In a recent survey from BadCredit.org, 43% of respondents admitted to regifting Christmas presents they hated. When applied to the American population, that equates to 110 million.
Getting rid of unwanted items isn’t always as simple as giving them away. The White Elephant Gift Exchange was built on the idea of Turkish nobles giving each other white elephants that were too difficult to care for.
What if the elephant you need to unload is a house? What if you need to sell a home for cash fast? It can be as difficult to get rid of one as it is to buy one. Expect to pay at least 10-15% of its value as well as:
- Agent commissions
- Closing costs
- Mortgage payoffs
- Taxes
Read on to learn expert tips and strategies to make a quicker sale.
Decide Why You Want to Sell
One of the most obvious but simple pieces of home sale advice is to consider why you’re taking this step now. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to sell my house quickly for cash?”
The reasoning isn’t typically anything you’ve planned for. Sudden life changes came up and forced your hand. Common reasons to try for a fast home sale include:
- Potential foreclosure
- Divorce
- Inheriting unwanted or distressed homes
- Job relocation
Try to work out estimates to decide if a fast sale is worth it. How much more would you earn at the job you want to move for? What would be the actual cost to repair the home?
Thinking about why you’re selling also helps guide your future efforts. Having a plan makes the process of unloading the property quickly less stressful.
Decide Whether or Not to Sell As-Is
One major reason home sales take so long is they often require you to make repairs or improvements to the property first. It can take weeks or months to prepare for buyers and start selling.
Selling your house as-is forgoes this part of the process. It saves you time and may be the best choice if you want to sell the house quickly. It also saves you money because you won’t have to pay for expensive repairs.
When you’re trying to do it as quickly as possible, you may wonder, “Why wouldn’t I sell my house as is for cash?” There are also disadvantages to selling your house this way. You may get fewer interested lenders or buyers and lose money.
It’s a personal decision that depends on how quickly you need to sell the property and its condition. There is one other way to prevent any issues with the property. Make sure to get a professional inspection. It’s not required and takes money and time, but it can help you spot issues early before they become a major problem.
Get Permits
It’s important to ensure that any improvements pay off, but it’s even more essential to ensure they’re legal. Get the necessary permits before you embark on any project.
Getting permits can take time, but so can doing work without them. If you do perform any unpermitted work, you’re legally required to disclose this to potential buyers. It may turn them off and lengthen the amount of time before you find an interested buyer.
Make Any Necessary Improvements
Even if you’re selling the property as-is, take the time to declutter and clean it up. If you’re not, taking the time and money to make a few improvements may lead to a quicker sale in the end. Focus on improvements that provide a substantial return on investment, such as:
- Garage door replacements
- Entryway replacements and upgrades
- Replacing the siding
- Minor kitchen remodels
Curb appeal is a major factor in a home’s value. Even improvements as simple as adding a fence can have a significant impact. Make sure that the exterior is as attractive as possible to draw buyers’ eyes in.
Indoor improvements may also be worth your time. You can remodel rooms that are starting to show their age or improve other aspects of the property such as its energy efficiency. Buyers will appreciate the added value.
Price Competitively
The right price is perhaps the most important part of a quick house sale. Even a few dollars of difference can make your sale days, months, or even weeks faster.
It’s a Goldilocks situation where your chosen price has to be just right. Go too high, and you’ll delay the process because you won’t get any offers. Go too low, and you’ll end up with a financial loss.
Most tricks of the trade you’ve heard, such as rounding down a dollar, don’t work. The key to an attractive price is a careful analysis of what similar properties in the area are going for.
Get a Home Valuation Report or a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) if you’re unsure where to start. They can help you determine a fair market value.
You can also ask for a thorough pre-listing appraisal from your home lender. It helps ensure you’ll sell the home without any gaps where it’s valued for less than the agreed-upon price.
Market Aggressively
A fast home sale doesn’t allow the property to be on the market for long. If you want the process to go as quickly as possible while still attracting the best buyers, you’ll need to do as much marketing as you can in that short amount of time.
Desperation is unappealing, but it can be an effective selling strategy. The idea isn’t to make it clear that “sell my house fast in Mechanicsburg, PA,” is the main thought on your mind. The key is to show buyers why they should be desperate to get into your beautiful property.
Create Great Listings
List the home on traditional channels and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Create a brief but compelling listing that uses compelling text to highlight your property’s best features.
Use professional photographs to show off the property’s visual appeal. Have pictures taken of the most important parts of the exterior and interior.
You can also highlight the pricing in the listing to make buyers feel like they’re getting a great deal. It’s okay to set your price slightly below market value, but it should reflect the actual value of the property.
