How To Pack For Moving House – 6 Clear and Concise Steps

Moving — the decision to pack up your life and begin over elsewhere — is in no way a mean feat. Just like a roller-coaster, it’s exciting yet equally nerve-racking. Plus, there’s no simple and best way to pack a house to move. Or is there? 

Can you make the process easier with some tips and tricks? Fortunately, yes.

There are some points you can consider when packing a home to move. These tips, along with a little patience and planning, can help you have a smooth moving day without breaking both your bank and your back.

When the wishes pour in for your new house, take them with a heart full of gratitude and a mind focused on how to pack for moving house efficiently:

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Start well in advance

Here’s a good thing about a move – you’re most likely aware of it, weeks in advance. You may not know the exact location of your future home, but you might already know the destination and the time you have to pack. 

To avoid last minute stress, it’s crucial to “start early” rather than procrastinating it until the week before your move-out day. 

If you live in a big house and aren’t planning to downsize, you really should begin packing at least a month in advance. That’s not to say that if you live in a small home, you have the leeway to dilly-dally! One of the most efficient ways to pack for moving is to be proactive.

Also, don’t forget to give a heads up to your utility providers a few weeks before you relocate. Request service stops on your move-out day, or just transfer your services over to your new home. 

What to expect from professional movers?

The best way to pack a house to move without a fuss is to hire professional movers. But, before you hire a moving company, make sure you know what your chosen mover can do. 

You might be asking yourself questions like: do moving companies disassemble furniture? And, do moving companies pack your stuff for you? So, it’s important to read the complete list of services that your mover provides. It makes sense to find out what you’re committing to, as the last thing you’d want is unwanted surprises on your moving day.

Here’s what you can expect from a reliable full moving service provider:

• Supplying packing materials
• Packing and unpacking your belongings
• Protecting your valuables
• Furniture disassembly and reassembly
• Heavy lifting
• Storage options
• Truck loading and unloading
• Disposing debris and clean up

Based on your budget, preferences and schedule, you can opt for the services you need the most. There are several easy ways to pack for moving, and hiring a professional mover is one of them.

Things to do before you begin to pack:

1. Know what not to pack when moving

Now that we know answers to common questions like: do moving companies disassemble furniture and, do moving companies pack your stuff for you, you can decide to do it on your own. 

Packing early and by yourself is less stressful than leaving everything to the movers. But, before you begin, know that there are certain household goods termed as “non-allowables” by moving companies. 

Here’s a list of items that are usually considered as non-allowable items by movers. However, it’s essential to check with your moving company to know what they include in this list.

• Aerosol cans
• Ammunition 
• Chemicals
• Firearms
• Fireworks
• Car batteries
• Acids
• Paints
• Charcoal
• Dyes
• Propane
• Fuel
• Liquor
• Nail polish 
• Nail polish remover
• Oxygen
• Pesticides
• Candles

Apart from the non-allowable items, the “don’t pack zone” needs more additions. Don’t pack perishable food, plants, pets, and essential items like documents, medications, jewelry, cash, credit/debit cards, keys, expensive electronic devices, etc.

Another important tip for the best way to pack up a house for moving is to declutter. Sort through the rest of your belongings and discard the ones you don’t use or need. Sell or donate them if they’re usable and get rid of them if they’re not in good condition. 

That’s another advantage of moving – you get to clear the clutter. And, this preliminary purge can give you the adrenaline rush you need to kickstart the packing like a pro phase.

2. Make an inventory list of items you need to take along with you

Let’s face it – packing a home to move is tedious. It requires not just forethought, but a lot of energy too. And, most of the time – even after putting in hours and hours into packing – you end up missing a few things. That’s completely normal. 

The solution? A home moving inventory list of items that you intend to take with you. This list also makes for one of the easiest ways to pack for moving.

You don’t need any special gadgets or fancy to-do list-makers to document the essential items you wish to pack. You can simply jot them down either on a paper or in your phone’s Notes app. 

Not only will your moving inventory list keep you organized without losing track of your packing process, it’ll also help you get an estimate of your moving cost.

And, as you unpack after your move, you can check off every item you received from the movers. In an unwanted event of something getting lost or damaged, you can identify it quickly. Filing a claim with the mover will become hassle-free in such a scenario. 

3. Know what order to pack a house

Perhaps, the best way to pack a house while moving is to pack those things first that you need the least. Doing so will help you avoid packing the daily necessities that you would frequently need until you move. 

So, start by packing rarely used items. This could include items that are already in storage, like off-season clothing, and sporting or camping equipment. 

Next, unless you’re throwing a going away party or inviting your friends over for a fancy dinner, pack the fine china and other cookware that you’ll hardly use before moving out. 

Then, go for those spare linens and beddings, but don’t put them into boxes. Instead, use them as pads to wrap artwork and breakables around. That’s one of the efficient ways to pack for moving, particularly for those who want to know how to pack boxes when moving house. 

Finally, pack the books you’re probably not going to read anytime soon and any and all ornaments that aren’t strictly needed, before moving on to packing frequently used items. 

As mentioned in a guide by the Spruce, “prepare an essentials box, a box full of items you’ll need for your last few nights before you move and the first few nights in your new home.” Note that this box should be the last box to be packed before you move out and can include snacks, beverages, dish soap, a small emergency kit, garbage bags, clothes, toothbrushes, toiletries, etc.

Now that you know in what order to pack a house, let’s find out the supplies you need for that.

4. Get the supplies necessary for packing your house

If there’s just one piece of advice you need for the best way to pack up a house for moving, it is to stock up on all the supplies. Gathering the right supplies on time will save you those last-minute trips to packaging supplies stores.

Common packing supplies include boxes, box-cutters, tape, adhesive, bubble wrap, protective wrap, permanent markers, and labels. While shopping for boxes, get a variety of sized boxes to easily organize and transport different types of things. Always opt for firm, durable boxes when moving house, as they’ll protect your belongings, especially while loading and unloading the truck.

Also, don’t forget to prepare a cleanup kit with a duster, broom, mop, paper towels, sponges, a disinfectant, and a degreaser spray, so you can leave your home spick and span.

5. Follow a room-by-room approach to packing

Organized packing requires a room-by-room approach. Rather than bringing random things from different rooms and putting it in one box, it makes sense to tackle one room at a time. Whether to pack your belongings on a category basis or a per room basis is a never-ending debate. Experts say the best method to packing is to combine the best of both worlds. 

It’s simple: first label them based on categories like clothes, books, shoes, accessories, etc., and then take the boxes to each room and pack things as per their category. When you’re done, tape them each box well.

Pro Tip: Use small boxes for heavier items (like books and footwear) for easy lifting, and larger boxes for lighter items, like clothes and accessories. For fragile items, use bubble wrap and mark them as “delicate” or “fragile,” for that extra word of caution for the movers.

