How to Get Your House on the Market (and Sold) Fast

Despite the curveballs this year has thrown at homeowners and business owners alike, the New Jersey real estate market is still hot. However, that doesn’t mean selling your home in a hurry doesn’t come with a slew of stressors and inconveniences. Whether you’re moving to or from Woodbridge, NJ, or the surrounding area, Access Self Storage is here to help with advice for getting your house cleaned up, listed on the market, and sold ASAP.

Top 3 Tips for Selling Your Home Quickly

1. Declutter, Clean, and Repair

What would you think if you went to view a home you wanted to buy only to find unmade beds, dirty dishes in the sink, or a messy bathroom? When preparing your home for sale, you must stop and really look around each room. Make sure corners are free of cobwebs, ceiling fan blades are wiped down, and baseboards are dusted. It’s easy to overlook a lot when you live somewhere for a while but imperative to tidy up in order to make it “pop” to buyers.

Everyone loves their unique possessions. But when it comes to decluttering, one thing many real estate agents will emphasize is the need to de-personalize your house. It is important for potential buyers to picture themselves and their furniture in the space. Pack up all the collections, kids’ art projects, and family photos, and replace them with neutral pieces of art. Remove extraneous pieces of furniture so the rooms appear larger and buyers have more room to walk around. If you don’t have the time to strategically sort through everything to sell, donate, or keep, simply rent a self storage unit to hold excess belongings in the meantime.

This might go without saying, but make sure that everything is functional and nothing is broken before you let anyone browse your home. Think about all the most important repairs to make around the house as a result of regular wear and tear. Ask your real estate agent or home inspector for advice based on your specific home.

2. Stage for Success

Now it’s time to spruce up your space and stage it for success—and no, even on a tight turnaround, this won’t be a waste of time! Every seller will benefit (and potentially save time in the long run) from staging the interior and exterior of the home. From making rooms look larger to refining decor and other details, home staging is a common real estate sales tactic, particularly for those looking to sell fast.

If you hire a professional stager, they will bring their own decorations and furniture, then arrange it in a way that makes your home warm and welcoming while accentuating its best features. To speed up the process, consider placing all your belongings in storage.

Solid first impressions with buyers are key, which is why landscaping work can be crucial to curb appeal. The exterior is the first glimpse of your house they will get, so you want it to look pleasant, tidy, and well maintained. Help your home sell faster with good curb appeal, ensuring you (or a landscaper) complete the following tasks, where applicable:

• Trim hedges, shrubs, and overgrown branches.
• Clear walkways and paths.
• Clean windows and doorknobs.
• Sweep spiderwebs and debris off porches.
• Replace outdoor lights.
• Repaint front, back, and side doors.
• Power-wash the siding.

3. Develop a Selling and Listing Strategy

When you need to sell your home fast, you have several options—two of which are more conventional whereas the third can be a reliable alternative.

• Sell for sale by owner (FSBO). In other words, you can opt to fly solo in the home selling process, without an agent. The main benefit to selling on your own is saving money you’d otherwise spend on your real estate agent’s commission. But beware: To sell fast on your own, it’s essential to be prepared to negotiate like a pro and juggle everything from timelines to contract paperwork.
• Sell using a real estate agent. On the other hand, the vast majority of sellers feel most comfortable hiring a real estate agent. These professionals will already have a good idea of the housing market in your area and what it takes to sell a house quickly. They’ll also streamline parts of the process such as negotiations and contract prep work, plus signing and closing. Of course, just be prepared to pay commission for their services.
• Sell at an auction. Auctioning off your home is a great way to get it sold almost immediately. That said, keep in mind that auctioned houses usually sell at lower prices than those on the local housing market.

Once you choose a listing price and your house is looking sharp, create a listing description that will grab buyers’ attention. If you’re selling on your own, this part is especially important. If you go through an agent, they may write the description for you. Either way, it’s best to be aware of what makes a good listing description.

First, make sure to highlight your home’s best features, using effective keywords that buyers are searching and will stand out to them. Use high-quality—ideally professional—photos of the outside and inside of the house. Also, include any perks that make your neighborhood desirable (e.g., nearby parks, local attractions, school district, public transportation, etc.). Establishing a sense of urgency can also give your listing a leg up among the others, encouraging buyers to tour the space and put in their offers sooner.

Get a Storage Unit

The last thing you want to worry about while you’re showing your house is where to put all your belongings. At Access Self Storage, we offer a wide variety of storage unit sizes to suit your particular needs. Plus, our leasing terms operate on a month-to-month basis, so you’ll never need to rent a unit longer than necessary. Get started selling your home fast with more pointers from our helpful storage packing tips, or rent a storage unit in Woodbridge, NJ, online today!