6 tips to help you sell your home faster

When selling your house under a tight deadline, you might want to make some small adjustments to ensure prospective buyers come knocking at your door.

In this article, we give you 6 tips that could help reduce the time it takes to sell your property.

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1. Price it right

Your price point impacts the number of willing buyers and hence the speed at which your property may sell.

Pricing your home can also influence the level of demand, with higher demand generally resulting in higher sale prices, and potentially a bidding war.

Do your research on the local area and neighbouring suburbs to find out what price is best suited for you. A property appraisal will give you a price estimate for your property in addition to local real estate information.

Research homes in your area that have similar features and compare prices. See how long a property is on the market for and question why the selling process moved so quickly. Was it the price or something more?

2. Take high quality photographs for promotion

Buyers are visually motivated when it comes to making purchases so high quality photos are always helpful. Speak to your real estate agent and ask what images can be used to capture the quality of your home for your property listing.

Remember to remove your family photos and personal items and ask your agent what works best. You may also need to stage your home for potential buyers so that they can picture themselves living there.

If you want to add a modern flair and showcase your house with its surroundings, you could even use a drone to capture some images and videos.

Consider promoting your home outside of your real estate agent – your social media account could come in handy as a form of advertisement.

3. Present your home well

General tidiness and space

Always be ready for anyone to come through the doors and inspect your home. It could be a good idea to declutter and throw away anything that you don’t need anymore, and keep your personal belongings in storage until the inspections are over.

Home buyers want to see how much space your house can hold. By seeing empty wardrobes and cupboards, it creates the visual illusion that there is plenty of space. Add extra touches by changing the linens and curtains or by adding vases of flowers and a refreshing scent.

Absence of pets

Even though the majority of Australians own pets, not many home buyers want to see the presence of an animal. You don’t want to scare them away if they happen to stumble across pet hair, stains and odours around the house.

Leave your pet with a loved one or in pet boarding for the time being and make sure you eliminate any damage your pet may have already caused. Quick fixes like this don’t cost much and can save you more later down the track.

Lighting

When a home buyer is inspecting your home, they want to see how bright it can be. Natural lighting is always a bonus, but perhaps you could change your light bulbs to a higher wattage. It will make each room feel bigger and brighter.

4. Consider curb appeal

Now that the interior of your home is looking clean and smelling great, you should also consider the exterior. This means not just your driveway and mailbox but even your street. Consider the curb appeal factor and try to imagine what you would want to see when you drive up to your future home.

Make sure your front garden and lawn is well maintained, and even hose down the walls and garage if needed. It might not seem like much, but these small details can really interest home buyers, and show them just how much you care about the house and selling it.

5. Think like a buyer

What factors would be important to you if you were inspecting homes? Would it be a well-looked after backyard? Good carpets? Working air conditioning system?

What every home buyer wants is different, but at the end of the day, putting yourself in the buyer's shoes can help give your home the best chance of selling quickly.

6. Make small upgrades

There are plenty of changes you can make to improve your home for buyers that are easy on the hip pocket.

Home buyers might want a home that is in perfect condition with no need for repairs, but in reality, homes can do with a little help here and there. Here are some improvements that can boost your home's appeal:

• Fix all broken appliances and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
• Repair leaky taps
• Freshen up the front door with paint or a new handle
• Replace or clean worn or stained carpet
• Apply a fresh coat of paint with neutral colours
• Replace broken windows
• Repair the roof
• Replace old curtains and drapes
• Patch holes and cracks in the ceiling and walls
• Change light fixtures.

Are you selling your home and you need to refinance? Lendi's Home Loan Specialists can help. Book an appointment at a time that suits you.

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The information in this post is general in nature and should not be considered personal or financial advice. You should always seek professional advice or assistance before making any financial decisions.