6. Be packing-ready

When you’re wondering about the best way to pack up a house for moving, a few simple hacks can go a long way in simplifying the process. While there’s no one-size-fits-all tactic that lets you pack faster, this guide hopefully helped you get packing-ready. 

In this guide, we covered some easy ways to pack for moving and how being proactive can help you with your moving process. We discussed what to expect from professional movers, with answers to questions like whether they disassemble furniture or if moving companies pack your belongings, and we walked through the most important things to do before packing. 

We also highlighting what not to pack, the importance of making an inventory list, figuring out the right order to pack a house in, and the supplies you’ll need. 

Packing a home to move can be stressful and following these tips can help you avoid overwhelm. And, as they say—well begun is half done.

Happy packing!

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What Are Seller Concessions And What Are Its Benefits?

When buying a home, much like any purchase, the final amount due at closing is usually higher than the price of the home. In other transactions, these costs are sales tax or processing fees and are small percentages. 

Buyers can typically expect to pay around 2%-6% of the price of the home in closing costs. However, 3% of a $250,000 home is $7,500. Oh, and closing costs are paid in cash at the time of closing. 

That’s $7,500 out of your pocket. Is there a way to avoid paying so much in closing costs out of pocket?

Negotiating seller concessions can be a great way to share some of the burdens of closing costs with the seller. 

So what are seller concessions? And what does seller concessions mean for your closing costs?

Keep reading to discover the answers to these questions and everything else you need to know about concessions.

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What Are Closing Costs?

Closing costs are determined based on the house you’re buying, when you decide to buy, where you decide to buy, and the type of loan you are purchasing. 

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the various closing costs you as the buyer are responsible for.

Costs Associated with the Property

• Escrow – Includes a portion of property taxes and insurance paid upfront. 
• Appraisals – required by lenders to ensure the home is worth the asking price. 
• Surveys – any property surveys to determine property lines are paid by the buyer.
• HOA Fees – homes bought within an HOA may require the HOA fees to be paid upfront. 

Costs Associated with Loans

• Application Fee – Non-refundable fee paid to the lender even if the loan is denied.
• Title Search – The cost of researching the home’s title history to ensure the proper ownership.
• Loan Interest – prorated from the closing date to the first of the month.
• Lender Fees – any fee charged by the lender for the loan

Miscellaneous Costs

• Homeowner’s Insurance – You may be required to pre-pay a year of insurance.
• Mortgage Insurance – There is a fee for applying for mortgage insurance which may be necessary with a down payment of less than 20%.
• Credit Checks – You may be required to pay any fees associated with pulling your credit history.

What Is a Sellers Concession?

A seller can offer to pay a portion of the closing costs. Typically this is either by paying directly for certain closing costs or by paying a percentage of the total in closing costs. 

However, when sellers agree to concessions, they will typically include the cost of those concessions in the cost of the house. For example, if the seller is selling a house for $300,000 and agrees to $5,000 in concessions. 

As the buyer, your loan will increase by $5,000. Totaling out at $305,000. This may save you in the out-of-pocket expenses arena. But, will cost you more in loan payments over the long term.

Despite this, there are still many benefits to both the buyer and the seller. 

Benefits for the Buyer

Often times it is nearly impossible to accurately estimate the amount in closing costs you’ll have to pay. Typically, closing costs work out to be more than expected. 

For a first-time home buyer, this is especially true. Seller concessions can help to reduce the amount of cash needed at the time of closing. 

Some loans, like the VA loan, require inspections of the home before approving a loan. These inspections are to ensure you as the buyer are getting a house worth the amount of the loan.

These inspections differ from appraisals. Appraisals refer to the monetary worth of a home. These inspections are more for safety and to protect you and the lender against purchasing a home that is seconds away from falling apart.

As the buyer, you can request to have any repairs or improvements demanded by the lender covered by the seller in the seller concessions. 

Benefits for the Seller

For the seller, conceding some of the closing costs can assist in getting your house off the market sooner rather than later. Depending upon your situation, seller concessions can make your home more attractive to potential buyers. 

Concessions can also help buyers who might be on the fence. Sometimes buyers are cautious and never truly commit to the purchase until closing day. This can leave the seller stressed out and anxious. Afraid the sale will fall through at the last minute. 

Offering seller concessions can help buyers feel more at ease when purchasing a home. 

Negotiating Seller Concessions

The first thing to understand how to ask for concessions from a seller is the state of the market. More specifically, whether it is a buyer’s or seller’s market. 

A buyer’s market occurs when there are a plethora of houses for sale but few buyers. The opposite is true for a seller’s market where there are a lot of buyers but few houses for sale.

In a seller’s market, it is almost impossible to get a seller to agree to seller concessions. After all, they have several buyers to choose from, whereas you as the buyer are limited in your choices of homes to buy.

If you find yourself in a buyer’s market, you have a little more leverage to work with. Sellers are often eager to sell their homes quickly. Not necessarily to get rid of it, but maybe they need the money to buy a new home or have already purchased a new home and don’t wish to pay two mortgages. 

In either scenario, a seller wishes to sell their home quickly. In this case, you may be able to convince the seller to concede some of the closing costs in order to make the sale smoother and quicker.

When asking for concessions, don’t overcomplicate the deal. If the seller seems to push back at the suggestion of seller concessions, try adjusting the offer. Offer a percentage to be paid against the total rather than an itemized list of costs to split up.

Whether in a seller’s market or buyer’s market, if there are multiple offers on the table, the seller will choose the easiest and most lucrative offer.

Limits on Seller Concessions

There are limits to the amount of the buyer’s closing costs a seller can pay. The specific amount depends on the type of loan purchased. However, no matter what loan is used, the seller cannot pay all of your closing costs.

Limits on seller concessions help to keep the housing market from inflation.  A seller wanting to sell their home quickly could inadvertently raise the price of other homes in the local area to rise at an unsustainable rate.

This happens when a seller lists their house on the market at $400,000 but agrees to sell for $425,000 to cover all closing costs and allows the buyer to keep what’s left.

For the buyer, this is a pretty good deal. All closing costs are covered and whatever is left out of the additional $25,000 goes back into the loan or a bank account. But, when other realtors and sellers see what the house sold for they too will raise their prices.

After a while, the prices of houses in the area have risen so high that no one can afford to buy or sell. To prevent this, sellers are only allowed to contribute a certain percentage of their home’s listed value towards a buyer’s closing costs. 

What Are Seller Concession Limits?

The specific amounts and limits a seller can contribute to closing costs depend entirely on the type of loan you are using to purchase the home. These limits also help determine what are concessions when selling a house and what is not. 

Conventional Loans

A conventional loan is a non-government-backed loan. This means they have stricter credit requirements than a government loan like FHA loans, and also require a down payment.

The percentage a seller can contribute to closing costs is based on the amount of the down payment. Generally, the seller can only contribute between 3% and 9% of the lesser of the appraised value or sale price.

