How to Sell My House Fast

Selling a home can be stressful, but if you are under a serious time crunch, it can be even more nerve-wracking. Whether you need to sell quickly for a new job, for financial reasons or because of a personal situation, there are a few tactics you can use to increase your home’s marketability, decrease your time on the market and attract strong offers. Here’s how to sell a house fast.  

1. Clean and declutter

There are many strategies for selling a house fast, but when you’re short on time, one definite must is making your home’s interior appeal to as many buyers as possible.

• Get a storage unit and pack away any extra belongings or large furnishings that are making rooms look crowded, small or messy.
• Organize the closets. Buyers are looking for storage space, so they’re definitely going to peek in closets, storage areas and pantries. Don’t cram extra belongings into closets — leave enough open space to give the impression that the home has plenty of storage. After all, 64 percent of buyers surveyed for the Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2018 said that ample storage was extremely or very important.
• Personal belongings, like family photos, keepsakes and religious items, distract buyers and prevent them from picturing themselves living in the home.
• Do a deep clean on every room of the house, including baseboards, kitchen cabinets, bathroom tile and carpets. Since you’re short on time, consider calling in some professionals.

2. Pick a selling strategy

When deciding how to list your home, there are two conventional sales options — selling for sale by owner (FSBO) or with a real estate agent — and a few alternatives.

Sell FSBO

One of the big benefits to selling on your own is that you save on the commission (you’ll save the 3 percent you’d pay your own agent, but you’ll still have to pay 3 percent to the buyer’s agent). But if you want to sell fast on your own, you’ll have to be prepared to negotiate like a pro.

Be ready to negotiate escrow timelines, juggle contract paperwork, and consult an attorney to make sure all forms are filled out correctly. Knowing the ins and outs of the process is especially important if you need to sell your house fast.

Hire an agent

The upside to hiring a professional real estate agent is that they know what it takes to get a house sold quickly in your area. They’ll streamline things like contract prep work, negotiations, signing and closing. Of course, you’ll have to pay them a 3 percent commission for their services.

Alternative ways to sell your house fast

If you want to completely bypass the preparation it takes to sell your house in a hurry, consider these alternative strategies:

• Sell to an investor who plans to flip the home. You will sell quickly but may get less than market value.
• Sell to a developer. This is usually only an option if your home is a teardown and/or on a large lot.
• Sell at an auction. You can sell quickly by auctioning off your home, but you are likely to sell for a lower price than on the local market.
• Sell to Zillow Offers. When you sell directly to Zillow, we’ll buy your house for cash, if it’s eligible, and you’ll never have to go through the listing process. If you like our offer, you can pick a quick closing date that fits your schedule. Read Zillow Offers testimonials to understand the experience of selling fast with Zillow. 

source: https://www.zillow.com/sellers-guide/sell-my-house-fast/