1. Hire a Top Listing Agent

The quickest way to sell your house and still make a sweet profit is to work with a real estate agent—one who’s at the top of the industry and has a long history of selling homes like hotcakes.

Gimmicky ways to sell your house (like FSBO and iBuyers) can get the job done fast—but they come at a price. Literally.

Working with a high-caliber real estate agent will put more money in your pocket and sell your house fast because they know how to:

• Price your home right
• Stage your home for buyers
• Help you pick the right offer
• Negotiate the best deal

Remember, an experienced real estate agent has been through the home-selling process lots of times already. They’ll guide you and help you avoid mistakes so you don’t waste any time selling your home. Don’t underestimate the value of teaming up with a pro!

2. Declutter and Deep Clean

Dawn admits decluttering isn’t rocket science—but it is the key to creating a pleasing environment. Pay particular attention to common junk magnets, like:

• Kitchen and bathroom counters
• Fireplace mantels
• Laundry room shelves
• Tabletops
• Magazine racks

This is a good time to trim down your closet too. “If your closet is crowded, I’m going to think my stuff won’t fit,” Dawn says. Wow buyers by showing them how much space there is for stuff—not the other way around.

Once all the clutter’s out of the way, take a step back and look at the big picture. Think like a buyer—does this space look welcoming, open and (most importantly) clean?

Cleaning your home for home showings is common sense. But don’t underestimate just how clean it needs to be. Get down to the nitty-gritty, from ceiling fans and window blinds to baseboards and tile grout. No surface goes unscrubbed!

Don’t forget to get your windows squeaky clean. “There needs to be as much light coming in as possible,” Dawn recommends.

3. Get Ahead of the Game

In the spirit of selling your home fast, take care of things now that will be a problem in the closing process. Talk to your agent about fixes you’ll need to make to pass the home inspection, like:

• Plumbing problems
• Roof damage
• Electrical issues
• HVAC glitches

These are issues you’ll be expected to take care of before any buyers close on your house—you might as well get ahead of the game to help your home sell faster.

Your agent can also help you decide on any small updates or projects that will add value in the eye of the buyer. Don’t do anything major. But simple updates can make a world of difference, like:

• A fresh coat of paint
• Clean or new carpeting
• Polished or buffed hardwood floors
• New kitchen hardware

Don’t forget about the curb appeal too. If the first thing buyers see (both in person and in pictures) is the front of the house, make it shine. Spend some time on the garage doors, front door and landscaping.

You might have to spend a little money on these updates and fixes. But the value they’ll add to your house sale more than makes up for any of their costs. Plus, if you take care of them now, you don’t have to deal with them slowing down the sale later.

4. Stage Your Home

To make the best first impression—and get lots of interest from buyers—go beyond cleaning and decluttering and stage your home to sell.

Home staging is an art designed to show off your home in its best light. Using your furniture in a new way, swapping old or past-their-prime pieces, or sprucing up the outdoor space will help buyers focus on your home’s features rather than its flaws.

Start by putting bulky pieces in storage and moving furniture away from the walls. “Oftentimes, the room is arranged so the children can play in the middle of the room or the TV can be seen easily from every chair and sofa,” Dawn says.

An experienced agent can look at your home with a fresh eye and help you reimagine your space. “Go to different rooms and see if there are pieces that you can repurpose for the living room to get the effect you want,” Dawn suggests.

Buyers want to walk in and see an open space that inspires conversation and feels livable. A place that invites them to sit and stay awhile.

An easy staging trick is simply setting the dining room table. Bust out the good flatware and china, put some flowers in a vase, and add a seasonal flair.

“If I see that a family can live here, I will think my family can live here too,” Dawn explains.

Staging paints a picture for potential buyers so they can envision life in your home. You can find more staging tips and advice in our free Home Sellers Guide.

5. Price to Sell

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it a thousand more times: Price your house to sell. Even the price is part of the buyer’s perception, and your real estate agent will help with this too.

Setting a realistic and competitive asking price is one of the best ways to sell your house fast.

Overpricing your home will just scare buyers away, leading to more time on the market. You might end up lowering the price during negotiation anyway—overpricing will just add steps to the process.

An experienced real estate agent will know how to toe the line between making you a good profit on the sale and pricing low enough to drum up buyer interest. They understand the local market and how to plan out pricing.

They’ll also help you set a timeline for lowering the price to make sure selling doesn’t take too long, as well as figuring out ways you can “sweeten the deal.”

If you know the market will be slow, sweetening the deal means offering things like paying a percentage of the buyer’s closing costs or including certain appliances in the home sale. The idea is to increase the potential value of your home and motivate buyers to make a move.

Again, pricing your home right is a fine line that only experts really know how to balance.

 

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Ramsey Solutions has been committed to helping people regain control of their money, build wealth, grow their leadership skills, and enhance their lives through personal development since 1992. Millions of people have used our financial advice through 22 books (including 12 national bestsellers) published by Ramsey Press, as well as two syndicated radio shows and 10 podcasts, which have over 17 million weekly listeners.