Selling a house fast is the dream that all sellers on Long Island have. After all, who wants to sit on a house while it stays on the market for months or even years?! Chances are you are at the point that you need to sell for financial reasons or maybe you have a new job that requires relocating. In these types of situations, you want to sell your house fast so that you can get on with your plans. So, what can you do to ensure that your house sells faster than others on Long Island? We have several years of experience in buying houses ‘as is’, allowing people to get out of their houses even faster than if they were to go the traditional route. And we have several tips that can help you to get through this process even faster!
1. Know the Long Island housing market
Look at the market as soon as you know that you want to sell your house. This can be a great way to know what you should ask for at home and to be prepared for what may happen. When researching the market for house sales in your local Long Island area, consider:
- What prices are the houses on Long Island going for? Be sure that you are looking at similar homes in the immediate area that have the same square footage, age, and basically in the same shape.
- How long are houses on Long Island are sitting on the market before they are sold? This will give you a great idea as to whether your home will sell fast or stay on the market for a few months.
- Is this a buyer’s market? Or a seller’s market? You definitely want to try for a seller’s market as this means that the transactions often go in the seller’s benefit. During a seller’s market, your home is not going to stay up for sale long before it is snatched up by a buyer.
2. Make sure the house is move-in ready
No one wants to buy a house that is going to need a ton of work. People are more likely to buy a home when there is nothing that they are going to have to do to the home. If opting to work with a real estate agent, they may give you a list of items that need to be fixed or upgraded in order to get more out of the home or to make this more appealing to those who are buying. You will find that you will want to do those items that are going to get you your investment back once the house sells. There are four major areas that need to be in good condition for someone to move right in, and these are the foundation, roof, electric and HVAC system. Serious buyers are going to be interested in your home if these four things are taken care of.
Along with getting the major four areas of your house ready to sell, also consider a few of these tips:
- Make the house tidy so that when people view it, they are going to see the full potential of the home. Deep clean and get rid of the clutter. You may find it beneficial to do some light painting in the home to…consider painting in neutral colors to make the home more of a blank palate that the buyers can make their own with ease.
- Make sure that you have curb appeal in the house. Most people make a decision within 8 seconds of seeing a home. If the home does not grab their attention when they see the outside, they are not going to be interested in the interior. Be sure that the front lawn is mowed, hedges are trimmed and it appears welcoming. A fresh seal coat on the driveway also is a quick way to boot the exterior appearance of the house.
- Consider removing old furniture and staging this with new items to let buyers see the potential. If you cannot do this on your own, you are going to find that there are professional stagers out there that you can hire for this reason.
3. Make the warranty transferable with the deed
When potential buyers see that this comes with a transferable warranty, also known as a “deed with full covenants”, this gives them peace of mind. This means that the property is free of claims like liens, which lets sellers know that they are making a wise investment. The extra confidence may be just what you need to get your home sold on the market in a fast manner.
4. Offer a discount on the closing costs
You will be surprised at just how many potential buyers are willing to leap at a reduction in closing costs when they are looking to buy a house. Many homeowners offer $1000 off the closing costs, which showcases that they are eager to sell. For potential buyers, they are going to see this deal and think that now is the time to act since someone else will if they don’t! With closings costs as expensive as they are on Long Island, any reduction in these costs is appreciated.
5. Be Proactive
You don’t want to just sit around and wait for offers to come in, instead, you should make sure that you are doing your best to make your Long Island house sell fast. You’ll want to make sure that the house is being seen as much as possible and take the time to do as many things before they are needed. For example, have your paperwork in order for when offers do start to come through and have it appraised and inspected so you know the offers will not fall through at the last minute due to financing.
6. Consider selling your Long Island house for cash
However, if you truly need to sell your house on Long Island as fast as possible, you will want to consider a non-traditional route of selling your house for cash to a real estate investor. You can avoid all the steps above when working with an investor like Leave The Key Homebuyers. If this sounds intriguing, be sure to call us today for a no-obligation cash offer on your house!