The percentage breakdown is as follows:

• If the down payment is under 10% the seller can contribute up to 3%
• With a down payment between 10-25%, seller concessions are up to 6%
• For down payments over 25%, the seller can contribute up to 9%

For example, if a seller is listing the home for $200,000 but the appraisal values the home at $190,000, the seller may pay up to 9% of $190,000 in closing costs. Which comes out to roughly $17,100.

However, if you are purchasing an investment property, the seller can only contribute up to 2% regardless of how much your down payment is. 

VA Loans

Veterans Affairs loans are home loans for qualifying veterans of the armed services. They help make it easier for vets to find affordable housing while also ensuring veterans are protected.

VA loans do not require a down payment and as a result, require a home inspection to ensure safety. The VA may require railings to be installed on the stairs, smoke detectors in every room, and plumbing and electrical to be up to code. 

VA loans allow sellers to contribute up to 4% of the loan amount. Seller concessions for VA loans often include the needed repairs and improvements before the VA will approve the loan.

FHA Loans

Federal Housing Authority (FHA) loans are backed by the government and are to help those with a low credit score or debt. These loans offer lower credit score requirements and lower monthly payments. 

However, you will be required to pay a mortgage insurance premium. This will protect your lender from any losses if you default on your loan. 

When using an FHA loan, sellers are allowed to contribute up to 6%. Seller concessions cannot be used towards the down payment. 

USDA Loans

USDA loans are backed by the United States Department of Agriculture. They are to assist those living in designated rural areas in affording homes. Much like the VA loan, the USDA loan does not require a down payment. 

However, the seller can contribute up to 6% of the loan amount. 

Seller Concessions and Taxes

There are no major tax consequences or penalties to be concerned about with seller concessions. While closing costs are not deductible, some seller concessions may be. 

Currently, the IRS only allows home mortgage interest and some property taxes to be deducted. However, if the seller agrees to concessions in the form of mortgage discount points, you can reduce your mortgage interest with those points. 

The IRS has strict rules for home buyers and especially first-time home buyers on what can be taxed and what can be deducted from taxes. Contacting a tax professional will help you get the most out of your deductions associated with your home purchase. 

When Sellers Concede

Seller concessions can be a great way to help with closing costs at the time of purchase. However, a seller cannot pay for all of your closing costs.

The type of loan you are using to purchase your new home will determine the amount the seller can contribute in concessions. Sellers are under no obligation to pay any portion of a buyer’s closing costs. 

When asking for seller concessions, remember the state of the housing market and other offers will dictate how open to concessions a seller will be.

Seller concessions, however, can be a great way to sell your home fast.

If you are hoping to sell your home quickly, use our free home valuation tool to see how much your house could sell for. Create an account and get no-obligation cash offers from qualified buyers!

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How To Downsize Your Home – Prepare For The Process

While there can be a certain romanticism to the idea of downsizing your home—moving into a new space, decorating it beautifully, and having less maintenance to deal with—the reality is that downsizing and moving can be hard.

If you have lived in your current home for years, have celebrated occasions and milestones there, created memories there, and are comfortable and familiar with life in your home, it can be stressful and emotional to make a move, even if downsizing makes perfect sense for you.

Of course, as with just about anything in life, the stress of the new and unfamiliar can be minimized by taking steps to research, plan, and tackle downsizing in the best way possible.

In this article, we’re going to explore how to downsize your home, beginning with the costs and trade-offs of downsizing and the decision making process, followed by top tips to downsizing to a smaller house, before going into detail with a complete list of how to downsize your home quickly and effectively.

Let’s get started!

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Advantages of downsizing costs & tradeoffs

A recent article titled “The Upside to Downsizing” shared the results of an interesting survey: 69% of survey respondents confirmed the main reason they were considering downsizing their home was to save money. The survey also found that for most people the main disadvantage of downsizing is having to get rid of possessions.

There are several other advantages and disadvantages to downsizing your home as well, so let’s explore them:

Potential advantages of downsizing your home:

• Save money on your monthly mortgage—downsizing to a smaller home usually means lower mortgage payments.
• Save money on utility bills—a smaller home typically requires less energy and water, and could significantly reduce your monthly utility bills.
• Save money on maintenance bills—doing away with things like a yard and a swimming pool means no more paying for lawn care, cleanings, etc.
• Save time on cleaning and maintenance—a smaller house generally requires less attention, and time-savings count for something too.
• Reduce unnecessary purchases and clutter—space limitations can be a good thing and can help you to prioritize purchases, spend wisely, and get rid of unnecessary items.
• Potential to have a smaller but nicer home—sometimes downsizing means you can exchange your large home for a smaller, fancier home, in a better neighborhood.
• Chance to redecorate and start fresh—a new home always offers the chance to start over. It can be fun and symbolic of a new time in your life.

Potential disadvantages of downsizing your home:

• Less space—of course, downsizing means you’ll have less space available to you, which can take some getting used to.
• Fewer belongings—moving to a smaller home means downsizing household items. You’ll most likely have to carefully consider what’s most important to you, get rid of belongings, and be careful what you purchase in the future.
• No room for guests—chances are you won’t have spare bedrooms to accommodate guests, children visiting, and dinner parties, which can be a hard adjustment if you’re used to being the host.
• Lifestyle change—any move is hard at first and, when downsizing, you can expect it to feel unfamiliar for a while before you settle in.
• New area—downsizing your home might mean moving to a new neighborhood with new stores, etc. and any change has an adjustment period.
• Possible storage costs—if you don’t like the idea of getting rid of sentimental items and larger belongings, such as furniture, you might need to rent a storage unit, which can cost a couple hundred dollars a month.

As we see, there are many pros and cons to consider, so it’s important to determine what’s right for you. Sometimes cost savings can mean the opportunity to live in a newer, recently renovated and upgraded smaller home, but it can sometimes come at the cost of your happiness, if saying goodbye to the home you are familiar with is a tough thing for you to do.

So, how do you make the decision to downsize or not to downsize your home? Let’s find out.

Making the decision: To downsize or not to downsize

There’s no sugar coating it—downsizing your household is a big decision.

That said, it’s the right move for many, but the question is, is it the right move for you?

Start by asking yourself why you are considering downsizing. If it’s for financial reasons, do the math and make sure the numbers make sense. Then start a pros and cons list of your own, or use the one shared above, and make notes next to each item. You might even want to rate each item from 1 to 10, with 1 being of little impact to you, and 10 being the greatest impact to you, and then add up the pros column and and compare it to the total of the cons column. 

You might also want to take into account what you would likely get for your home if you sold it. An easy way to get a quick home valuation estimate is to enter your home address using the iBuyer.com Home Valuation estimator tool.

The fact is, everyone has different concerns about downsizing and everyone adjusts to change differently. For some, the savings might hugely outweigh the potential stress of adjusting to a new environment, while for others the comfort of familiarity is worth the price, so it’s important to look at all the pros and cons and determine what the right decision is for you. 

There’s no right or wrong answer and it’s a decision that will impact you for years to come, so take your time thinking about it and avoid making a hasty decision.

