If you have never tried selling a house before, you probably will not have any clue about how arduous the process could be. Reputable real estate companies in Kansas City, Colorado Springs, and Provo will attest that unlucky sellers may wait for several months until a serious buyer comes along. In April 2019, properties for sale spend an average of 70 days on Zillow, which can feel forever to a desperate or impatient person.
Fortunately, you can have home selling down to a science with proper advice. Not all tips, however, contradict conventional wisdom. Many people do not follow them because they seem counterintuitive at first, but they can actually work wonders. If you are planning to put your property on the market soon, do not be too quick to discount the following strategies:
Keep Your House Interior Filled with Items
Generally, real estate experts will recommend depersonalizing a property. This school of thought makes sense because a space that appears as neutral territory can help buyers envision their dreams.
Recent research has revealed, though, that vacant homes are not as magnetic as they are thought to be. Compared to occupied properties, they spent nearly a week more on the market and were sold for $11,306 less.
If you are to adopt the lessons from this study, you should live in your property and keep its contents where they are until a buyer is ready to close. Of course, there should be limitations to the stuff you should leave on display. If you have too many items that can make your space feel cramped, put your clutter in storage. Also, it is wise to remove political and religious symbols to avoid offending buyers.
Price Your House Higher than Comparable Properties
Did you know that a property may be perceived to be more valuable than a cheaper identical piece of real estate? The slightly more expensive house can create intrigue, compelling interested buyers to look for features that justify the higher price. This phenomenon is called confirmation bias. We see things the way we want to see them, so we subconsciously look for evidence to back our views. Overcharge your prospects marginally to make your property stand out in a listing full of similar house options. Once they are hooked on what you are selling, let their confirmation bias lead them to you.
End Your Asking Price with a Zero
Marketing tells us that commodities with prices ending with a nine are more attractive. It conveys deliberateness, showing buyers that you know what you want to get for your property. However, replacing a nine with a zero can actually widen your pool of potential buyers because your property is more likely to appear in searches. If you price your house at $299,999, it will only show up in searches for properties priced at less than $300,000. If you price it at $300,000, it will be discoverable in searches for houses between $300,000 and $400,000.
Fast home selling is a combination of hard work and luck. Do your part, and the universe will align the stars to bring you the right buyers more quickly.