Selling quickly to meet a deadline is a common
concern for home sellers. A recent National Association of
Realtors survey found that 55% of home sellers were in a hurry
when they put their home for sale. Some of the most important
items to keep in mind when selling with a deadline are:
Preparing your home for
the sale In most neighborhoods, if you must close on
your home sale within 8 to 10 weeks, then you should put your
home on the market quickly and not delay for home preparation.
Remember, most closings occur 4 to 6 weeks after you have
found a buyer and agreed on price. Consider hiring a cleaning
service to thoroughly clean your house if you don't have time.
Follow the advice contained in Preparing
Your Home, but remember that any delay in preparing
your home may be costly.
Pricing your home for sale
Pricing appropriately
is even more important for sellers with a deadline. Consider
hiring an appraiser that can quickly suggest a value for your
property. Calculate the financial and dollar cost of missing
your deadline. If you are relocating to another city, don't
forget to calculate:
the cost, time, or financial risk of buying
another home without your current home sold;
the cost and time required to get temporary
housing if you need your current home to sell before you
buy another home in your new city;
the cost and time required to maintain
and secure your home when you are out of town,
the cost and time required to visit your
family members who stay with the home until it sells,
the cost and time of keeping pets in a
kennel,
the reduced purchase price you will receive
because your home is vacant when it is shown,
travel expenses returning to your town
to move your personal belongings or attend closing, and
any other costs or time your missed deadline
may require.
