When you put your home on the market for sale, you do so expecting that it will sell in a short time period. However, even well-maintained homes can sit on the MLS for long than forecasted because there are a number of things which cause a home not to sell quickly. Selling a home involves a lot more than just staking a sign in the yard and placing a listing on the internet. Your home must be in its best condition, priced appropriately, and potential buyers must be given freedom to tour.

Some sellers make certain mistakes and learn from them after the fact. The best strategy for selling a home is to put yourself in a buyer’s state of mind. By thinking as a buyer, you’ll quickly bring to your attention possible objections. Remember, no matter how small a problem might be to you, it still remains problematic (read: money) to buyers. The expenses associated with purchasing a home add-up fast and amount to quite a bit.

Ways to Sell a Home on a Tight Timeline

Selling a home always presents certain challenges and if you’re proactive, you can remove friction points before your home is even formally listed for sale. Selling a property on a tight timeline is even more of a challenge, but it can be done. The key is being dedicated to do what’s necessary so you can effectively and efficiently market your property.

“Staging involves deeply cleaning, decluttering, depersonalizing and arranging furnishings to make your house as appealing as possible. According to a survey by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals and StagedHomes.com, 95% of staged homes sell in 23 days or less, on average.” —Kiplinger.com

When you have a deadline to meet, be it a relocation, a need for a another home, your attention is naturally consumed by your schedule. Unfortunately, when you put your focus on your future, you’re taking it away from the sale of your current home. Aside from fixing every single thing that’s broken, which is an absolute must, there are some more clever and practical ways to sell your home on a tight timeline:

• Stage your home to highlight its key features. Everyone knows they are supposed to deep clean their home inside and out and stage it to sell. Unfortunately sellers tend to be unwilling to let go of the very property they’ve listed for sale. Depersonalizing a home works wonders, as does removing clutter and rearranging and/or downsizing furniture to create a sense of more space. Your home likely has a few creature comfort amenities that are key selling points, so highlight these above all.
• Enhance the curb appeal. It’s a well known fact in the real estate world that people form an impression of a property in just 7 to 10 seconds. Make those precious moments count and enhance the curb appeal. By adding a few colorful plants and manicuring the lawn, you’ll do much to impress. What you should not do is to go overboard. While you might have a green thumb and enjoy gardening, not everyone else does. What looks one way to you can appear very different to others.
• Price it right. Your home, no matter what you’ve done to improve it, is worth what the market dictates. That means it’s worth only what a buyer is willing to pay for it. Price it right and don’t base your asking price on your mortgage balance and/or improvements. Setting the right listing price is a very big deal and might lead to having to deal with frustrating and disappointing price reductions in the future.
• List it with picture-perfect photos. Nothing helps to generate interest in a property like picturesque photos. About 90 percent of all homebuyers start their searches on the internet and if you have impressive, alluring photos, with a good description and the right price, your home will attract qualified buyers.

Another thing you can do is to offer a buyer incentive, such as a home warranty, paying the homeowner association fees for a few months, or paying part of the closing costs.