Deciding to place your home on the market is a big step, and the process of selling your home can be drawn out. With jobs, kids, and the everyday craziness of life, you may be wondering how to sell your house while still living in it?
Fortunately, millions of homeowners have done just this. It is possible to do and to do easily.
How To Sell Your House While Still Living In It
Staged homes are beautiful – but unfortunately, very impractical to live in. And they can also be expensive. If you plan on staying in your home while selling your house, it might be worth it to take a few extra steps to make your life easier and less stressful.
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Pack Up Boxes
You plan to move anyways, right? This is a great time to de-clutter and begin putting things away. Go through each room and create three piles: donate, keep and throw away.
This is a great way to minimize the number of things you will be boxing up and taking to your new place. Hopefully, your home will not be on the market for very long; only keep out what you really need for that short amount of time.
Spend Time Away
This is a great time to go on that family trip you’ve been planning forever. Employ a Real Estate Agent you can trust and hit the road! Organize and tidy up before you leave, and hopefully, by the time you return, you will have a solid contract in your hands.
You don’t necessarily have to take a week-long getaway either. Schedule a few day trips to some local hangouts. Stepping away during the day will reduce the stress you may feel trying to keep everything looking perfect at home.
Employ Home Services
First impressions are everything. While your house is on the market, it may be wise to hire someone to come a few times a month to clean the house or take care of the yard maintenance.
This is a good way to ensure that your home will stay looking its best while on the market and attract the most buyers possible!
Make Repairs
Now is a great time to finally tackle that honey-do list you’ve been putting off forever. Leaving repairs for potential buyers to take care of will only hurt your chances of getting your desired asking price.
During the home-selling process, a home inspection will be done. It might be wise to order your own inspection before listing and take care of the noted repairs ahead of time.
This way, your agent can present potential buyers with a clean inspection, which will make your home look steps above the rest.
Depersonalize Your Space
Potential buyers want to picture themselves living in the home as soon as they walk in, so it could be a good idea to remove anything that would hinder this.
Large family photos, personal memories, items with names can all be taken down and placed in boxes to be moved into your new home.
This step can also help protect your family’s security. Taking down photos of your family won’t allow buyers to know whose home they are walking into. This can provide a big sigh of relief for parents.
Send Pets Away
We love our pets, but they can make keeping a house clean just as difficult as kids can! Aside from shedding hair, many pets will leave a lingering odor that can immediately turn potential buyers away.
If possible, consider boarding your pets or sending them to live with a family member or close friend while your home is on the market. Remove any trace of a pet from your home, including litter boxes, kennels, toys, and repair any damages that your pet may have caused.
This will be a huge relief for your agent and any buyers that come to showings as well. It’s never ideal for dealing with someone else’s pet while you are trying to do a walkthrough of a home.
Preparing for Showings
Other than preparing your home to be listed ahead of time, there are a few things you can do before each show to make your home feel welcome to buyers.
Quick Tidy
Develop an easy routine to do before each show. Run through the house and pick up anything off the floor, stick dishes in the dishwasher, wipe down surfaces and make sure beds are covered!
This is the moment you will be so glad you decluttered and boxed up as much as you could! Having fewer belongings in the home will only make this quick tidy easier.
Leave the House
Buyers want to feel comfortable in your home. Take a walk around the block or take care of a few errands during showings.
If you are hanging around, they may not relax and never get “that” feeling they need to move forward and make an offer.
Communicate With Your Agent
Are you running behind from work or unable to make sure your home is ready for a showing? Let your agent know, and maybe they can help out!
Pushing a showing back a few minutes to allow yourself to bring your home up to its show-ready level is totally worth it.
Smell Is Everything
Maybe you love cooking homemade Cajun food, or perhaps you’re known for your seafood. Unfortunately, this may have to be put on hold while you are selling your home.
As much as you and your family love these meals, they can leave a lingering smell throughout your home for one or two days.
Take this opportunity to try out the local eateries in your community, or maybe the new area you will be moving to!
Understanding a Contingent Contract
You got an offer! But it’s contingent. What does that even mean? It is important to not only look at the amount of the offer but the stipulations of the offer as well.
A contingent offer on a real estate purchase oftentimes is one in which a buyer must sell his existing home before closing on a new one. If the buyer’s home does not sell before a specific date, the contract will then be terminated.
Should You Accept A Contingent Offer?
Contingent offers are not at all out of the ordinary, but should you trust them? There is never a guarantee that the buyer’s current home will sell. But then again, there is never any guarantee that any home will sell.
Real estate is all about collecting as many facts as possible and making the best decision to move forward. Ask questions about the potential buyer’s current home and talk with your Real Estate Agent about its ability to sell.
Is the home in a desirable neighborhood? Is it priced correctly? What is the current market like for that type of home, and will it hold up your home sale?
Utilize this contingent offer as leverage in negotiations. Perhaps this will help you get the sales price you want. It may take a little longer, but if you have the time, it can help you out in the long run.
Cash is King
In today’s real estate market, there is nothing quite like getting a cash offer. When you are selling your home, this is usually the most simple escrow process and can mean a really quick close! Without a lender involved, many steps that can take a few weeks will not be necessary.
Ask for proof of funds before accepting an offer to make sure you deal with a legitimate buyer. After the confirmation, the escrow process will begin, and then you can close!
Side-Stepping the Listing Process
Listing your home can be a long and difficult process. Quite a bit of money can be required to get your home up to where it needs to receive maximum value. Fortunately, there are ways around this. Companies like iBuyer.com will make instant cash offers to purchase your home.
Understanding iBuyer Companies
The great thing about iBuying is that they will generally offer you fair market value for your home, compared to an investor looking to flip a house for profit.
This process will get you a qualified home sale without the headaches of inspections, appraisals, and showings. This is the ideal answer for homeowners with hectic schedules and not much time to devote to the real estate process.
Receive Your Free Home Valuation
If you are looking for a quick and easy sale, iBuyer.com is definitely for you. Our home-buying process is simple and proven to work.
Receive a free home offer within 48-hours, chose your preferred closing date, and take a deep breath, knowing you won’t have to deal with the headache of figuring out how to sell your house while still living in it.
Submit your address to get started. Our knowledgeable specialists are available Monday – Friday to take your calls. Join the army of satisfied home-sellers around the country and sell your home quickly!