It’s all about how you frame the information. Don’t be afraid to go low on asking prices on dilapidated properties, but highlight it as the perfect project for a house flipper. Highlight the features of a beautiful property you’re forced to leave due to life circumstances.
Use Social Media and Other Platforms
Use social media to get a broader reach of potential buyers. It lets you spread the word about your property to the world at large.
Post on local community boards for a narrower, more local form of marketing. It’s more focused and will help you reach interested buyers that are actually near you.
Stage and Show the Property
Stage the property carefully for every potential buyer to see. Remove any clutter and do a deep cleaning. Paint the walls if they need it.
Depersonalize the space by removing any of your photos or sentimental items. Buyers need to be able to imagine themselves in it.
Host virtual and in-person open houses. By opening yourself up to those who can’t be there in person, you’ll reach a wider pool of potential applicants.
Be Flexible
The pressure of needing to sell a home for cash fast can make you sturdy and stubborn. You can get set into a way of doing things and become unwilling to change it, no matter what, because you think it’ll speed up the sale.
The truth is that flexibility is your best friend when pursuing a goal like “sell my house fast in York, PA. ”
Flexible Showings
Agreeing to the requests of everyone you’re working with (within reason) can help create a positive relationship and lead to a faster sale.
Your showing times shouldn’t be set in stone. Be willing to reschedule and be available for short-notice showings.
Flexible Offers
You’ve most likely memorized the number you want for your home. It’s an essential one that you’re unlikely to change except in the most serious circumstances.
Be flexible enough to respond to all offers, even if they’re lower than you’d like. Potential buyers will appreciate quick responses.
It also speeds up the overall home-selling process. The more offers you respond to, the sooner you’ll find a buyer who’ll let you start negotiating for the offer you want.
Sell to the Right Cash Home Buyers
It doesn’t matter how quickly you want to sell your home; finding the right buyer is always the hardest part. It’s even harder when you need to make the sale quickly.
Knowing the best places to look for a cash offer makes it easier. Focus on investors, real estate agents, and cash-buying companies.
Look for Investors
Real estate overtakes most other methods as a favorite long-term investment strategy. A Bankrate poll showed a slight decrease in its standing, with 27% of respondents choosing stocks and 24% choosing real estate.
Recent volatility in the market may be part of the reason for this change. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t investors out there who’ll be willing to pay cash. You may be as anxious to sell a house quickly as they are to buy one quickly.
The tricky part is finding the right willing investors, so go out and look in as many places as you can. Go to property auctions. Join local or online discussion groups. Eventually, you’ll get connected with the right buyer.
Work with a Real Estate Agent
Having to sell your home for cash fast is a multi-step process. You may not even know where to start, especially if you’ve lived in the same place all your life.
A realtor can help ease you into the process. They know the ins and outs, including:
- Marketing
- Staging
- Accepting offers
- Legal compliance
You can even look for one that specializes in fast sales. When you search for them online, try adding keywords such as “sell my house fast in Harrisburg, PA.”
While agents can be helpful, don’t feel pressured into getting one. It’s more than possible to sell your home quickly without a realtor. You’ll have more control over the marketing. It can lead to a faster turn-around, and you’ll also save money on agent fees.
Choose a Cash Home Buying Company
When you try typing in “cash buyers for houses near me” online, you’ll find a mix of investors, agents, and other interested parties. You’ll also find professional cash home-buying companies.
They do nothing but buy properties for cash. They can provide significant advantages over other types of cash buyers. They cover the complex process of repairing and marketing the property.
Search in your local area with a search such as “companies that buy houses for cash in Harrisburg, PA.” It couldn’t be easier or quicker to do. All you have to do is provide them with basic information about your home. They’ll give you an offer as soon as a day. It’s the fastest way to unload an unwanted property and get cash for it.
If that wasn’t enough, most companies that advertise themselves with a claim such as “we buy houses for cash in Harrisburg, PA,” will buy homes in almost any condition as-is. This alone makes cash buyers a better choice than investors or agents. They’ll take that unwanted home off your hands as fast as possible.
Work With Us to Sell a Home for Cash Fast Today
When you want to sell a home for cash fast, you can do so as-is or make any necessary improvements. Set the right price and start marketing. Be flexible and look for cash offers from investors, real estate agents, or cash home-buying companies.
At First Choice Home Buyers, we buy houses for cash in York, PA, and the surrounding area. Our team has decades of experience and treats our clients like family.
We’ll turn the selling process from a stressful mess to an easy exchange. Contact us to sell a house with a fast online quote in Pennsylvania today.
