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Are you looking for a fast house sale in your area? Learn how to maximize your profit with simple tips and strategies.
A Fast House Sale Means You Must Appeal To Buyers
Quick sale buyers are searching for houses they can buy to flip, rent, or even live in themselves.
Most cities can be a hot market if you live in an up-and-coming neighborhood or sought-after area in the community.
You may even find that buyers who want to move into a specific area quickly will be hunting to purchase a fast house sale.
There are things you need to be aware of as a seller if you are looking for a fast house sale, especially if you want top dollar.
If the idea is to make as much money from your house when you put it on the market, there are simple things you can do to achieve this.
I will discuss them below and add a link to a printable checklist for a fast house sale so you aren’t missing anything important.
What Should I Fix Before Selling My House?
Dear Mr CBB,
My wife and I separated recently, and I’ve moved out to rent an apartment while she stays in the house with our 4-year-old daughter.
I pay them both an agreed-upon monthly payment that helps pay for our son, the mortgage, and other bills.
We work full-time, and our daughter attends elementary school every day for 6 hours.
We are at the point where we struggle to pay the mortgage and bills and must prepare for a fast house sale.
In the meantime, we are paying off debt and trying to take care of our divorce civilly, as we both agree that it was not meant to be.
Our current debt is around $34, 500 once we sell the house, we will pay that off promptly and move on.
We’ve talked about doing minor renovations to our house to make it appear fresh, but we aren’t sure what to tackle first.
The timeline to sell our house would be 6-8 months maximum, although I can borrow money from my parents if need be.
I’m hoping for a fast house sale by selling my home to a cash buyer as it’s in a sought-after area.
Is that being too optimistic?
Do you or your readers have any tips for a couple like us who want a fast house sale?
Thanks, everyone
T and C
Welland, Ontario
Moving To Canada And My Fast House Sale
Hey T and C,
Thanks for your great question, and I hope I can share some valuable tips from my personal experience with you both.
I’ve bought and sold three houses in my time, and for the last one, I needed a fast house sale as I had to move to Canada.
I was on a time limit to pack up my stuff and move to Canada once I got the green light from Canadian Immigration.
As soon as I applied for my Permanent Residents Status In Canada, I listed my house on the market.
I did many things with the help of my dad and my sisters, and my mum did the home decor and cleaning.
It was nice to have them help as it cut down on the costs of hiring people to do the work.
To upgrade my tiny house in the UK, I spent around $2000, including a new kitchen and bathroom.
I polished the hardwood floors, and we repaired the awning outside the front door that was falling off.
The back gardens were nicely trimmed, and new flowers were planted in the side garden of the house.
I also upgraded the boiler and appliances in the kitchen to appeal to new home buyers without the hefty price tag.
Anyone buying a house in the UK will tell you it’s expensive and you don’t get as much for your money as you do in Canada.
Good luck with the fast house sale and moving forward with your new life.
P.S. My House sold in 3 weeks for the total asking price with loads of people coming to two open houses.
Mr.CBB
Reasons For A Fast House Sale
There are a few reasons homeowners may want a fast house sale;
- Divorce is typically the number one.
- I no longer can afford the house.
- New Job and relocating
- Bought another home already
- Decided to rent instead of own
- Tragedy or Death in the family
- Health Reasons
No matter what reason you have for wanting a fast house sale, there are many things you should consider to get the job done right.
How Long Does It Take To Get A House Ready To Sell?
This depends on a few factors;
- Your availability or the team you hire or have volunteering to help
- The size of the home
- State the home is in
- Hoarding or Cleaning
- Major or Minor repairs
- Availability of Tradespeople and Businesses you hire
- Financial budget for your updates and renovations
- The main focus is the kitchen and bathrooms.
What Sells A House Quickly?
You’ll find that what sells a house quickly is the comfort potential buyers feel when they come to an open house.
You will want to make your house appealing to buyers by ensuring everything is in top-notch shape or reasonable repair.
Many buyers don’t mind fixing upper homes or buying a home as-is, but be prepared for a lower asking price.
Generally, it’s the land the buyer is paying for, and the house is the compromise or negotiation.
Can You Sell A House With A Bad Roof?
You can, but you may find that potential buyers will negotiate the new roof needed at the offer price.
Depending on the size of the house, a new roof can be done relatively cheaply if you have a volunteer crew ready to work.
For example, another family friend and I put a new roof on my in-law’s house last year for around $5500 instead of the $17,000 quotes we received.
Also, if you don’t have the money upfront, you can always apply for a loan from a bank or reputable place with competitive rates.
Once you sell the house, you pay off the loan and get top dollar for your house.
A new roof also impacts curb appeal and is the shield that protects the home.
