Anyone who’s ever decided to sell their home knows how stressful the whole endeavour can be. What can make matters worse is when a home isn’t selling or is taking longer than expected to sell.
While there is no hard and fast rule as to how long it should take for a home to sell, there are ways to get the ball rolling a bit quicker if you fear your home isn’t garnering as much interest as you’d like or is ultimately taking too long to sell. Here are our five top tips:
1. Reconsider when to sell
Although it is always possible to sell a home, the timing of when you choose to put your home on the market is incredibly important. For example, you may have listed your home during the holidays when people are away and not actively seeking a new home. Or you may have listed it before the national elections when uncertainty in the country’s future is at its highest. Whatever the case, removing your listing and waiting for things to settle or for people to return to their everyday life could work to your advantage. Research shows that most people actively look to move to a new house in Spring, so it might be worthwhile speaking to your local estate agent and finding out what the pattern or trend is for your area and adjusting your listing accordingly.
2. Consider renting or a rent-to-own option
If times are tough and you are struggling to pay your bond and other property fees while waiting for your home to be sold, it might be worthwhile moving into something more manageable and renting out your home. This may allow you to temporarily cover the costs of your bond, or a part thereof, until your home is eventually sold. Another possible solution is offering potential buyers the option to rent your home before they decide to buy, especially if they aren’t 100% sure they’re ready to buy. This means you can rent your home out at a slightly higher rent than normal as a guarantee to the potential buyers that they have first option should they choose to pursue the sale.
3. Give your home a spring clean
There’s nothing more off-putting for potential buyers than walking into a cluttered and messy home, when it comes time to view a potential property. Be sure that your home is neat and that any unnecessary junk or clutter has been removed or thrown away. Areas to pay particular attention to are the kitchen and bathroom counters, table tops, and display shelves, as these really set the scene and affect the imagination of potential buyers. You can also take things a step further and rearrange your furniture to create a more inviting and homely space. Consider things from a potential buyer’s perspective and be sure that they can easily navigate their way through your home without stepping on or tripping over anything. More often than not, buyers want to see an open yet homely space and not one that feels cluttered and impractical to live in.
Read more: Marie Kondo's decluttering tips
4. Promote your home to the max
In some cases, a home could take a while to sell simply because there aren’t as many eyeballs on it as there could be, so it’s imperative that you get your listing out there in as many places as you can, as often as you can. Also be sure to keep your listings up-to-date as some listings expire without any notifications. Keeping your listing current or constantly renewing your listing will also ensure it appears near to the top of a search page which is exactly where you want it to be.
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5. Reassess your agent
In some instances, the reason a home isn’t selling fast enough could be attributed to the estate agent assigned to your listing. Estate agents are only human and therefore some are better at selling properties than others. Changing your agent may therefore be a simple way to get a fresh set of eyes on your property as well as a fresh burst of energy and motivation so consider how well your agent is working for you and whether or not you feel you are getting the best out of them. That said, if you are operating as your own agent (thanks to the power of self-listing property services like Private Property), it’s also worthwhile considering bringing in a professional to get the job done if you haven’t had any luck on your own.
At the end of the day, selling a home isn’t rocket science but it does ultimately take time and patience and sometimes even a bit of luck. That said, it may be worthwhile taking a step back and giving it a go at another time. At other times, it might call for a fresh perspective and a few simple tweaks to ensure someone out there sees your home, falls in love with it and signs on the dotted line.