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When you decide to sell your home, you hope to get an offer as soon as possible after your listing date. While you want to be sure to get a good price, there are a lot of benefits to selling fast. Buyers are wary of homes that spend too many days on the market. The sooner you close on the sale, the sooner you can move on to the next chapter in your life.
All real estate markets are different, and they tend to shift frequently. While you can’t control supply and demand issues, you can take steps to shorten your home’s selling time. These projects don’t require loads of time or money and can help maximize your home’s appeal to buyers.
1. Catch Up on Routine Maintenance
Before your house hits the market, take some time to catch up on all those repairs and home maintenance tasks you’ve been putting off. Even small imperfections can be off-putting to buyers. Inside your home, take care of issues such as cracked or stained drywall, loose fixtures or railings, windows or doors that stick, creaky boards and dripping faucets.
Outside your home, fix any uneven walkways, broken windows, cracked cement and sagging spots on your porch or roof. Pay special attention to your home’s gutters. Gutters that are clogged with debris can force water under your roofline, leading to issues such as leaks, gaps, moisture and mold growth —major turnoffs for homebuyers.
If your gutters aren’t looking their best, it’s worth calling in a gutter professional. These experts have the skills and equipment to clean your gutters the correct way, and they can also alert you to bigger problems or needed repairs. As a rule of thumb, your gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year, depending on your location. While searching for gutter and downspout cleaning near me, keep in mind that professional gutter cleaning typically costs around $106 to $197, although larger projects can run as high as $350.
2. Deep Clean and Declutter
A dirty, messy home sends the message to buyers that you don’t take good care of your property, evoking fear that hidden problems will pop up frequently in the future. Avoid this message by thoroughly deep cleaning your home before you list it. A sparkling-clean house is more attractive and inviting and instantly puts buyers at ease.
As part of your clean sweep, be sure to remove all clutter and organize any jumbled-up spaces. A clutter-free area looks cleaner and larger. Excellent kitchen and bathroom organization is especially important. Systematically arranged closets, cabinets and shelves create the appearance of more storage space, a must-have for most buyers.
3. Stage and Neutralize Your Space
Most real estate experts agree that neutral, depersonalized homes sell the fastest. The idea is that when you remove tastes and personality, homebuyers are more likely to imagine themselves in the space. You don’t have to call in a professional stager — although research shows that staged houses typically sell 88% faster compared to non-staged homes. Before listing your house, remove any bold or taste-specific décor, paint your home using a neutral color palette, and move some of your furniture and belongings into storage to open up space.
You may be in a hurry to list your home for sale, but skipping the prep work could mean waiting longer to find a buyer. Taking the time to complete these simple projects before your house hits the market can help your home sell as quickly as possible.