Tips to Sell Your House Fast for Relocation

Are you looking to sell your house quickly because you need to relocate? Selling a home can be stressful enough without being on a tight timeline. The keys are pricing your home competitively, preparing it to show well, and marketing it aggressively to generate buyer interest. Follow these tips to help sell your house fast when you need to move.

Read our blog on How Long It Takes to Ship Household Goods

Pro Tips To Sell Your House Fast for Relocation

1. Price It Right

The most critical factor in how fast your house sells is the price. Take a realistic look at comparable homes that have recently sold in your neighborhood. Go on real estate sites and look at what similar sized homes with comparable features have sold for. Price your home competitively within that range. This may mean pricing it slightly below other similar homes. You don’t want to overprice and have to keep reducing it. Underpricing slightly often leads to more showings and offers.

2. Prepare It Well

You want your home to look attractive and welcoming when buyers come to view it. Declutter rooms and pack away personal items so they appear spacious and buyer-friendly. Clean thoroughly and make minor repairs on things like leaky faucets, holes in walls, squeaky doors, etc. These little fixes go a long way toward making a good impression. Consider repainting rooms in neutral colors if needed. You want buyers to imagine themselves living there. 

Stage key rooms like the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom. Rent furniture if needed to showcase the space better. Buyers associate empty rooms with smaller square footage. Fill those spaces appropriately to optimize their size and appeal.  

3. Market Aggressively  

Work closely with your real estate agent to employ both traditional and digital marketing tactics to spread the word that your house is for sale. Your agent should list it on MLS and leading real estate sites immediately. Discuss targeted social media advertising and distributing fliers or brochures locally to generate interest quickly. 

Install a yard sign prominently. Hold open houses as often as possible so both agents and buyers can walk through easily. Be flexible in allowing showtimes outside of open houses too when buyers express interest. Capture good photos and video to give online viewers a tour virtually. 

4. Consider Offering Incentives

In a slow market or with homes that haven’t sold, some sellers offer buyer incentives like helping with closing costs, home warranties, or other perks to motivate buyers. In a fast-sale scenario, you likely won’t take that route. But it’s something to keep in mind if your home sits longer than expected. Stay in close contact with your agent week by week to assess pricing and demand.

5. Move Non-Essentials Out 

The less “stuff” in your home, the roomier it will seem. If you’ve already moved to your new location, clear out non-essentials from rooms, closets and cabinets. If buyers sense you’re highly motivated to sell for your move, empty personal spaces show them you are serious. Plus there is less clutter for them to visually compete with as they imagine the home becoming theirs. 

6. Handle Inspection Issues Proactively

Almost all buyers will do a home inspection before finalizing a purchase. When issues get identified, have repair estimates ready to share right away along with options for addressing concerns. Be willing to negotiate credits or repairs within reason. Quick resolutions will help prevent sales from falling through, which is crucial in a fast-sale situation.

7. Consider Pre-Inspection  

To save time once you receive an offer, consider doing a pre-sale home inspection yourself. Then you can tackle any repairs needed in advance rather than negotiating with buyers later. Be completely transparent providing the inspection report with any listing details. This bad news upfront approach prevents hitches once buyers are under contract. 

8. Close Quickly

When appealing offers do come in, be as flexible as possible around closing timelines. Buyers will likely want to close faster since they know you need to sell for your move. See if you can vacate within 7-14 days of an accepted bid if feasible. The shorter the close, the more attractive for serious buyers who see less risk of sale falling through before you hand over the keys.

9. Don’t Despair, Delegate  

Selling quickly while simultaneously relocating and getting settled in your new home is extremely stressful. That’s why it’s crucial not to take everything on yourself. Leaning on others will help ease the burden immensely. Delegate packing, moving arrangements, cleaning and showings prep to family or friends if possible. 

Hire a real estate agent experienced in fast sales to advise pricing and handle all marketing and buyer communications. Determine what concessions around closing dates or other terms you can make to motivate buyers. Trust their expertise navigating this tricky situation.

Conclusion

Relocating is stressful enough without the pressure of selling your current home quickly. But you can take proactive steps to prepare your property to sell faster by making it irresistible to the right buyers. Price competitively but avoid pricing too far below market.