If you’re trying to sell your home, Houston is a good market to be in. The real estate market in Houston is strong and is a market that’s made for buyers and sellers.
Despite the booming market, a lot of Houston homeowners are struggling to sell their homes after the recent floods.
If you’re asking yourself the question “how do I sell my house fast”, this is the post for you.
Selling water damaged property is going to be very different from selling other kinds of real estate. You’re going to need to focus on different selling methods.
Want to learn the answer to the how do I sell my house fast question? Read on to find out.
How Do I Sell My Houston House Fast?
When you’re selling a flood-damaged home, you don’t have to worry about things like curb appeal. You need to focus on mitigating damage to sell fast.
If you need to sell your home fast, there are a few things you can do to get it off the market. If you follow these tips, you’ll sell your house before you know it.
Price It Correctly
Some homeowners will try to sell their home for a higher price early on in the buying process, then lower it to entice buyers.
This method can be helpful when you’re in a hot real estate market like Houston, but it isn’t ideal for people that are trying to sell their home fast.
The first 30 days your home is on the market are going to attract a lot of people. The high price tag may not appeal to some potential buyers.
Now is the time to be realistic about what your house is worth. A home that has been heavily damaged by flood waters will have to be sold for a lower price tag than usual.
If you’re having trouble with pricing, do some research on what other houses in the neighborhood are going for.
Bring In An Inspector
If you’re going to try to do repairs before you sell, bringing in a home inspector can make the repair process easier.
A home inspector can tell you where you most damaged areas are, and let you know what to focus on.
Having a home inspector come out can also help calm buyer fears. Once someone learns that the home has already been inspected, they may be more willing to buy.
Know What Can Be Saved
If you’re asking yourself how do I sell my Houston house fast, the answer to your question may lie within what can be saved in the home.
When you’re trying to sell a flood-damaged home, you don’t want to waste any time trying to salvage things that can’t be saved. If your strategic with your cleaning efforts, you could find a buyer fast.
Most carpets will have to be pulled and tossed. Interested buyers will probably plan to get new carpet once they move in, but taking care of the removal beforehand could sweeten the deal.
Real wood floors can be salvaged if water is removed quickly. It can take a full 4-6 weeks for the wood to dry without warping, but if they’re dried correctly they won’t need much work.
Talk To Your Insurance Provider
If you’re having trouble selling your home, your insurer can help.
Your homeowner’s insurance provider may not be able to buy your home, but the funds they give you could help.
Even if you don’t have flood coverage, you may be able to get some money for other things. Make sure you take a lot of photos and extensively document the damage.
Once you know what money you should receive, you can budget some of that money towards home repairs. The money you get from your provider could help bring in a crew to handle repairs or help finance DIY work.
Consider Selling As-Is
Some people will try to improve the chances of selling their homes by doing repairs beforehand. It’s always a good idea to try to make repairs, but sometimes your time and money may be better spent on other things.
If doing repairs on your own would be too time-consuming and costly, consider selling your home in as-is condition. There are plenty of home buyers that would be willing to come in and perform repairs on their own.
You can still do some small things to improve the condition of your home, but don’t focus on big repairs. Try to keep things dry, but feel free to leave the bigger problems to the next owner.
Handle Garbage Removal
If you’re selling your home as-is, the situation could be more appealing to buyers if you can handle some of the clean up yourself.
Take time to remove your salvageable possessions and toss anything that was damaged by the flood. Haul out any furnitue, and consider stripping the home of any carpet.
Also be sure to pay extra attention to your kitchen. Food can go bad quickly after a flood, and removing that ASAP can cut down on mold and unpleasant smells.
Mitigate Moisture
The key to answering the how do I sell my house fast after a flood question is to do what you can to lessen water damage. Even if your home has taken on extensive water damage, you can do some things to help.
Rent as many dehumidifiers as possible and leave them running around the clock. If you can’t find a dehumidifier, use fans to try to evaporate water.
It’s important to remove moisture as fast as possible so that you can avoid mold growth. Most mold spores only need 48 hours to germinate, so get started removing water as fast as you can.
Next Steps
As you can see, reducing damage is the key to making flooded homes more appealing to buyers. If you focus your efforts on improving the home you shouldn’t have a problem finding an interested buyer.
If you have other questions about how to improve your chances of selling your flood-damaged home, contact us so we can help.