Housing

6 Tips to Help You Sell Your House -- Fast

Thinkstock

When you finally decide that it’s time to sell your house and move on, you will generally focus on two things: getting the best price you can as quickly as you can.

The price is something you can work out with the help of a real estate agent. Setting the price correctly is one place that a professional can really help you avoid a serious mistake.

Once you’ve settled on the right asking price it’s time to present the home in the best possible light to potential buyers. You want to do this as quickly and economically as you can because, if you do it right, the house is likely to sell more quickly and for a better price.

The pros at Realtor.com have compiled six tips to help you sell your house fast:

Lower your staging costs. On average, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more money. But the cost of hiring a decorator to stage your house for sale can be high. Consider virtual staging, where a service takes pictures of your home’s rooms and adds the right furnishings.

Boost your home’s curb appeal. Curb appeal alone can add 17% to the sale price of your home, but like staging, it can get expensive. Professional landscaping can cost thousands while a basic yard service may cost a few hundred. Sweat is free.

Forget mail marketing. Mailing flyers to people in your community is so last century. Use social media — it’s more effective and free.

Brighten up the living space. Make sure the house gets as much natural light as possible. Push back the drapes, add some mirrors. You can even install higher watt light bulbs and turn them on, even during the day.

Promote energy-efficient upgrades. If you own Energy Star-rated appliances, make sure to promote them. Likewise, new insulation and other energy-saving changes can pay off handsomely.

Build buzz in advance. Do everything you can think of to get people talking about your house before it goes on the market. Use social media, have a yard sale, talk to friends and neighbors. You could get lucky and land an offer before the house is even listed.

For more details, visit Realtor.com.

Smart Investors Are Quietly Loading Up on These “Dividend Legends” (Sponsored)

If you want your portfolio to pay you cash like clockwork, it’s time to stop blindly following conventional wisdom like relying on Dividend Aristocrats. There’s a better option, and we want to show you. We’re offering a brand-new report on 2 stocks we believe offer the rare combination of a high dividend yield and significant stock appreciation upside. If you’re tired of feeling one step behind in this market, this free report is a must-read for you.

Click here to download your FREE copy of “2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever” and start improving your portfolio today.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.