It’s a big deal for potential buyers who don’t want to do the work or hire a roofer.
Moving Out Before Selling Your House
There’s no reason why you can’t move out before selling your home as long as you have a master plan.
Ideally, for a fast house sale, you will want the home to look like it’s lived in.
Emphasis on all your rooms is where home staging is worth its money in gold whether you do it or hire someone.
Keeping the rooms clean, bright, and filled with smaller furniture pulled away from the walls is key.
Add fresh scents to the air, and getting rid of clutter, pet dander, odors, and unnecessary stuff helps open up space.
Another idea is to add soothing music sounds to the background.
Baking fresh cookies or fruits to add to your kitchen for potential buyers to snack on is always a nice treat.
Leave a personalized note inviting them to try your homebaked chocolate chip cookies; otherwise, they may not touch them.
Checklist For A Fast House Sale
Below is a checklist you can print and add to your Budget Binder if you hope for a fast house sale.
Ideally, you will want a budget for these repairs as they will cost you money.
If you can tackle this checklist for a fast house sale with the help of friends and family, it will significantly cost you less.
Related: How to host a successful winter open house for sale
- Curb Appeal
- Clean House
- Decluttering and Depersonalizing
- Paint Walls, Doors and Complete Touch-Ups
- Small fixes and repairs throughout the entire home and garage
- Replace Door Handles and Knobs throughout the house
- Update lighting fixtures in all rooms
- Staging Your House
- Hide Your Valuables in a fireproof safe or bank vault so nothing is stolen during an open house.
- Add fresh flowers and scents, but nothing overpowering.
- Bake a Cake
- Have bottled water on a counter
Even if you have time to list your house on the real estate market, all of these tips are valuable.
You want top dollar for your house, and you want it sold fast.
This means you must work to ensure that your house becomes someone else’s home when they do a walk-through.
Get That Sold Sign With A Fast House Sale
| Checklist For A Fast House Sale
By: Canadian Budget Binder |
| Real Estate Agent |
| Curb Appeal- Back and Front Gardens | Tighten anything loose, and repair closets, cabinets, and Doors. | |
| Replace Caulking, Wash windows, Sweep, Pick Weeds, Add Porch Décor and Seating, Clean pool, Shed, Outdoor bar, and Kitchen area. Add Flowers, Trim bushes, Cut Grass, No Junk | ||
| Clean House | Dust everything, clean all windows and ledges, clean all appliances, and clean the inside refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc. | |
| Dust everything, clean all windows and ledges and appliances, and the inside refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc. | ||
| Steam Clean Carpets, furniture, Curtains, or Polish Hardwood | ||
| Decluttering and Depersonalizing | Remove all photos, Get Rid of Big Furniture, Maximize Space | |
| Remove toys, pet toys, and small appliances. | ||
| Repair driveway cracks, seal driveway, repair gutters and downspouts, paint, wash siding, Paint house number, mailbox. | ||
| Empty kitchen counters and organize inside cabinets/pantry | ||
| Remove medications and limit wall hangings. | ||
| Tighten anything loose, and repair closets, cabinets, and Doors. | ||
| Paint Walls, Doors and Touch-Ups | Go Room to Room with Fresh Paint or Touch Up Walls and Doors, Check Fireplace for repairs. | |
| Small Fixes | Tighten anything loose, repair closets, cabinets, Doors | |
| Repair or replace knobs, screens, windows, caulking, cracking | ||
| Kitchens and Bathrooms | Remove toys, pet toys, and small appliances. | |
| Door Handles | Add new lighting or update old lights and clean. | |
| Lighting Fixtures | Pull furniture away from walls. | |
| Staging House | Add fresh look décor to all rooms, fruit bowls, rugs, lamps, | |
| Add fresh flower pots and aromas to get rid of pet odors. | ||
| Inviting Entry Way, Small furniture, Bright Colours | ||
| Hide all valuables in a fire-proof safe or bank vault. | ||
| Valuables | Add fresh flower pots and aromas to get rid of pet odors. | |
| Fresh Flowers and Smells | Add fresh flower pots and aromas and get rid of pet odors. | |
| Clean kitty litter, remove any pet hair, Bake a Cake, Cookies. |
Budget and Plan
No matter how you update or renovate your house for a fast sale, you will need a plan and a budget.
Before jumping into anything, talk to your real estate agent to see what they say about repairs to your house.
They are the experts, and that’s why you hire them.
If you plan to sell your house privately, research what would net you the best profit.
A fast house sale means lots of work and running around town while trying to earn a living and maybe even raising a family.
Good luck, and in the end, it will all be worth it.
Discussion: What other tips would you offer this couple looking for a fast house sale?
Leave me your comments below, and I’ll be sure to reply.