“Am I obliged to clean my house when selling?” is a common question most property sellers ask.
Generally, the answer is no. You can most definitely sell your home as is. However, doing this can reduce the potential to gain more equity from the property sale. Dedicating extra time and money in cleaning and repairing your house before selling can significantly increase its selling price.
You should also keep in mind that the clutter would reflect how the previous owner cared for the home. It may create an impression that the house was not well maintained, pushing away potential buyers.
If your house and its furniture are in a good condition, you can market it as a turnkey rental to serviced accommodation rental owners, landlords and similar investors. You can also choose to employ the help of an estate agent as they already have a network of buyers. Their expertise in marketing homes will surely help you sell a house full of furniture fast. This is aside from the fact that they have tremendous experience in negotiating deals.
Just keep in mind, that employing one will cost you money –often up to 3 percent of your home sale. There is also a chance that it might slow down the sale at the start, as they will aim to stage your house which may encounter additional costs.
Nonetheless, if your house is not in its ideal condition and you just want to get rid of it in the fastest time possible, traditional investors are your go to buyers. You may get a lower return than if you chose to declutter and do some minor repairs, but, hey, ‘time is money’.
If you have the extra time and you are willing to do so, making small efforts to make your home presentable to sell will benefit you profoundly. Below are some tips on how to declutter a house fast to sell.
Take all the things you want from the property and remove them from the property
This will make the house a clean slate that will make room for the new owner to customise. Removing personal items like family photos and clothes can help the prospective buyer imagine themselves living in the home.
After selecting furniture you think is nice to include as a package with the property, you can choose to put the remaining items for sale, donation, or disposal.
In choosing items included in the home package, pick those that will create a nice aesthetic, ambience and a sense of function in the home. A lovely interior design will add charm to the house and will build an impression to the buyers on the potential of the house.
Some items to include for sale are antiques, rare items, and jewelries. You can put them for auction, post them on websites, or sell them on a yard sale. You can post them on Craigslist, Ebay, and Facebook Marketplace.
Alternatively, after choosing the things you wish to take, you can just hire an estate agent to do the rest.
In choosing an estate agent make sure to check their license and research their experience. Take time to check for customer reviews and reach out to their previous clients. It is also important to ask them on how they usually operate and how much they think you can sell your property for.
It is also important to keep an inventory of all the things in the home. This will let you and your agent estimate accurately and easily the individual cost of the furniture and their sum. Secondly, it is a nice thing to include in your ad, as it will give an overview of the items included in the house package. This will let the potential buyers make a sense on how you and your agent came up with the selling price.
Moreover, do not forget to include flattering photos of the property and all the furniture in it.
Lastly, price your property right
It might be tempting to jack up the price of your property because of the additional items included. However, keep in mind that the prospective buyers might not even like your taste in design at all. Sometimes, the furniture included can become a burden to the buyer.
Taken together, there are different routes you can take to sell a house full of furniture fast. It all depends on your preferences and capability.
About Richard Mews
Richard has 31+ years of property experience, has been Chairman of several regeneration committees and has helped more than 600 homeowners and landlords get easy, stress-free personal solutions for selling their property. Richard’s goal is to give you unbiased help to receive a quick house sale, even if that means not working with him.
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