10 Ways to Sell Your House Quickly in a Competitive Market

The best way to sell your house quickly in a competitive market is to present it in a way which will appeal to the masses.

More enquiries and inspections = more interest and offers to buy.

A stagnant listing can create doubt in a buyers’ mind when it comes to the marketplace. While it’s not ideal to settle for a low price with a shotgun sale, you also don’t want your house to stay on the market for too long because you will most likely need the funds for your next move, plus sometimes you just want to move on to the next chapter of your life.

So how do you sell your house quickly in a competitive market? The short answer is you have to make your house stand out from the rest.

And how does one do that? Read this list and proactively adopt each tip in the house you wish to sell.

Tip 1: Do a thorough analysis of your house and make a list of repairs and updates

It’s important to do an analysis of your home through the eyes of a potential buyer. What are the eyesores that need to be fixed? What could be added to the property which can add value, but won’t cost you much with the installation? Walk from room to room and make a list of items that need to be worked on.

There are SO many tips on repainting this and replacing that. If you have an older property where the likelihood of the sale is to become a fixer upper, it may be foolish to spend a lot of money to update the home. It may be best to present the house in a way where outdated finishes are removed and replaced with a blank canvas for the budding renovator to work from. So just be mindful of which of the following tips will work for your property.

Tip 2: Paint over murals, feature walls and remove the wallpaper

The best tip to depersonalize a home interior is to strip it back to a neutral palette. This can be done by painting the walls white. In fact, when in doubt, always choose white. White offers a fresh look and helps a buyer visualize what they can do to the walls. Your paring it back gives the buyer a blank canvas for them to work with. It also removes the time and costs involved in removing old wall coverings. This is a win win in the buyer’s mind.

Tip 3: Present a useable and stylish kitchen

Renovating a kitchen is not usually on the cards for many when selling a house. If you have an old kitchen, present it in the best way possible. You don’t want to spend time and money on repainting a kitchen which may be demolished by the new owner. So present the kitchen in a better way. Some of these tips and tricks can help

• Paint over old cabinetry and replace the door handles
• Paint over or re-tile the splashback
• Replace the kitchen taps
• Re-grout around the sink and splashback areas
• Update lighting or add a pendant light over a bench
• Update benchtops only and leave the cabinetry
• Update the window coverings
• Clear all benches and ensure the kitchen is stripped of all personal belongings

Tip 4: Update bathroom by replacing taps and fixtures

Like the kitchen, a bathroom renovation can be costly. It is often one of the first areas a potential buyer will update when they buy a property. But it can also be the place that draws a buyer to make an offer. Here are some tips to help present your bathroom in the best possible light.

• Give the bathroom a thorough clean
• Remove clutter from benches
• Paint over tiles
• Replace lighting and window coverings
• Replace taps
• Clean or paint over grout
• Add extra towel rails
• Paint walls and ceilings
• Add an exhaust fan and heat lamp
• Replace the toilet and cistern – or just the toilet seat. You decide.
• Add a plant or two

Tip 5: Give your front door curb appeal

The front door is the welcome point to your home. Refresh the front door by repainting it or replacing the lock and handle. Add some pot plants and a new welcome mat. It’s the little things that can really spruce your front entrance.

Tip 6: Clean carpets and rugs

It’s important to look down and get carpets and rugs professionally cleaned. These will present the best obviously, but it will also help when moving out of the home and leaving the house in its cleanest possible state.

Tip 7: Replace air con vents or repaint existing ones

Look up and check the colour of the air con and heating vents. Repaint or replace them. Often these turn yellow after time, replacing them will re-freshen your home.

Tip 8: Clean the garage

A neat and tidy garage will make the space look bigger than it is. It also offers a buyer the chance to consider storage space for cars and all their belongings. Storage is a good selling point and buying consideration with any property.

Tip 9: Update gardens and pressure clean roof and driveway

Consider the external area of your house so it presents in the best light. Repainting a house exterior is a big job. Sometimes a good pressure clean and adding some plants to the garden and re-mulching can give the desired update needed.

Tip 10: Stage your home to sell

Home staging is really all of these tips we’ve shared, but it’s the most important way to display your house in a way which will appeal to buyers. You can read our home staging mistakes to avoid. Here is an example of a staged home by a professional. This staged home sold within 3 weeks at auction and was the highest sale in the area to date for this year. Home staging works and it will result in a quick sale in a slow market. You can do it yourself, or engage a professional.

What tips can you share which have resulted in a quick sale in a competitive market?