As reported by the Houston Association of Realtors, there were more than 31,000 active listings in October 2020. While the number of listings was really huge, only about 11,200 properties were actually sold. This implies that being a seller, you need to set a structured strategy to sell your house in Houston during this competitive market.
You may already be aware that your house loses its value while it stays on the market. So, making sure that the house sale happens at the earliest date is the top priority. Below are 7 tips for you that help you sell your Houston house fast.
1. A tidy home creates a lasting impression
Before you list your home, clean every nook and cranny. The looks of your home will leave an everlasting impression in the mind of the prospective buyer. Home photos that you put online say a lot about the home’s condition.
Merely repainting does not solve the issue. You need to get a thorough cleaning done, and hiring professional cleaners is not a bad idea. When we buy Houston houses, we buy houses as-is with no cleaning, but if you are thinking of selling it yourself be sure that every inch of the house is scanned with a magnifying lens for issues. You want to only proceed with listing the house for sale once all problems have been ironed out.
2. Pricing your home well
Visit online listings for properties listed in your area. Get an idea about the average and median price. You can also check for selling prices for properties in your area that were sold up to one year ago.
Once you gain a perspective on the property prices, the next step is to factor in the variables like seasons, the number of listings in your area, etc. When it comes to seasons, the spring season is when most of the sale/purchase happens; this is when homes are priced higher.
We buy houses in Houston Tx, so we always take a quick peek at the number of listings in the seller’s area which gives us an idea about the competition. If a buyer targets a purchase in your area, your home will be competing with all the other homes in your vicinity. Having an idea about the competition’s quality and vintage will give you a perspective on what price you should ask for your home.
3. Timing Is Everything
As you think of the right season to sell your home, hands down, summers are the best times to do so. Apart from getting a higher price in summer, you also tend to get it sold faster. Families would prefer to make a move during summertime when children are no longer attending classes. On the other hand, winters will often have people putting off home purchases on account of the cold weather and festivities.
Summers are conducive for home visits and buyers can get a full viewing of the property quickly. We buy houses in Houston all year round, but remember that seasons do affect other house buyers in Houston and there is an annual real estate appreciation in the range of 4.5%.
4. Get Professional Home Photos
Once you complete the pre-requisites listed above, putting the pictures online is a no-brainer. Going online gives you access to multitudes of prospective buyers. Pictures speak louder than words in property listings. As they say, “it is never the story, it’s the way it is told” that will convince the buyer to pay your home a visit.
Professional photos act as a hook for the prospective buyer to reach out to you and schedule a visit. A professional photographer will take exquisite interior and exterior images of your property and highlight the best parts. Houston house buyer reviews online are mostly based on the quality of photographs. Although the days on market statistics for Houston have come down to 51 days from 56 days, your property will have a better chance with professional photos.
5. Give your Home the needed update
Home buying is turning into something similar to buying a vehicle. Prospective buyers seem to be more interested in the additional features than the vehicle’s basic specifications. Similarly, home buyers want to know if your Houston house is properly equipped with the latest electric appliances, has the latest in LED lighting, has the latest security setup, etc. When we buy Houston houses, we make sure that the house is up-to-date with modern lifestyle support systems.
These upgrades may seem small to you, but they assure the buyer that no further costs are involved after the purchase. Updates to tiles in the kitchen and bathroom will add grace and give the buyer a ‘new’ look. The conventional wisdom of getting a paint job done around the house still stays valid and practical. These updates play a big role in commanding a better price for your home.
6. Get Exposure through Social Media
Social media can do wonders for your selling your house in Houston. It can help you tap the right audience, i.e., it can help you reach only those interested in buying a home in your area. Houston house buyer reviews help sellers reach the right audience through engagement with audiences.
You can achieve the right people by making a Facebook page for your property. Ensure you enter the address and property details correctly so that the Facebook search directs the prospective buyers directly to your page. You can augment this traffic generation strategy by blogging about your place on the internet. You can even pay for Facebook Ads to harvest the gigantic Facebook userbase and seek out your prospective buyers.
You may use Pinterest, and Instagram, too by publishing professionally-shot photos of your property. While you are at it, you can even get the photographer to shoot a property video to get edited with music and post it on YouTube. You never know how your home buyer will find you.
7. Use the right words in Descriptions
Like Google, most social media searches are driven by keywords and text that you use in your listings and other posts. They are augmented by the use of hashtags that attract potential buyers. Listings go a long way when promoting your property online. The description is just not a brief about the building specifications, area details, and measurements. It is your opportunity to deploy the power of search engines through keywords to rank your property listing on top for online searches originating in your area.
Using professional copywriting services can boost your property listing. A copywriter can help with choosing the best keywords and, at the same time, highlight the best features of your Houston home. They can also incorporate neighborhood details to present an outline of social amenities in the property’s vicinity. They may also create a sense of urgency so that the buyer is prompted to make the purchase sooner rather than later.
In October, Houston homes priced for more than $ 750k saw an 81.6% increase in sales compared to sales in October 2019. A similar uptrend of 78.4% was seen in sales of houses priced between $ 500k and $ 750k. The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) Market Update has many more eye-opening facts, so although this research may be somewhat tedious, it can be helpful to sell your home in Houston if you are willing to do the work. We Buy Houston Real Estate has been buying houses in Houston since the 1990s. We specialize in helping families with their specific real estate needs. Reach out to us and let us help you sell your house in Houston fast in a smooth easy way with zero hassle, or you can follow many of the tips outlined above. Either way, we look forward to providing a solution that works for you.
