for the buyers to ring your doorbell is not enough. Be aggressive about selling your home.

Resources

• ABC's of Real Estate: Home Selling