How I Sold My House in a Day
This past month, we did the unthinkable. We sold our house in less than 24 hours. But let me not get ahead of myself, there were things that we did to prepare for the day that we listed that I personally believed helped us sell it sooo quickly.
First, you need to find a good, reliable realtor. I was fortunate to still be connect with Stacie Gooch of Ebby Halliday who sold us the house. Gotta love Facebook 😉 We actually contacted her last November. She was great on informing us when we should sell our house. In North Texas, especially the suburbs, April – July is the best time, as many families move in the summer for easy transition into a new school. The realtor is also wise on how to price your house. I researched on other houses in the neighborhood and also sites like zillow.com before speaking about the listing price. Fortunately for us, Stacie’s suggestion was EXACTLY what we were thinking about listing the house.
Next, we replaced the carpet with frieze. I think this was truly the BEST thing we did. It was worth the money as it made the house look brand new. I also painted a few rooms and washed every wall with Mister Clean Magic Sponge. BTW that sponge is magical – erased all my kids “artwork” on the house. 😉
Finally, my realtor hired a professional real estate photographer to take pictures of the house. To prep for this, Stacie gave some great advice on how to stage our house. First, take EVERYTHING off your kitchen and bathroom counters. Hide all electronics other than the TV. Turn on ALL the lights. Move furniture to help “fill” a room, but do NOT clutter a room.
So, the day arrived when my realtor listed the house, and my phone didn’t stop ringing. From 9AM-7:30 PM, we had prospective buyers come through the house. The next day, our realtor called, and we met to discover that we had two offers on the table. Since the house was sooo popular, the buyers brought an offer that we couldn’t refuse.
Note: When you list your house, you must think of it like it is no longer yours. Don’t get too emotionally attached, or it will be harder to sell. Don’t get greedy as buyers can tell. Pray and know that with all your hard work, your house will sell.
Jennifer
Wife. Mom. Editor. Host. Speaker. Culinary Explorer. Fashionista. Altruist. Persuader. Coffee Aficionado. Arachnophobic.
9 Comments
Smart & Sassy Mom
Awesome post. It took us 90 days wish I had read this first. Great looking home as well!
Jennifer B
Thanks, Sheree!
Autumn Rose
Hey Jennifer, While the selling part is really hard, I think sometimes the moving is even harder. I’ll never share how many times I moved until I got married, but each time I said “I’ll never do this again.” However, did you know that there’s a service now that will take all the pain out of organizing your move? http://www.themovemagicians.com is DFW-based, but can handle your move to and from anywhere! Between your tips and their service, the thought of moving doesn’t seem so bad anymore:)
Jennifer B
Autumn, Kelly told me about this company – but too late in the game. Right now, I just want unpackers (kust kidding but not).
Kristi B
That is awesome! Congratulations!!
dany chandra
Very informative blog!!…I really liked your blog, appreciate the great information about sell my apartment
many thanks…
Max Schear
Whoa! I applaud you for a job well done. Selling a house isn’t easy, and it takes a lot of strategic planning. You definitely made a great choice in seeking professional advice, and hiring a real estate photographer. It was all worth it. 🙂
Jennifer B
Thanks, Max! Professional advice is always the way to go 🙂
Lakisha Zimmerer
This may be a little surreal for some, but nonetheless, it can be possible. Know who to turn to then add some luck to the formula. 😉 You’re absolutely right with finding a good, reliable realtor being the first thing to do. They know what tricks to do to get your house hot in the market. Staging your house right for the pictures worked totally fast. Congratulations!
Lakisha Zimmerer