Do you need to sell your Massachusetts house…like yesterday? In general, selling a home is usually stressful, so much so that people have said it’s worse than going through a divorce or bankruptcy. Add needing to sell a house fast, and the pressure is on!
The need to move quickly could be for several reasons, for a new job in another state, financial hardships like mortgage paying trouble, or because you’re tired of dealing with never-ending home repairs.
Whatever the reason may be that you’d like to sell your house fast now, you do have your work cut out for you. However, there are a few tips for selling your home fast that would be worth trying to get a sold sign in the yard. The more proactive you are, the better your chances of selling your house fast in Massachusetts. So let’s get started!
Learn How To Sell Your House Fast Now
Tips for Selling Your House Fast Now
Since time is of the essence, you need to do things that don’t require a lot of it. Below are some ideas and tips on things you can do to increase your chances of selling your house fast that aren’t time-consuming.
Make Minor Repairs
To increase your chances of selling quickly, you’ll want to make some minor repairs around the house. Examples of minor repairs would include:
- Touching up paint on walls
- Tightening a leaky faucet
- Unclogging drains
- Fixing loose door handles or knobs
The best way to figure out what needs to be done around the house is to take a walk around the inside and outside of your home. Think about what buyers would like to see or would notice that’s wrong about your house. For example, if there is moss on the siding, powerwash it off, if there are scuff marks on the wall, paint over them, or clean them with a magic eraser. If the toilet keeps running, fix the handle or replace it. If you’re unsure how to do a minor repair, you can always look on YouTube for how-to videos.
Since you don’t have a lot of time, any major repairs will have to be done by the next homeowner. Examples of major repairs would include:
- Foundation issues
- Leaky roof
- Mold
- Termite damage
- Water damage
To fix these issues can take several days to a week or two to finish, so if you have any of these problems with your house, you’ll need to consider pricing lower to accommodate repair costs.
Although this doesn’t fall into the minor repair category, make sure you clean your house, declutter as best you can, and do some yard work. Clean and organized homes show better. And don’t forget to cut the grass and weed the flower beds. This will help add some curb appeal to interested buyers passing by.
Paint Your House
If you have time, consider painting your house. If it’s been a while since the exterior of the home has been painted, it will help to add a fresh coat of paint. Chipping paint and rotting wood usually deter potential buyers. So getting the wood replaced and the house either painted or touched up will show better results. You may be able to find a handyman that can replace the wood and paint the house within a couple of days.
Usually, to hire someone to paint a house in Massachusetts costs about $3.53 a square foot. So if your place is 2,500 square feet, you’re looking at $8,825.
If you don’t have the extra time or money to paint your house, you can at least touch up the paint on the front door and mailbox. That should only take you a few hours to do and cost under $50.
Offer an Incentive to House Buyers
Who doesn’t like incentives? So why not sweeten the deal for any buyer interested in purchasing your home. Offering an incentive with a deadline could help you sell your house fast.
Some incentives would include:
- Buying down their interest rate
- Include furniture or window treatments
- Credit them for repairs
- Offering the buyer’s agent a higher commission
- Or provide a small bonus for meeting the closing date
Some of these incentives may cost you a few hundred dollars others a few thousand dollars, but at least it should help you sell your house faster.
If you don’t have any extra money to spare, consider the furniture or window treatment option. Maybe there are some pieces of furniture you weren’t planning on keeping when you moved out or window treatments that aren’t your style anymore. You could offer those to your buyer to sweeten the deal and save yourself the hassle of moving them or trying to sell them.
Sometimes buyers will mention how they like a particular furnishing to their agent, so you may be able to get more information about what painting or rug caught their attention.
One local homeowner had this happen to them. During a showing, the prospective buyer mentioned how they liked several pieces of furniture and art in the home, the buyer’s agent mentioned that to the seller’s agent, and they were able to work out a deal for the buyer to purchase some of the furniture when they closed on the property. The seller was able to move out and leave the items, and the buyer was able to move in with the house practically furnished. It was a win-win for both of them!
Market Your House on Social Media
The more eye’s on your listing, the better! Social media is a great way to advertise your listing and get it in front of more people. So create a post on Facebook and Instagram with photos and a description of your home. Then ask your friends and family to share the listing too. Maybe as an incentive, you can offer a gift card as a reward if their share results in the sale of your home. Just make it for a large enough amount for people to take an interest, like a couple of hundred dollars.
Highlight Interesting Features of Your House
Unless you own a newer home or made recent renovations, selling an outdated place fast may be a bit tricky. However, you can always highlight the interesting features of your home to appeal to buyers. Features could include if your house is in a great location, neighborhood, quiet street, or cul-de-sac. What style of architecture your home has. If your property has any original features like solid oak wood floors or built-ins. If the house has a screened-in porch, a pool, garden, or balcony- make sure to mention these features. The square footage could even sell people, the number of bedrooms, and bathrooms or if it’s in a great school district. You’d be surprised what buyers are looking for in Massachusetts.
Should You Sell to a Cash Home Buyer?
So you’ve probably figured out by now the chances of selling the traditional way will be difficult for you to sell within 7 days. The only way you can sell your house fast now in that amount of time is to work with a cash buyer. Cash buyers don’t have to wait on bank financing, loan approval, contingencies, and home inspections.
Selling to a local home buyer would be perfect in this particular situation. They would be able to make you a cash offer within 24-hours and close within 7 days. They also would purchase your home in as-is condition; you wouldn’t have to worry about making any repairs, cleaning, or painting.
Another advantage to working with a cash home buyer is that they don’t charge real estate commissions or service fees; they will even help pay closing costs. That alone may be a savings of several thousand dollars.
Just be cautious when looking for a local home buying company; some could be a scam.
A few things to look for in a reputable home buyer are a professional website, actual reviews from previous clients, and BBB accreditation. You’ll want to make sure whatever they claim to offer online is what they offer over the phone and that they would be willing to put everything in writing.
One such home buyer that meets these criteria is Hampden Homebuyers. They are a real estate solutions company based out of Springfield, Massachusetts, and help homeowners looking to sell fast in the upper northeast. They have fantastic online reviews and are family-owned. If you’d like to hear more about their home buying process, feel free to visit their website for more information.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, there isn’t some secret formula that can sell your house faster. At least when you’re trying to sell the traditional way, with an agent or by owner.
Currently, the average number of days on the Massachusetts housing market is 43 before getting an offer, which doesn’t include the usual 30-60 days closing period. So you’re looking at 2-3 months before officially selling your home.
If you need to sell your house fast now, to take a new job in another state, avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy, or to finally part ways with a place that has significant repairs needed; working with a local home buyer will be your surest way to sell within 7 days.
Hampden Homebuyers has helped a number of people in similar situations to sell their houses quickly in Massachusetts. Instead of worrying about when you’re going to sell and making every possible effort to sell your home fast, consider selling to Hampden Homebuyers and move on your schedule.