Need to Sell Your Home Quickly? 15 Strategies That Work

Life can sometimes throw you a curveball, and you suddenly need to sell your home quickly – like yesterday. Your mind starts to swirl with visions of moving boxes in search of a plan. But you’re not sure how or where to start.

Fortunately, we have researched the options and interviewed Doug Gardiner, a high-performing real estate agent from Frederick, Maryland, and found 14 proven tips to help you sell your home quickly for the best results. “The [home’s] condition will always affect quickness and it will always affect timelines,” says Gardiner.

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In order to sell your home quickly, it’s recommended to:

1. Deep clean

Deep cleaning will encourage potential buyers to stay longer as they admire your home’s features versus any grime that indicates deferred maintenance. The fresh smells and shiny surfaces will sparkle, and using that extra elbow grease can potentially add to the resale value. Some examples of deep cleaning include:

• Kitchen – Clean appliances (both large and small), counters, cabinets, sink, and floor
• Bedrooms – Make beds, dust and vacuum floors
• Living Spaces – Dust and polish furniture, vacuum floor
• Bathrooms – Clean countertop, cabinets, sink, faucet, mirror, floor, and toilet
• Other Areas – Dust and polish furniture, remove any pet items, sweep, mop, and vacuum

2. Declutter

A good strategy for depersonalizing your home is to remove clutter, which will give prospective buyers the opportunity to imagine themselves living there. They won’t be distracted by objects that fill up every shelf, wall, and cabinet. Their focus will be on the space available for their mementos instead of the perceived limited storage space based on the number of items that are on display. Types of clutter to remove include:

• Collectibles or photos that overwhelm a room
• Additional furniture that doesn’t fit in the space
• Cabinets filled with extra dishes, mugs, and glassware
• Extra books, DVDs, and toys (for children and pets)
• Clothing that hangs on hooks outside of the closet

“Try to get your home as show-ready as you can. A good phrase to remember is that less is more. If you’re going to live in the house, and you’re trying to sell it, remember people don’t want to see an abundance of stuff,” says Gardiner, who works with over 81% more single-family homes than the average agent in his market.

3. Focus on the right repairs

If you want to sell your home quickly but think absolutely everything has to get fixed before you move, with a short timeline, it’s best to focus on the right fixes that buyers will notice when touring your home. Some of the most common repairs that can help you sell fast are:

• Plumbing and sewer issues
• Non-working appliances that aren’t safe
• Outdated electrical switches and outlets
• Heating and cooling systems that don’t function
• Roof and structural repairs required for safety

Cosmetic fixes, such as changing a countertop, which the buyer is likely to renovate later, aren’t usually necessary.

“A lot of times, sellers want to always do too much, and it’s honorable. I think it’s a great thing that they want their house to be in great shape, but in these times where it’s hard to get things done, you have to pick things wisely as to what you want to have done,” says Gardiner.