Moving is stressful (mandatory industry statement), but selling a house before making an international move can ratchet the stress levels way up. While relocating to a new country, it is as important for one to leave their affairs in order as it is to appreciate the fact that the new country presents a different culture and way of doing things.
Supposing you get a contract for a swanky new job abroad. While the international move is guaranteed, you will likely face the challenge of offloading the property you own in your current country. Selling a house is usually a lengthy process, but when you need to do it quickly, it can (and usually does) get overwhelming, especially when you are planning a move as well. In lieu of this, we’re presenting the following tips to consider when selling a home quickly before making an international move.
1. Fix any major problems
This one is pretty obvious — everyone wants to live decently, and houses in good condition usually fetch a higher price than those that need additional renovation. The things that most buyers pay attention to are things like water intrusion that can cause wood rot and mould, cracks, damaged roofing, insect infestations, and warping.
You especially need to pay attention to things that affect the structural integrity of the house, as this is a major dealbreaker.
Don’t let the buyers feel like they have to incur more costs on top of buying the house. So whether it’s a leaking roof, faulty faucet, or shattered windowpane, fix it.
2. Update the décor
You want to attract buyers. While everyone has different tastes, it’s important to look at the market, see what’s in fashion and do a moderate redecoration. You don’t want to overdo it since the buyer may have a different preference. So just make it subtle so that it looks modern while at the same time leaving room for the buyer to get creative and decorate it to their own taste. Paint (or at least wash) the interior walls and ensure the finishing is of high quality. Whatever pieces you choose to decorate with, make sure they are simple and tasteful. Rearrange the house in a modern way and don’t hesitate to get the opinion of your realtor, which brings us to the third point:
3. Find a real estate agent/realtor
Finding a buyer is an entire process on its own, and your time may be squeezed as you’re planning for your new life abroad. It is therefore prudent to find a professional to handle the selling aspect of your home. Realtors have a very good understanding of the real estate market, and a really good real estate agent will make the go a lot faster and negotiate on your behalf.
Find a knowledgeable real estate agent who will give you a good valuation of the house, and more importantly, one who will get you buyers and give you selling points. This greatly reduces your stress and responsibilities and enables you to focus entirely on the move.
4. Boost Curb appeal
First impressions matter. The first thing your potential buyers see should be alluring. It will definitely add to the appeal of your house to have a blooming flower bed, a freshly painted front/garage door, and a neat litter-free lawn. These seemingly small things do entice buyers to go in and have a look at the house.
5. Incentives
One of the best ways for businesses of any kind to attract customers is to include free bonuses as part of the purchase. In the context of quickly disposing of a piece of real estate, you can do things like offering your furniture along with the house or offer to cover their inland house moving costs with a reputable moving company when they move in. Whatever incentives you give, make them tasteful and desirable. The quality of your incentive might just be the thing that makes them buy from you instead of someone else.
6. Get an appraisal
While you may want to sell your house quickly and get on with your international move, it’s important for you to know the value of your house. Before the appraisal, list all the renovations done along with the associated costs. Ask your realtor to accompany you during the appraisal as they can help by detailing the more unique benefits of the house.
PRO TIP: Manage your expectations when getting an appraisal done so you’re not disappointed by the value declared.
7. Consider market conditions when pricing your house
Economic factors do come to play when selling your house. In a tough market, a high asking price may put off buyers, so you may want to compromise on price and reduce it to a reasonable amount. The opposite is also true: in a booming market, you are able to fetch higher prices for your house. All in all, you need to adjust the asking price depending on how the condition of the housing market. Remember, the asking price of your house heavily determines how quickly you can find a willing buyer.
8. Stage your home to sell
This is showing your home at its best. Photography is a great way to show your house to potential buyers, as listing photos help draw buyers.. You may want to hire a professional photographer to shoot your house and even do a video to showcase everything. Show all the rooms and their purpose, show all the space that is available. People are attracted to large spaces. Stage the outdoor areas as well, showing the best view they offer and the relaxing places.
In the listing, make sure your real estate agent only includes photos of your home’s most attractive rooms, plus written descriptions of the other spaces. Potential buyers will be attracted by your home’s best features and this may help you quickly sell your house.
9. Do an open house
Potential buyers will want to come and visit the house. Always make sure that on the day of the open house that the house is clean and well organized. Remove any personal items and valuables and keep them in a safe inaccessible place. Talk with your neighbors about your plans. Not only is it nice to give them a heads up that you’re leaving, but they can help market the property.
In today’s time of COVID-19, in order to reduce the number of people coming to your living space, you can do a virtual open house where you showcase the house using videoconferencing tools.
10. Gather the necessary documents
Make sure you have all the documents that pertain to that particular property, including but not limited to title deeds, appraisal reports, and mortgage agreement(s). Having these documents in order will prevent any unnecessary hitches in the selling process.
11. List the house
List the house on the internet on sites like zillow.com and buyrentkenya.com to show that it’s up for sale. Also, put up a sign on your front door to show it’s up for sale. Don’t forget to include contacts so they can reach you or the real estate agent.
12. Say goodbye to your house
When you have lived in your house for so long, you may get emotionally attached to it. Prepare yourself mentally and physically for the move. You could even hold a party or ceremony to commemorate your move.
13. Get ready to move
This is the stage where you procure the services of a professional relocation company. You may opt to gradually move your goods into storage before doing the eventual move to create space in the house to showcase it, and many of them do have such storage facilities. Movers like Nellions™ can help you with things like custom advisory, and since they’ve been doing it for a while, it makes the actual move run way smoother and in a timely fashion.
Selling a house quickly before an international move can be challenging, but this guide will help make things easier for you. While your mover will help you with the moving process, you don’t want to leave any unfinished business. Offset the property so you can have peace of mind and start on a clean slate in your new country.
