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How Can I Sell My Home Fast?

By
Real Estate Agent with North Orange County CA Real Estate Specialists BRE# 01277795

THE BEST WAY TO SELL A HOME QUICKLY AND FOR AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLEWhite Computerized Man Jumping Happily With a Sold Sign in Front of a House

One thing that's universal and every homeowner wants to know is, "how can I sell my house as fast as possible?". And, although everyone knows that the best way to sell a home quickly and for as much money as possible, is to get as many people looking at it, and competing for it, as you can, they don't always know how to make that happen.

So, what should a homeowner do to get a quick home sale? Well, in addition to the tried and true information that every real estate professional and stager gives, including removing all clutter and making sure that the house is clean and tidy,  there are a couple of tips that I've been sharing with Orange County homeowners, and they're shocked to hear that some of this could affect their sale. Check out my top 2 pieces of advice below.

1) YOUR HOME SHOULD APPEAL TO AS MANY BUYERS AS POSSIBLE

We've all heard of the well known acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid). However, I tell Orange County homeowners to remember this acronym instead: K.I.N.D. I like to use this one, which I've created for the phrase, Keep It Neutral Dummy ; )

To sell your home quickly, you want to appeal to as many home buyers as possible, and the best way to do that is to make your home a flavor that everyone enjoys and no one is turned off by ...vanilla. While this may sound familiar, I'm not just talking about using neutral paint and carpet colors (although that does help). What I'm referring to is the way you use your rooms and possibly even making renovations to attract as many home buyers as possible.

AN EXAMPLE OF A FUNKY FLAVORED HOUSE

One example I will give of a house with a "funky flavor" is a family member's home. This home is in a highly desirable area of Newport Beach; it's a gorgeous 6,500 square foot house with an 8 car garage and city light view. The problem? It only has 2 bedrooms, and they made the house so big that there's really only a patio; there's no yard and no room left for a pool or spa! Because of this, many Orange County home buyers don't even visit the house to see if it can be changed. And, I can't blame them, because in that price range you can purchase a more traditional home with many bedrooms and a full yard with a pool and spa. Their options, at this point, are to either make some renovations to the floor plan, or drastically reduce the price, to reflect the unique features of the home.

2) MAKE YOUR HOME AVAILABLE TO AS MANY BUYERS AS POSSIBLE

When I tell Orange County homeowners that you should make your home available to as many buyers as possible, they immediately think I'm referring to allowing a lockbox on the property, or not restricting access and viewing times. While these are also crucial elements needed to sell your house quickly, there's something even more important than granting unrestricted access.

Due to the current, conservative lending conditions, it's important that you try to make your home available to all home buyers, regardless of the type of financing their using. In other words, make your home eligible for purchase by every home buyer, whether they're using an FHA, VA or conventional home loan. When I say this, most homeowners are surprised, and weren't aware that this could even be an issue.

So what does it mean to "make your home eligible for purchase"? It means correcting any problems prior to listing your home for sale, such as making repairs, obtaining permits, confirming that permitted additions and modifications have been recorded with the county recorder's office, etc...

Here are some examples of what I've seen on the market:

  • A Home With Unpermitted Additions

If your home has unpermitted additions or alterations, a buyer using FHA or VA financing may not be able to purchase it, depending on where the changes were made in the home and how they were constructed. And, even if they can, the unpermitted square footage cannot be counted in the appraisal, so your sales price will need to be reduced to a market price, based on the actual permitted size that is reported in the county records.

  • Homes With Structural Defects Or Physical Damage

If your home has structural damage or physical damage, it will not typically qualify for any type of financing at all, and you will be forced to sell your home to a real estate investor or other type of home buyer paying cash. In this case, be prepared to heavily discount your price; Real estate investors are looking for a bargain, and they know that you have a limited amount of potential home buyers available.

  • Condo Complex Is Not FHA Approved

If you own a condominium, it's in your best interests to contact your homeowners association and/or management company as soon as possible, and urge them to complete the FHA approval process, if they haven't already done so. This is absolutely vital, given the fact that so many first time home buyers are using FHA financing to purchase a condo right now.

As you can see, there are many things to consider if you need to sell your home quickly and for as much money as possible. All of the staging and de-cluttering in the world won't help, if you unintentionally reduce the number of home buyers that you have to choose from.

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Comments (5)

Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

'Funky Flavored'....hmmmm...

(And yes, some homes may have a typical 'cooking smell' of spices..)

Any solution to 'de-smell' such homes?

May 31, 2012 03:55 PM
Momentum Realty
North Orange County CA Real Estate Specialists - Yorba Linda, CA
Orange County CA Real Estate Agent

Hi Praful,

I was actually using it more as a metaphor, and referring to the unique style, use of a room, or non-traditional structure of a home, but I have heard that the "Living Air" purifier removes all odors. And if that fails, opening the windows couldn't hurt ; )

Thanks for reading and commenting! Have a great weekend ahead!

Gina

May 31, 2012 04:12 PM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Thanks Gina, great advice, I also liked the Funky flavor expression.  And yes the living air purifier does a great job of getting the odors out and if in an enclosed room it will also get rid of mildew and insects.

May 31, 2012 04:37 PM
Momentum Realty
North Orange County CA Real Estate Specialists - Yorba Linda, CA
Orange County CA Real Estate Agent

Hi Bob,

You're welcome, and thanks for the feedback on the purifier! It's always good to have info like that, in case you encounter a home with a lot of pets or smokers, and who knew about the mildew and insects? Well... I guess you did- ha ha!

Have a great weekend!

Gina

Jun 01, 2012 01:54 AM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Hi Gina, yes I love those purifier, they are like magic for a landlord, unfortunately they are very expensive and don't last as long as they should, I am on my third one in 10 years.

Have a great weekend too

Bob

 

Jun 01, 2012 02:41 AM