If you decide that downsizing and moving is for you, then follow the below steps to downsize your home quickly and with the least amount of hassle.

Preparing to downsize your home

It sounds overly simple, but it’s true—the best way to prepare to downsize your home is to “assess your actual needs.” We all have those items we purchased with good intention of using one day, but years later and they still haven’t been worn, touched, or used for exercise. I’m sure at least a few examples come to mind!

Because downsizing requires you to get rid of belongings, which can be a tough thing to do, it’s helpful to get into the mindset of what you actually need and use, versus nice-to-have items that you can do without, before you start making decisions about what to take with you. 

Once you are ready to make some hard decisions on what to keep and what not to keep, follow the below guide to downsizing your home.

The process: how to downsize your home 

1. Downsize your possessions

Hand in hand with downsizing your home comes downsizing household items. Space might dictate what you can and can’t keep, so the trick is to get practical, and look at each item you own objectively. The best approach is to keep what you use, love, and can’t live without, and get rid of everything else.

When it comes to your closet, the typical rule is “if you haven’t used a particular item in the last year, you’re unlikely to use it in the next year,” so start there and consider only taking the items you do wear. You could also try the Marie Kondo approach and keep the items that bring you the most joy. 

Go through your entire house and examine each item one at a time, making a list of the items you want to take with you and the ones you are okay saying goodbye to. Once you have finished accounting for every item in your home, review the items you noted to keep and access whether they will all fit in your smaller house, or whether you need to cut your list down further.

2. Sell what you can

As Life Hacker points out: “decluttering and downsizing is hard, make no mistake—selling things makes it easier because honestly, who doesn’t like money?”

We already know from the survey mentioned earlier that most people are downsizing their home to save money. So, the process of listing items for sale and receiving money in exchange for taking steps towards downsizing, can be extremely rewarding. Selling items is one of the top downsizing tips, as it can encourage you to keep moving forward.

Just be careful not to get too sales happy too quickly and end up regretting something you sold. Begin by selling items that you have duplicates of, items that don’t hold any sentimental value, and items that can be easily replaced. 

3. Digitalize what you can

We’ve come a long way in technology and the great thing about it is you can keep copies of children’s drawings, letters, and family photographs digitally, rather than in a physical box that you probably hardly ever look at. 

One of the best downsizing home ideas today is to photograph and back up your precious memories and important documents on a Cloud or flash drive, and you’ll have access to everything without having loads of unnecessary physical papers.

4. Set some accumulation limits 

Downsizing isn’t just for now, it’s a lifestyle that you’ll have to embrace moving forward—once you move into your smaller home, there simply won’t be the storage capacity you have previously been used to, which will limit how much you can buy and collect. 

To avoid clutter and paying for storage, start practising conscious purchasing. A great downsizing home tip is anytime you want to buy something ask yourself these four questions:

1. Is it truly needed?
2. Will I really get use out of it? 
3. Do I have something similar already? 
4. Is it suitable and realistic for my new lifestyle?

Accumulation limits can be a hard thing to set, but in the end it can result in a much happier, clutter-free life.

5. Downsize your furniture

The pros recommend starting with the big things and leaving the small, sentimental decisions until the end. 

One of the expert tips to downsizing to a smaller house is, if you already know how much space you’ll have in your new home, then go room by room and consider which large furniture items will fit, and which ones will no longer work in your new space. 

If, however, you’re preparing to downsize ahead of purchasing or renting a new home, then it’s helpful to take a practical and a sentimental approach to deciding what furniture to take with you, and what furniture to get rid of. Start by thinking about what you use most often, what’s most comfortable, and what you simply can’t see yourself parting with. Then focus on what didn’t make that priority list and ask yourself if those items are important enough to keep.

6. Organize your things

Getting organized makes the downsizing process so much easier and less stressful. It’s one of the essential steps to downsize your home but is most often overlooked.

So, once you’ve made the big decisions on what to keep and what needs to go, it’s a good idea to organize everything that you’re not taking with you into piles, and get them out the way before your move. 

The Life Storage Blog offers great downsizing home ideas and recommends sorting the belongings you’re getting rid of into four piles: 

1. Giveaways—items going to family members or friends
2. Donations—items you can donate to a good cause
3. Sell—items that you intend to sell
4. Trash—items that simply need to be trashed

7. Storage options

In smaller homes, you have to get creative with your storage options. A few excellent tips for downsizing to a smaller house include: adding shelves inside the closet, keeping organized storage containers under your bed, and upgrading open shelf room dividers to closed cabinets that can double as additional storage. This multi-purpose approach is the way to go, if at all possible.

For those large items you just can’t get yourself to part with, you might need to consider renting a storage space. This should ideally be a last resort though, as storage units can cost you several hundred dollars each month. That said, storage units can be a great short-term solution when downsizing your home quickly.

Coping with downsizing your home: bigger is not always better 

Society has conditioned us to think that bigger is better, but sometimes “less is more.” 

When it comes to downsizing, the best approach is to acknowledge that it can be hard to say goodbye to a larger house and sentimental things, and to follow a process that keeps you organized and on track.

In this guide to downsizing your home, we explored how to determine if downsizing your home is right for you, the pros and cons of downsizing, hot to downsize when moving in the most effective (and least stressful) way possible, and expert tips to streamline the process.

At the end of the day, downsizing is a personal thing and everyone’s experience differs, so try to enjoy the process and know that if it feels emotional and overwhelming at times, that’s completely normal, and all part of any big change.

Interested in your home’s current market value? Receive a free online home value estimate!

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Listing Agent vs. Selling Agent – Key Differences to Consider

In the United States, almost 90% of homes are sold through real estate agents.

One of the most important decisions you’ll make is who to hire as your real estate agent. Do you go with a listing agent or a selling agent? What’s the difference? And which one is right for you?

In this blog post, we’ll break it down for you and help you decide which type of agent is best for your needs.

Keep reading to learn more about listing agents vs. selling agents!

What is a listing agent?

A listing agent is a real estate professional who helps homeowners list their homes for sale. They will handle all the paperwork and marketing associated with putting your home on the market.

Once your home is listed, they will also help to negotiate with buyers and facilitate the sale of your home.

Moreover, listing agents typically work for a real estate brokerage. This means they can draw on the resources of their brokerage to help you sell your home.

For example, they may have access to a team of marketing professionals who can help get your home in front of potential buyers.

What does a listing agent do?

The main responsibility of a listing agent is to help you get your home listed and sold as quickly as possible. To do this, they will need to take care of a few things:

Paperwork: A lot of paperwork goes into listing and selling a home. Your listing agent will help you navigate this paperwork and ensure everything is in order.

Marketing: Once your home is listed, your listing agent will help to market your home to potential buyers. This may include creating online listings, hosting open houses, and more.

Negotiations: When an offer comes in on your home, your listing agent will help you to negotiate with the buyer. They will work to get you the best possible price for your home.

