Selling a home during the vibrant and competitive summer real estate market can be exciting and challenging. With the rising temperatures, a limited time before schools reopen, and increasing need for potential buyers to explore new properties, homeowners have a better chance to capitalize on the season’s momentum and sell their homes quickly.
According to Bankrate, summer and spring are the best seasons to sell. Have you been wondering how to ‘ sell my home fast?’ Don’t fret, we have curated a list of strategies and tips to help you sell your home fast this summer. These tips will position your property to stand out, attract potential buyers, and ensure a successful sale.
Decluttering
Decluttering and cleaning your home is necessary to sell faster and at a reasonable price. According to the NSRs 2021 profile of home staging, 42% of real estate agents advised buyers to declutter their homes before listing. Showcasing a cluttered home can imply a messy, overly personalized, smaller house. Below are tips for cleaning and decluttering your home to make it more appealing for a fast summer sale.
Declutter Hallways
As the entrance to your house, the hallway is the most important when you want to create a lasting first impression on a potential buyer and sell your home fast. Considering they are generally narrow, cluttering can make the hallway appear much smaller.
Remove winter coats, mittens, and boots from the hallway and put them in boxes. Clear pet items, including dog leashes and toys, and recycle old paperwork. You can invest in a good shoe organizer to make the hallway neater and more appealing.
Decluttering and Depersonalizing The Living Room
Your living room should appear roomy and inviting for potential buyers to visualize themselves relaxing in it. Start by removing excess furniture and donating to charity or selling it. Remove oversized furniture from a small living room, and consider investing in floating shelves for small decor pieces. Depersonalize the living room by removing family photographs and storing them in memory boxes. Rearrange it to ensure it appears complete.
Decluttering The Kitchen
Ensure the kitchen is clutter-free to create a good impression if you want to sell your home fast. Remove items you no longer need, including old cookbooks, wooden cookware, Tupperware, cleaning supplies, and spices. Clear the countertops to make them appear spacious and organized. Put appliances you rarely use inside the cupboard and eliminate duplicates by donating to family, friends, or charity.
Decluttering The Bedrooms
A potential buyer will want to look into your bedroom to see how much space you have. Remove excess clothes from your closet and drawers and donate them to charity stores for resale. Check under the bed for old ugly storage boxes and replace them with more appealing ones.
Remember the kids’ bedrooms when decluttering. Remove toys your kids have outgrown and donate them to children’s homes. Invest in stylish storage baskets for toys, and in case you still want to retain sentimental toys for your kids, stash them in nice storage boxes and put them in the garage.
Decluttering The Bathroom
The bathroom is a high priority for most home buyers. Therefore, it should appear fresh, easy to clean and relaxing. Clear the counters of toiletries, bathroom supplies and personal hygiene effects.
Remove items that may imply ongoing maintenance work, including waste paper baskets, sponges, bath mats and cleaning products. Organize bathroom cabinets and remove extra toilet rolls or items you do not use. Remove old, worn-out towels and consider having a pack of luxurious towels for display.
Cleaning
A dirty house can turn off prospective buyers. Deep clean using the top-to-bottom rule. Remove dust from walls, ceilings and fixtures, and vacuum each room. Clean kitchen counters and remove dust from the drawers. Wipe outside and inside of the oven, dishwasher, and refrigerators. Check that the kitchen sink drains well and consider professional plumbing services for grease trap pumping and fixing any blocking issues.
Clean window blinds to ensure adequate natural light, mop tiled floors, wash the carpets and polish wooden floors. Scrub the bathroom, wipe and disinfect countertops and clean the bathtubs and sinks. Sweep the bottom of the basement and remove old storage boxes. Clean the fireplace by chimney sweeping, scrubbing debris, and removing soot.
Repairing and Updating
Buyers prefer homes that require little to no repairs. According to 2022 National Realtors Association (NAR) research, most home buyers want to avoid renovations. Contact a reputable real estate company to perform a pre-sale inspection and identify potential problems that may scare buyers away. Here are the tips for repairing and updating to sell your home fast.
Bathroom Renovation
Your bathroom is a crucial selling point that determines the value of a home. According to the Washington Post, bathroom remodels have the highest return on investment (ROI). Replace chipped or cracked floor and wall tiles and remove mildew from grout. Fix dripping faucets and leaking plumbing, and contact professional water restoration company or drain cleaning services in case of blocked pipes.
You may need a complete bathroom remodeling if there is apparent damage, outdated decor, and color palette, poor lighting, broken mirrors, or insufficient storage spaces. Contact a reputable design build firm to do it if you need more time.
Kitchen Updating
An adequately renovated kitchen can catch a potential buyer’s attention and help sell your home fast in the summer. Research by Homelight suggests that kitchen remodels are some of the most popular home improvement projects before selling. Consider a few updates, including applying fresh paint on walls, fixing loose hinges, replacing broken handles on cabinets, and repairing stuck drawers.
Consider a complete kitchen overhaul if the floor is old or damaged and when cabinets are worn out or damaged by mold. Change the kitchen cabinet design if you want to change the layout to make it more spacious and functional. Contacting a design build firm may be your best option unless you are skilled.
Electricity And Safety Updates
Although it’s often overlooked, the safety of your home electrical system is crucial when preparing for a summer sale. Ensure its compliance with your area’s local and national building codes. Get a certified electrical installation expert familiar with the local and national regulations to check all electrical installations and ensure compliance with federal safety regulations.
