How to sell your home in 48 hours
Posted on: Thursday, February 25, 2016
There are many reasons that you might find yourself needing to sell up and move fast. Maybe you’ve already bought your next property, or you need to release the equity for financial purposes. Perhaps you need to move quickly for personal reasons or you’re starting a new job in a few weeks and need to get organised.
So how do you sell property quickly and can you really sell your home in 48 hours? There’s no sure formula that will definitely sell your home within a couple of days, but the following tips will help make your home more appealing so you can find that buyer sooner rather than later.
Price
Make sure your property is reasonably priced and go for the valuation that seems most realistic. When you invite estate agents round for valuations, tell them you want to sell quickly so they can value your property accordingly. And ask them to explain their valuation so you can carefully consider which one you're most confident in. But be careful of under-valuing your property – this could make buyers question what’s wrong with it and actually put them off.
Research your estate agents
Don’t just choose your estate agent based solely on the valuations. Do some research and find out if they have a strong track-record of selling homes like yours. Pay them a visit too, and speak to them about how they can market your home effectively. This way, you can be confident that they’ll do everything in their power to sell your home fast.
Get talking to your solicitor now
By getting the ball rolling with the solicitors now, they can start making preparations so you’re ready to complete quickly once your property has sold. Remember, you can’t hand over a property until all the legal issues are sorted, so make this a priority.
Hand the notice to tenants
If you have tenants, hand them the notice so they can make preparations to leave. If you’re struggling to sell with your tenants still occupying the property, consider taking it off the market until it’s empty. Then you can then give the property a quick once over and repair any damage, making it much more appealing to a wide range of buyers including families, single professionals and investors.
Start packing before you’ve sold
By starting the packing process in advance, your property will look less cluttered and personalised, making it more attractive to buyers. Plus, you’ll be in a good position to move quickly once you’ve sold.
Make your house look appealing from the outside
Kerb appeal really is important. In fact, according to Barclays Mortgages, the majority of house-hunters take just 10 seconds to decide whether they like a property from the outside. So make it look as attractive as possible by painting the front door, trimming any trees or bushes, power-washing the driveway, and investing in a couple of pretty plants to stand by the front door.
Make sure the photos are beautiful
It’s essential that you get people through the door for viewings, so have professional photos taken. These will make your property look enticing on your estate agents’ website, the national portals and social media so it catches peoples’ eye.
Be available
Make sure the property is free for viewings throughout the day. Handing the viewing responsibility over to your estate agent means it’s all taken care of while you’re away from the house. Sometimes, this might be inconvenient, especially if you have children, but it will really help your house to get snapped up quickly.
Get your pets looked after
According to AOL, 53% of people are put off houses because of bad smells, and pets can be one of the strongest odour creators. Consider booking them into kennels, catteries or boarding services so they are away from the house for a couple of weeks, or ask friends and family to look after them. If this isn’t possible, try and take them with you during scheduled viewings so they are out of the house. Alternatively, hide away all beds and blankets they have been sleeping on and give your home a huge deep clean to help eliminate the smell.
Move your car
If you have a parking space, make sure it’s empty during viewings so it’s easy for your buyers to park. This will help make the viewing experience a positive one and give buyers a welcoming first impression of your home. If the parking is for residents only, contact the council and ask if they are able to send you some visitors’ permits. You can give these to your estate agent who can hand them to your buyers during viewings.