Closing: Once a sale is finalized, your listing agent will help to facilitate the closing process. They will make sure that all of the paperwork is in order and that everything goes smoothly.

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What is a selling agent?

A selling agent is a real estate professional who helps buyers purchase homes.

They will work with you to find the right home, negotiate with the seller, and facilitate the purchase of your new home.

Moreover, selling agents typically work for a real estate brokerage. This means that they can draw on the resources of their brokerage to help you find and purchase a home.

For example, they may have access to a team of experienced agents who can help you find the right home.

What does a selling agent do?

The main responsibility of a selling agent is to help you find and purchase the perfect home. To do this, they will need to take care of a few things:

Home Search: Your selling agent will help you to search for homes that fit your needs. They will work with you to find homes in your price range and with the features you’re looking for.

Offer Negotiation: Once you’ve found a home you’re interested in, your selling agent will help you to negotiate an offer with the seller. They will work to get you the best possible price for your new home.

Closing: Once your offer is accepted, your selling agent will help to facilitate the closing process. They will ensure that all the paperwork is in order and that everything goes smoothly.

Move-In: Once you’ve closed on your new home, your selling agent will help you to move in. They will be there to answer any questions you have and ensure everything goes smoothly.

What selling agents can’t do for you

It’s important to note that listing and selling agents cannot do everything for you. There are some things that you will need to take care of on your own:

Financing: You will need to secure the funding for your home before you can purchase it. This means applying for a mortgage and getting approved. Your agent can help you to find a suitable lender, but they cannot get you approved.

Home Inspection: You will need to have a home inspection done before you purchase a home. This is to ensure that the house is in good condition and that there are no hidden problems. Your agent can help you to find a good inspector, but they cannot inspect the home themselves.

Appraisal: You will need to have an inspection done before you purchase a home. This is to make sure that the home is worth the price you’re paying for it. Your agent can help you to find a good appraiser, but they cannot appraise the home themselves.

Closing Costs: You must pay closing costs when purchasing a home. These are fees associated with purchasing your homes, such as loan origination fees, title insurance, and more. Your agent can help you to estimate these costs, but they cannot pay them for you.

Move-In Costs: You will need to pay for your moving costs when you move into your new home. This includes hiring a moving company, renting a truck, and more. Your agent can help you to estimate these costs, but they cannot pay them for you.

Dual agents: Can an agent do both?

In some cases, an agent may be able to act as both a listing agent and a selling agent. This is called being a dual agent. Dual agents are real estate professionals who work with both buyers and sellers.

When working with a dual agent, you must be aware of a few things. Without this, you are left to your own devices, and it cannot be obvious when talking to an agent.

Conflicts of Interest: Because dual agents work with buyers and sellers, there is the potential for conflicts of interest. It’s important to make sure that your agent can represent your best interests.

Limited Representation: Dual agents can only provide limited representation to buyers and sellers. This means that they may not be able to negotiate as aggressively on your behalf.

Less Time: Because dual agents work with buyers and sellers, they may have less time to devote to each client. This could mean a longer home-buying or selling process.

Higher Commission: Because dual agents provide services to buyers and sellers, they may charge a higher commission. Ask about their commission structure before you begin working with them.

Do I need one or the other?

The type of agent you need will depend on your situation. Therefore, the question of selling agent vs. listing agent is about your needs. If you’re selling a home, you’ll need to hire a listing agent. If you’re buying a home, you’ll need to hire a selling agent.

In some cases, you may be able to work with a dual agent. However, there are some potential drawbacks to this that you should be aware of.

Furthermore, you may not need an agent at all. If you’re considering selling your home to an iBuyer, you may be able to avoid the hassle (and expense) of working with a real estate agent altogether.

Consider the iBuyer.com alternative

Now that you know the difference between a listing agent and a selling agent, you are well on your way to making your choice.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to sell your home, you may consider working with an iBuyer. iBuyers are companies that will buy your home directly from you.

This can be a great option if you’re looking to sell your home quickly and without any hassle.

Interested in your home’s current market value? Receive a free online home value estimate!

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Difference Between Short Sale and Foreclosure

At the moment, there are a total of 33,952 properties with foreclosure fillings.

While homeowners believe that foreclosure is inevitable when they fail to make their mortgage payments, this is far from the truth. Homeowners have another option, and that is to make a short sale. What is a short sale vs. a foreclosure?

To learn more about the difference between short sale vs. foreclosure and the buying process for each, continue reading. 

What is a short sale?

A short sale is when you sell your property for less than what you still owe on the mortgage.

For instance, if you still owe $250,000 on the mortgage, you could sell the home quickly for $200,000. However, you would still be responsible for paying the remainder of the mortgage, in this case, $50,000, and any cost associated with the sale. 

Most importantly, you cannot begin the short sale process without getting approval from your mortgage lender. The lender must sign off on the sale before it can proceed. 

Lenders often lose money on a short sale, so you will be required to provide documentation stating why a short sale is necessary. You will need to prove that your financial troubles were recent. Common examples include:

• Divorce
• Health problems
• Job loss

If you list any financial struggles you disclosed to the lender when you first applied for the mortgage, the lender will deny your short sale. Additionally, if you mention any pre-existing financial struggles you didn’t previously disclose to the lender, the lender will see you as dishonest and likely not approve the sale. 

Once the lender approves the short sale and the property sells, the lender will collect the proceeds. The lender may forgive the remaining mortgage balance, but since the homeowner is still responsible for paying it, the lender may try to collect the funds through a deficiency judgment. 

What is a foreclosure?

A foreclosure is when the mortgage holder takes legal action against you after you fail to make your monthly mortgage payments. The lender takes ownership of the property, then sells it to recover the mortgage amount. 

Pre-foreclosure can begin a few months after you fail to make several months of payments. The number of payments you need to miss varies from lender to lender and between mortgage terms.

Each state governs foreclosure proceedings, so lenders must abide by these rules. This includes how lenders notify homeowners and provide alternative solutions, like refinancing options, to bring the loan up to date and avoid foreclosure. 

What’s the difference between a foreclosure and a short sale?

Both short sales and foreclosures help you get out of paying your mortgage. But, the most significant difference between a short sale and a foreclosure is choice. A homeowner can choose to make a short sale. The process is voluntary. 

Conversely, foreclosures are involuntary. The lender takes legal action to control and sell the property regardless of what the homeowner says or does. 

Another difference is that homeowners engage in the short sale process, while only the lenders participate in the foreclosure process. When the homeowner decides to make a short sale, they will sell the home through a realtor. However, foreclosed properties sell in a public auction at the courthouse.

Short sale vs. foreclosure: impact on credit report

While short sales and foreclosures both negatively impact your credit report, short sales don’t do as much damage.

The average credit score drop for a short sale is 50-150 points. The effect may only last for 12 to 18 months. Yet, for a foreclosure, the drop is 200-400 points.

