The entire process of selling a house can be pretty daunting. Add in the stress of needing to do it fast, and you’ve got yourself an intimidating situation. However, for all the people thinking how in the world do I sell my house fast, I come bearing good news. Below are my top tips and tricks to get your Everett WA home sold quickly.
Two Ways to Sell My House Fast in Everett WA
As I see it you have two practical options. Either put it on the market and find a buyer or sell it to one of those companies… you know the guys with the signs “We buy houses”. They will buy your house dirty, and in disrepair. They typically offer you cash. The catch with “those guys” is that they usually offer you 15-25% less than the market value.
The average price of a home in Everett, WA is over $700,000. If you are willing to leave $105,000-$175,000 on the table, call “those guys”. Cash offers can close Title & Escrow in just about seven to 10 days.
If you put your house on the open market you may be lucky and find a cash buyer but more than likely the new buyer will have to finance the purchase. Most loan companies require a minimum of 30 to 45 days to organise loan documents and complete a home inspection. So, putting it on the open market and finding a typical non-cash buyer will most likely take between one and two months if you can find the right buyer immediately.
Since time is of the essence, here is how you find the right buyer fast…
Clean up & Declutter
You must clean up and declutter. Since you are in a time crunch, the trick is to leave other concerns for the moment and clean up your house as best as you can. This will make your property look more appealing to potential buyers. Clutter or dirt in the home can scare away people looking to buy and will leave you in a bind.
It’s simple but trust me some people need to hear this. If I want to sell my house fast in Everett WA, I would need to do a deep cleaning. No more dirty base boards. No grimy kitchens. Clean the appliances. Wipe down the fronts of cabinets. Spray mold remover in the corners of your shower and please wash your windows. You will be surprised at how much light is blocked when you have raindrop stained windows. Beautiful natural light can sell a house.
Clutter will scare away potential buyers. Even if you love all your kitty cat nicknacks and grandmas doilies, potential buyers would rather see a clean empty space where they can imagine their own life being lived. Shelves should have no more than a few items on each. House plants are great as well as a few thoughtfully placed books or an interesting treasure from one of your travels. Get a warm vanilla scented candle at your local Marshall’s and remove really personal photos and kids toys.
What’s the style of your house? If you are lucky, you own one of Everett’s beautiful Colonial Revival, Craftsman or American Foursquares. The only problem with these antiquated beauties is the size of their closets. Declutter your closets. A closet stuffed to the max tells buyers this house doesn’t have enough storage. Remove some items, allow some space, make the closet look like there is room to spare.
If you have pets, or you smoke in the house, carpet cleaning is a must. People are really turned off by these odors. Carpet cleaning will make the place smell fresh.
All of this could be done by you on a weekend. Roll up your sleeves, order some pizzas, buy some beers and invite over your best friend to help. If you simply don’t have the time or you are short on helpful besties call professionals to do the job. With over 32 five-star reviews, I think Lady Cleaning Service near Paine Field is a great place to start.
Attractive curb appeal and a nice entry way into the home will make a great first impression. Spruce up your gardening, pressure wash your decking, plant some flowers or add bark to your flower beds. At Home Exterior Services in Everett, WA offer yard maintenance, gutter cleaning, moss removal, roof blowing, pressure washing, window cleaning and more. Ask them for help.
Hire an Experienced Real Estate Agent
While you are doing your end of the work by cleaning up and decluttering, it is essential to bring in an expert. This has to be done by getting in touch with a real estate agent who knows their way around the area.
Tackling the entire house selling process on your own, with a time crunch, is bound to leave you stressed. Good real estate agents come with the expertise and the skill required to help with your dilemma of needing to sell your house fast in Everett. An excellent agent will take care of the marketing, handle the prep work, the negotiations, and the signing process.
The top 10% of all agents in Everett will do more than 30 transactions per year. That puts experience on their side. An experienced agent will price the home appropriately, write a great listing description, hire a professional photographer and help with staging your home to sell. Here is an important article discussing 10 Questions You Should Ask any Real Estate Agent Before Hiring.
About Me: Amy Wagner – Prime Listings Group
“When You Do What You Love…People Love What You Do”
As a real estate agent and managing broker of Keller Williams North Sound, Amy particularly loves helping people sell their homes fast. She founded Prime Listings Group on the principles of doing better and giving more.
We have local experience on our side and we promise to give more than expected. You’ve come to the right place. At PLG you can expect better! Everett’s local Expert! One of the top 2% of agents in Snohomish County.
Set the Price Smartly
Next up is the discussion on pricing. You can clean the whole place from top to bottom till it shines, but you still won’t get a quick buyer if you have overpriced your property. Are you thinking how do I sell my house fast Everett WA? Well, you need to come up with a pricing plan that is competitive with the market rates. If you overprice your property, you will most likely find yourself waiting a long time for a buyer and then eventually selling it off at a lower rate in haste. Price your home competitively, then make sure it shines above the rest with cleaning and decluttering. Find out what your Everett home is worth here. Another trick to attract buyers is to offer sales incentives such as paying the buyer’s closing costs, offering to leave appliances, or leaving money for improvements.
Run a Maintenance and Repair Drive
While it is true that selling a house in haste will leave with you little time for maintenance; you can still carry out minor home repairs here and there. Focus on easy fixes that may look scary to potential buyers.
These include maintenance and repair work such as loose tiles, patching walls, leaky faucets, dysfunctional light fixtures, and chipped paint. Freshly painted rooms, updated kitchen and bathroom hardware and updated lighting, will all add value and appeal to a tired space on a pocket friendly budget. Once again, you can either get professional help to get this done or do it yourself.
Make sure to pick the most time-efficient and cost-saving approach. Your experienced agent can help advise you on the best strategies, most up-to-date colors and materials that appeal to buyers in your market.
All in all, Everett, WA is a lovely place to live in with just the right mix of suburban and urban essence. Start on the above-mentioned tips, and you will sell your house in no time.