Market

The real estate market is another important factor when considering the sale of your home. In California, we’ve experienced a “seller’s market” for some time, as mentioned above. But, as recent experts have been stating, the shift to a “buyer’s market” is slowly occurring. As seen in the chart below, prices are starting to plateau, which typically means falling home prices will follow in the months and years to come. And when you start to see foreclosures increasing and those houses going to trustee sale auction, then those low sales will start to bring the market down.

Here are the questions I would be asking myself right now. What if we are now at the beginning of the next downturn? Does fixing up my house over the next several months make sense? If the market goes down while I am making those repairs and upgrades, will I get that money back?

Condition

The current condition of your house will absolutely affect the sales price of your home. The condition of a home can range from a major fixer-upper that hasn’t had any remodeling done in years all the way to a newly-renovated, top-of-the-line home with professional staging. There are tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars that can differentiate the two ends of that spectrum. And you need to decide where you are within that range. More on how to determine that later.

If you have the time, money, and ability to make your house a “showcase home”, then, by all means, you should. Sell your home after you have fixed it up and made is perfect for showings. The biggest cost items when remodeling a home are – roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows, kitchen, bath, landscaping, painting, and flooring. You should definitely get bids from contractors for each of these. If you want a rough estimate of what each of these will cost, go to Angie’s List for great resources on costs.

Lastly, you will be dealing with contractors and their schedules. You should definitely consider getting permits, verifying the contractor’s license, and getting references before starting any big remodel. And always make sure to stick within your budget. Remodeling budget tip, add 10% to 15% to your final budget for overages. They happen all the time and you need to know that.

And here’s another tip on working with contractors. Ask them these questions before you hire them:

• How do we deal with cost changes?
• How many other projects are they working on?
• What is the payment plan?
• What is an accurate schedule?
• How do we discuss issues when they arise?

Are you still wondering what to remodel? Remember, you want to remodel for the new buyer, not for yourself, when you are selling your house fast. Here’s a great article from the National Association of Home Builders on What Home Buyers Want in 2019. If you are going all in on fixing your house to sell the house quickly, then definitely pay attention to what buyers want. It will save you lots of money to focus on what they want and are actively shopping for when they are looking at a home to buy.

Location

Location matters. Remember what you’ve heard about real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. You need to ask yourself whether your house is in a desirable location or not. Why? Is the house on a cul-de-sac? Does it back up to an active train track? Is it below a flight pattern for the local airport? Quiet, safe, good school districts. Freeway, street noise, double-yellow, buys, train, industrial, commercial properties nearby, cut-through street?

Based on this information, price your property accordingly. Two properties that are almost identical, but are located on a cul-de-sac versus a busy street, will absolutely sell at different prices.

Short Escrow Period

Here are the absolute best steps to get your house ready to sell fast:

1. a realistic price in mind
2. an objective mindset that will allow you to make quick decisions
3. verify documentation is in order for sale – most importantly ownership documentation and appropriate disclosures for your city, county and/or state.
4. have a list of needed repairs or have the documents showing the previous repairs that were completed
5. list of the features and benefits of the property
6. get rid of all your unwanted items and have a plan for the rest of your stuff
7. have a place to move, if you are still living in the house

What should I do to my house before I sell it?

How do I get my house ready to sell in 30 days? [free printable checklist]

So, you want to sprint and get your house ready for sale in a month. Here are the things you need to do week-by-week. I’ve even included the tricks I use to get a house ready for showings. People who are buying a house are picky in most real estate markets. They may not want to have to put much cash into a property after they buy it, so you want to show the best parts of your house to them. To sell your house fast, show your buyers the value in your house.

Sell Your House Fast – The Master Checklist [2019]

Spring

Especially in California, April through mid-June is a great time to sell a house if you are looking to reach the most buyers. Typically, you can sell your house faster (2 to 3 weeks faster on average) and for more money (3 to 5% more).

Summer

Summer brings increased competition. Especially because families may need to move before the new school year in the fall. After spring, the early summer months can be a great time to sell your house. Late summer when it gets hot and everyone is going on their summer vacations can definitely slow down showings and traffic to open houses. Early summer listings are best.

Fall

Fall sales tend to be less competitive. Families are back in the swing of school. People are all looking at the beginning of the holidays and making plans. Do houses sell in the fall? Yes, of course, but they may take longer to sell and you may not get the price you would have in the spring.

Winter

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