Typically a foreclosure stays on your credit report for seven to ten years. For the first five years, you cannot buy a new home. After five years, you may be able to purchase a new home, but it will come with restrictions. After seven years, you can buy a new home without restrictions.

You will also be required to report foreclosure on all future loan applications.

However, a short sale may never show up on your credit report. The creditor has the option to report the debt reduction to credit agencies. Many don’t report it. You can purchase a new home immediately after a short sale with some conditions. You may need to report the short sale on future loan applications, but it’s not always necessary. 

Short sale buying process

Buyers looking to buy a short-sale property will have better investment opportunities than buying foreclosed properties.

But, interested buyers should look for a pre-approved short sale. This is when the lender approves the property’s sale price before it goes on the open market. It signals that the lender and homeowner are ready to sell the property. 

If you negotiate the sale with the lender, they can reject any offer. Lenders, especially banks, are well known for having slow response times because there is a lot to consider regarding a short sale transaction. 

The lender wants to recover as much of the principal mortgage loan as possible. Thus, they often won’t accept an offer below the current market value or lower than the amount still owed on the mortgage. However, if the lender does accept an offer, it will still take time to process. 

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This is why scouting for a preapproved short sale is best. 

You can find short-sale properties on a multiple listing service (MLS). Set your search options to short-sale listings, and filter out short sales that are subject to lender approval or require a third-party review. A third-party review means the lender has yet to approve the short sale. 

You can also network with real estate investors, agents, and wholesalers to find short-sale listings.

Further, the local courthouse will have a record of properties in pre-foreclosure. The owners of these homes haven’t paid their mortgage for several months, and the lender has filed a notice of default. If the homeowner doesn’t negotiate a solution with the lender or pay the balance, the property can be considered a short sale.  

Pros of a short sale

Short-sale homes are often in better condition than foreclosures, which is why they provide better investment opportunities. Homeowners who decide to short-sell usually try to lessen the damage to their credit score by maintaining the property. 

Sometimes, short sales will sell for below market value, offering buyers an excellent opportunity to find a deal. This is especially so with preapproved short-sale properties. Plus, there is often less competition for short-sale properties because many don’t want to negotiate with the lender due to its inconvenience. 

Cons of a short sale

Since short-sale properties are sold as-is, buyers assume some risk. For example, the homeowner could change their mind and pay their past-due balance to keep the home. The money you spent during the home buying process for inspections would be lost. 

On the other hand, the house could require a lot of maintenance or be in poor condition because the homeowner didn’t have the funds to keep it up. 

Furthermore, short sales take longer to close because there are multiple lienholders. The process also requires more paperwork and due diligence than traditional home-buying.   

Foreclosure buying process

Like the short sale buying process, lenders want to recoup as much of the mortgage balance owed during a foreclosure sale. Banks don’t want to be landlords, so they try to sell the property as fast as possible for as much as possible. 

Unlike short sales, with a foreclosed property, you usually don’t get to tour the home or order an inspection before purchasing it. Since the property will be sold as-is, you need to pay close attention to the listing to understand the property’s condition better. 

Additionally, many foreclosures require a cash payment. Therefore, if you want to take out a mortgage for the purchase, you need to look for other home-buying options. 

To find foreclosure opportunities, you can consult the following:

• Bank offices
• Foreclosure websites
• Local newspapers
• MLS
• Real estate agents and online searches

Foreclosure pros

More often than not, foreclosed properties sell for below current market value, and the sale happens quickly. This is because lenders are eager to get rid of the property, and closing a cash offer is faster than a short sale or standard home purchase. 

Foreclosures also come with a clean title. After a foreclosure, the bank will remove all liens and encumbrances from the previous owner. 

Foreclosure cons

The federal government states that 42% of households have mortgages, and the average mortgage debt is just over $200,000. Thus, providing a cash offer is challenging for many who want to purchase a foreclosed home.

Further, those with cash on hand often end up with a property needing significant improvements. Homeowners with financial woes tend to neglect maintenance or abandon the property altogether. Even if you get a property at a significantly lower price, you may need to spend a lot of money on renovations. 

Need to sell your house?

For those behind on their mortgage payments, carefully weighing the pros and cons of a short sale vs. foreclosure can help you decide the best way to recover the most funds for your property while saving your credit score. Many buyers are interested in purchasing your home, especially for a below-market price. 

If you’re interested in selling your house, let iBuyer.com help. Get your home valuation now and quickly sell your home for cash. 

Looking for cash offers on your home? You’ve come to the right place!

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How To Increase Home Value in Today’s Market – Ultimate Guide

Wondering how to increase home value? 

If you’re looking for tips on how to increase the value of your home before selling it, the best ways to add equity to your home, or ideas for cost effective home upgrades, you’re in the right place!

This article may be a longer read, but it’s worth it if you want to know a whole range of handy tips to boost the value of your home.

Many of the items covered below are DIY, while others require some professional assistance. Take a scroll down, get some quick ideas, and select the options that make the most sense for you and your home.

Let’s begin with the basics and take a look at the things that raise home value and the things that usually won’t:

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What increases home value?

You’ve probably heard of many of these already, like curb appeal, upgrades, a fresh coat of paint, and energy efficiency, but there are two other things that can raise home value that you might not have thought about: low maintenance and smart technology.

Let’s face it, we live in a fast-paced world, and everyone (including your potential buyers) will enjoy low maintenance living and the latest smart home technology. As NerdWallet pointed out, things like “thermostats, fire detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, security cameras, door locks and lighting” can go a long way to making your home more appealing for today’s buyers and  those are two things you shouldn’t overlook when you’re thinking about what adds value to a home in our 21st century.

Along with the tried and trusted DIY coat of paint, flooring upgrades, bathroom improvements, fancy kitchen appliances, and front-entry landscaping, the answer to the question “what increases home value?” question lies in paying close attention to what modern-day buyers are looking for. Focusing on giving buyers what they want will help to increase your home value with the least amount of effort on your part.

Myths that don’t boost home value

Before we dive into how to improve home value, it’s important to be aware of some myths about what increases home value, so you can avoid spending too much on upgrades that don’t typically boost home value.

These home value improvement myths include:

• over the top landscaping
• water features
• bridges
• pergolas
• fancy electrical wiring e.g. copper pipes
• swimming pools
• hot tubs
• saunas
• white appliances
• solar panels

As you read that list you might have begun to realize why these items typically don’t increase the value of your home, in fact, they can sometimes decrease the likelihood that potential buyers will choose your home.

Let’s take a look at one item on the list to address this in more detail—the swimming pool. While swimming pools can be sought-after commodities in hot climates, many people prefer not to have a pool at their home for several reasons, mainly because they don’t want to deal with “upkeep or safety issues” as The Balance pointed out. 

Swimming pools require regular cleaning, sometimes need to be covered, might require a gate around them to prevent young children from falling in when unattended, and can be very expensive to repair. Some buyers will actually ask sellers to fill or remove a pool as a condition of a home purchase, so adding a swimming pool to your home probably isn’t the best way to increase the value of your home.