General Interior Updates
Examine the condition of your home interior before the pre-sale inspection. Check the walls, floors, ceilings, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), water heaters, and air dryers. Repair holes and minor dents on the walls and cover them with paint to refresh them.
Check the floors for cracked or chipped tiles and dented hardwood and replace them. It may be costly to make significant floor repairs, so do it if necessary. Replace old and torn carpets with new ones or deep clean the existing ones. Ensure your HVAC system, smoke detectors, water heaters, and air dryers work well.
Updating Your Home Exterior
Updating your home exterior can give it a facelift, attract potential buyers and increase its value. Most home shoppers would prefer a modern looking home with an appealing exterior. If your home is older, consider investing in features that attract home buyers in your area. Here are the main areas to consider for the highest payoffs.
- The Exterior Door:
Ensure the front door is inviting without broken handles or worn-out weatherstrip. You can repair these issues and save the cost of hiring a professional. Ensure that sliding doors are correctly aligned on the tracks and that the door leading to the garage is code compliant and fire-rated
- The Roof:
Ensure the roof is in good shape without missing tiles, ridge caps, or shingles. Repair any cracks and bubbles on the sealant and inspect the eaves and fascia for water damage. Contact a professional if you notice any damage.
- Foundation & Drainage:
Ensure the drainage slopes away from the foundation, no water collects when it rains, and the stem walls are structurally fit. A professional contractor can give their opinion and recommend suitable repairs
- The Garage Door:
Ensure the garage door works and meets local codes and safety standards. Consider replacing it if damaged or has a faulty mechanism
- Fence & Gate:
If your home has a wooden fence, ensure it’s not rotten, and the paint is intact. The gates should open and close smoothly. You can repaint them if they look dull or chipped
- Deck & Patio:
The deck and patio should be structurally sound, code compliant, and shouldn’t have water or termite damage. Consider applying a polyurethane coat to prevent future water damage.
Boosting Curb Appeal
Curb appeal creates the first impression to a potential buyer, determines whether they’d want to look inside, and influences the sale value. Statistics from the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics indicate that curb appeal may account for up to 7% of a home’s sale value. If your curb appears dingy, use the following tips to sell your home fast in the summer.
Painting
Painting your house can give it a new refreshing look when the paint is faded or chipped. Paint the front doors, garage doors and windows using neutral colors. You can do it yourself and save the cost of hiring a professional painter.
Refreshing Landscape
Mow the lawns, weed flower beds, and plant flowers. Consider planting new trees or establishing a new garden. Add a few pre-potted plants on the front porch and driveway to spice things up. Ensure the yard is well watered, or invest in artificial grass if the existing is dry and you don’t have time.
Pressure Washing The Driveway
A Cracked, dirty and weedy driveway can scare away a potential buyer. Suppose you want to sell your home fast in the summer, seal cracks, and spray weed killer to remove weeds. Consider pressure washing the driveway to remove debris, leaves, and stains.
Fix Exterior Lighting
Ensure exterior lights are dust and cobweb free and working. To spice up the design, you can match the porch lighting fixtures with the front door hardware. Install solar-powered lighting or lanterns on the driveway to make your home stand out.
Arrange Outdoor Furniture
Remove excess outdoor furniture and donate to charity. Ensure it’s clean and in good condition. You can invest in budget-friendly furniture if the existing one is old or outdated. Arrange the furniture symmetrically to match your outdoor design and boost the exterior appeal.
Update The Mailbox And Old House Numbers
Swap your old mailbox with a new one that meets your area’s regulations. Replace old, broken or faded house numbers with new DIY or custom-made plates. Try matching them with the door hardware and light fixtures to boost appeal.
Set The Right Price
Setting the correct price is crucial in selling your home fast. Estimate the value and consider the cost of renovation and updates. Research the price of similar properties in the area or seek advice from a reputable real estate agent. Avoid overpricing and be flexible to adjust the price. Avoid sentimental feelings and offer your home a competitive, fair and realistic price.
Make An Online Listing
Listing your home online can attract many potential buyers. According to the NARs profile of 2022 home buyers, 49% of buyers use the Internet to search for homes. Hire a professional photographer to take quality photos highlighting your home’s features. Post these photos on real estate websites like Trulia, Zillow, and LoopNet. You can use the for-sale-by-owner option if you are confident of your marketing and negotiation skills or sell with a real estate agent.
Work With The Right Real Estate Agent
Finding the right real estate agent is crucial when you want to sell your home fast in the summer. According to 2022 research by the National Association of Realtors, 87 % of home buyers purchased their homes through a real estate agent.
Look for an agent with local market knowledge or get referrals from trusted sources. Interview a few agents before deciding to know their selling strategies, marketing and negotiation skills, and relevant specialties and certifications.
Summer is one of the best times to sell your home fast due to the increased demand by home buyers from the sweltering heat and limited time. Homeowners should make the most of this period by preparing their homes. Declutter, clean, and make necessary updates and renovations. Paint your exterior and refresh the landscape, fix lighting, and clean the driveway to boost curb appeal.
It’s essential to set a competitive price while considering the renovation cost. Choose an effective marketing strategy that works. If you are confident of your marketing and negotiation skills, choose for sale by owner option. Otherwise, work with a reputable real estate agent with a deep knowledge of the local market, effective selling strategy, and the necessary specializations and licensing.