In a nutshell there are 3 reasons to avoid making those costly mistakes:

1. They are personal preferences
2. They are costly to maintain
3. They are expensive to repair or replace

Ultimately, when considering what adds value to a home, the best ways to improve home value is by concentrating on things that are not unique to any particular style preference, are not expensive to upkeep, and are not costly to fix or replace. 

Potential buyers are not just looking for what they like in a home, but also for what will make sense for them in terms of maintenance and financials for years to come. Cost effective home upgrades are the way to go—for you, and for the buyer.

Now that you know what to avoid, let’s take a look at easy ways to improve home value.

Easy ways to add equity to a home value

Here it is…the list you’ve been waiting for:

1. Curb appeal

   Although this list is in no particular order, curb appeal is listed first for good reason—it’s the very first thing that potential buyers see when they visit your home and, well, first impressions count.

   In fact, Bankrate shared that a HomeLight survey revealed that “76 percent of top real estate agents nationwide agreed that improving curb appeal is the No. 1 step a homeowner can take to boost their home’s marketability.” So, if you’re focused on what increases property value most, curb appeal might be your answer and is also one of the easiest ways to increase home value before selling it.

   It doesn’t have to be fancy and, as we covered in the “myths that don’t increase home value” section, going overboard defeats the purpose. Just make a few small improvements, such as a paved pathway, lanterns, and planters with flowers to make your home feel welcoming before potential buyers even walk inside.

2. Kitchen upgrades

   It’s 2020 and let’s be honest, today’s buyers don’t want to see 15 year old, stained white appliances. They scream old-fashioned and instantly date your home, which is why if you’re debating what rooms add the most value to a home, upgrading kitchen appliances is one of the quickest and relatively inexpensive upgrades that increase home value.

   The best approach is to shop for a package deal, most often found around national holidays at your local home improvement store.

   Not only do you get a better price with a package deal on kitchen appliances, buying them in a package ensures they all match, which helps to make a kitchen look designed and modern.

   While kitchen appliances are now available in various colors and finishes, it’s always best to stick with what most buyers would like, so you might want to go with the trusted stainless steel finish. 

   Along with appliance upgrades to raise your home value, upgrading your kitchen countertops, sink, and flooring can also be excellent upgrades that increase home value. 

   Even just adding a nice modern backsplash can do wonders for the overall look of your kitchen and is one of the best cheap renovations to increase home value. Plus, that’s something you can probably do yourself at a reasonable price. As HGTV pointed out in a decorating article: “Home improvement stores teach classes.” This might just be a great time to learn a new skill!

3. Bathroom upgrades

   Like kitchens, bathrooms are one of the rooms that add the most value to a home.

   Laying new flooring and replacing the bathroom countertops are just two of the (higher priced) upgrade options and they make a huge difference to the look of bathrooms. But, there are also less expensive DIY ways to quickly improve the look of bathrooms that make our list of top cheap renovations to increase home value.

   In a great home improvement HomeLight article, several DIY tips are offered, including:
   – Upgraded towel rails
   – Upgraded toilet roll holders
   – New mirrors or mirror frames
   – Floating shelves
   – Countertop accessories, like new soap dispensers and candles
   – Clean white towels

   Start there with the small improvements to increase home value, for very little cost.

4. Fresh paint

   As DIY Network phrased it: “Freshly painted rooms look clean and updated — and that spells value.”

   The impression of new and pristine is extremely important to home buyers, as they want to imagine themselves in the home. Paint goes a long way in helping to set the scene for a happy home life and what’s great about this home value booster is it’s fairly inexpensive, if you can do the painting yourself.

   The thing to remember though is that you’re not painting for your preference—you’re painting to cater to potential buyers—which means selecting paints that maybe aren’t your first choice, but are neutral enough to be appreciated by most people.

   Just think about how many times in a House Hunter’s episode the potential buyers cringe at a bright pink wall and you’ll understand why neutral is always best when selecting paint. 

   If you stick to neutral colors and do the painting yourself, fresh paint is one of the best ways to improve home value. 

5. Floor plan modifications and space improvements

   When it comes to home value, bigger is usually better.

   “Bigger homes usually lead to higher values, and that’s something buyers tend to notice” stated a Forbes article on increasing home value.

   As such, one of the best ways to add equity to your home and one of the top recommendations for increasing home value before a sale is to make your home appear more spacious and usable.

   This can mean removing a dividing wall to create an open-plan feel, but it can also be achieved by less costly and time-consuming means, such as by decluttering an attic space to create the illusion of having another usable room.

6. Flooring upgrades

   Flooring has long been a tactic in increasing home values, but today it goes beyond just the look of the flooring, to the ease of maintaining the flooring.

   NerdWallet suggests that sellers “consider replacing easily stained carpet with hardwood floors or replace high-maintenance wood siding with vinyl siding,” explaining that “improvements that make things easy to clean and maintain may also increase home value.”

   As with paint and other aesthetic-based upgrades, along with ease of maintenance, prioritizing a neutral design that will appeal to most potential buyers is the best way to go.

7. Home efficiency

   A Consumer Reports article quoted Joe Rivellino, a real estate agent in NY, saying that “millennial buyers usually ask for two years’ worth of utility payments.” That request is likely to become more common across the nation as energy costs rise.

   The cost of energy bills can add up and potential buyers are being smart about where they invest; paying closer attention to the financials over the years, not just at the time of purchase.

   While costly solar panels are not the recommended upgrade to increase home value before selling, selecting energy efficient appliances and installing LED light bulbs are easy ways to improve home value for very little cost, and definitely makes our list of the best small improvements to increase home value.

8. Smart home technology

   Everyone wants to be up to date with the times and smart home technology is not only trendy, it is also convenient and safe.

   Best Life Online shared that “Investing in some smart home technology can increase your home’s value quickly, without the expense of a huge renovation” and indeed smart home technology is one of the easy ways to improve home value today.

   Technology like the Nest thermostat, Ring doorbell camera, and security-driven additions are relatively inexpensive and highly sought-after upgrades that take your home from standard to advanced. Best of all, most smart home technology can be self-installed with ease.

Conclusion and FAQs

Things that raise home value can sometimes be costly, but they don’t have to be. There are several things you can do to increase the resale value of your home with very little expense. 

When considering how to increase home value, pay attention to what most potential buyers would want to see in a home. This means no crazy wall colors, no outdated appliances, and no expensive-to-maintain items.

The tried and trusted ways to increase home value before selling it remain: curb appeal, kitchen and bathroom upgrades, and a fresh coat of paint. But, new items make the list now too, such as energy efficiency, low maintenance living, and smart technology.

By focusing on what most buyers want today, you can make the best, cost-effective choices to increase the value of your home.

Interested in your home’s current market value? Receive a free online home value estimate!

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What rooms add the most value to a home?

That’s easy—kitchens and bathrooms are the rooms that add the most value to a home.

What are the best DIY projects to improve home value?

Painting, adding a modern backsplash, tidying up spaces such as an attic, framing a mirror, upgrading towel rails, and staging your home with candles and other small decor items are some of the best DIY projects to improve home value.

What are the top tips to increase the value of your home?

You must have skimmed right to the bottom! Scroll back up and read all about pro and DIY tips to increase the value of your home.

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How Often Do Contingent Offers Fall Through?

Selling your house can be such a hassle. You have to make sure everything looks clean and tidy. You let strangers wander around to look at the house. 

And then when it comes down to it, the offer you accept might fall through somewhere along the road. This is a contingent offer.

So how often do contingent offers fall through? Why does this happen? And is there anything you can do to increase your chances? 

There’s so much advice out there for the best ways to get a lot of value for your home without much difficulty, so it can be confusing to figure out what the right things to do are. You want to cater to a wide market when selling your home, but it can be difficult when everyone has their own personal tastes. It gets even more frustrating when you need to sell your home quickly.

You need practical advice that helps you get a good offer on your home quickly. Read on to learn everything you need to know about contingency offers.

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What is a contingent offer?

Contingent offers are initial offers that a potential buyer will make on your home. This is the amount of money that your buyers are agreeing to as long as certain conditions are met. Usually, this has to do with the condition of the house or financing issues, but there are many types of contingencies.

Home sale contingency

These contingencies are going to be less common than the others. This happens when your buyers are also trying to sell their old home at the same time that they’re trying to buy yours. These offers usually come with the stipulation that the buyers will only purchase your home if they sell their current home by a certain date.

Home sellers are less likely to accept these offers because the buyers may not decide to sell their old house after all.

Financing contingency

This type of contingency means that your buyer must secure financing before they can officially purchase your home. This seems like a fairly simple caveat, but it can lead to some problems. There are many reasons why a lender might deny a request for a home loan.

This means that there are a lot of risks involved for a seller accepting these offers. If something goes wrong and the buyer can’t get approved for financing, then the seller is still left with a house to sell.

Appraisal contingency

An appraisal contingency is usually going to go hand in hand with a financing contingency. Oftentimes, a lender will only approve a loan if the value of the home matches the offer that was given. This means that a professional comes to look at the home and estimate the fair market price.

This is to prevent buyers from overpaying. If the appraisal turns out to be less than the initial offer, a lender can deny the buyer a loan. And in some cases, a buyer might just walk away from the sale completely due to this.

Title contingency

A home title will have a history of the home’s ownership. This is important because it can let a potential buyer know if there are any prior legal claims on the home. In many cases, a buyer will get a title company or a lawyer to look over the title carefully.

This prevents people from selling houses that they don’t actually own. The last thing you want is to buy a house that technically belongs to someone else. If there are any defects or liens in the title, a potential buyer may walk away from a sale.

Inspection contingency

An inspection contingency is going to be the most common one. It means that the buyer wants a professional inspector to take a look at the home. This is to prevent buyers from inheriting major home issues that might make the home unlivable.

These inspections are usually done within a few days of the offer being made. This is so the buyer can make a decision quickly about whether or not their offer stands. The only caveat is that if the inspector finds something terribly wrong with the house, the buyer has the chance to retract the offer and walk away. 

Why do they fall through?

A contingent offer on a house can fall through for a number of reasons. This is going to depend on the type of contingency and events that happen in the days after the offer was made.

An overvalued house

No one likes overpaying for goods or services. Overpaying for a house can be even worse since it can mean thousands of dollars lost.

If the appraiser finds that the house is overvalued, then there are two problems. The first is that the buyer might decide to walk away from the sale because of the high costs. The second is that they might not be able to receive a loan because the house is overvalued.

No clear title

If you’re planning to sell your home, then the best thing you can do for yourself is to have a clear title ready. If you don’t have this, then it can be hard to verify that you have the legal right to sell the house in the first place. 

You should also make sure that there are no problems to be found with the title before you put the house on the market. If a lawyer finds any defects or liens, then you may lose your sale.

Trouble getting financing

Again, there are many reasons why a lender might deny a request for a loan. The buyer might have missed some paperwork that needed to be turned in or they might not have a good enough credit score to be approved.

This is unfortunate when it happens, but it’s not uncommon. And unfortunately, there isn’t much that you as a seller can do to prevent this from happening. The buyer is solely responsible for getting their own financing, so it’s up to them to make sure they can get approved.

The buyer can’t sell their current house

The next big issue that you might run into is that the buyer simply can’t sell the house that they currently own.

There could be many reasons for this. The buyer may have decided not to sell their home after all. They might have had a contingency offer of their own fall-through.

There isn’t usually a lot you can do about this once you’ve accepted an offer with a home sale contingency. You’ll simply have to wait a little longer to sell your own home if this happens to you.

The home inspection

If the home inspector finds problems with the house, then you might see your buyer walk away from the sale. It is possible that the buyer will not retract the offer on the condition that the issues found in the house be resolved by you. This can delay your sale, but it won’t force it to fall through completely.

But if your buyer does walk away from the sale, then you might be left with a problem. You might want to consider fixing the issue the home inspector found before trying to sell your house again.

How often do contingent offers fall through?

Fortunately, contingent offers don’t fall through too often. The vast majority of offers make it to the closing table once they’ve been made. You statistically have a 96.1% chance that the offer you’ve accepted will go through without too much difficulty.

This means that only 3.9% of offers fall through for one reason or another. In other words, your odds are pretty good that your sale will go all the way to closing. So you can rest easy knowing that your house will most likely be sold soon once you start getting offers.

So what can you do to prevent it?

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to avoid having an offer fall through. These include avoiding certain contingencies and making some updates to your house before you sell.

Don’t accept home sale contingencies

The chances of your sale falling through because of this are fairly slim. However, it has the highest risk of all possible contingencies that your buyers might come up with. If something goes wrong with the buyer’s sale, then there’s nothing you can do to prevent your own from falling through.

The only way to prevent this from happening is to not accept any offers on your home that come with this contingency. Think of it as a protective measure in case something goes wrong with your buyer’s sale. 

A lot of sellers are already doing this, so as a buyer it can be difficult to make an acceptable offer if you need to sell your house first. 

Get your house appraised first

If you want to get a good idea of what your asking price should be, you might consider getting an appraisal done first. This can help you set the asking price for your home. It prevents overvaluing.

This will be helpful if you accept an offer with an appraisal contingency. If you’re already asking for what your house is worth, then you can’t be accused of overvaluing it. This gives potential buyers no reason to walk away from the sale.

This gives you peace of mind that your sale will go through quickly. If it doesn’t, this won’t be the reason for it.

Get your title ready ahead of time

A common scam that occurs is people “selling” homes that don’t actually belong to this. This creates problems when the owner arrives and tries to reclaim their property.

So another good thing you can do for yourself is to prepare your house’s title ahead of time. This will help you prove ownership of the house. It guarantees that you’re actually allowed to be selling the house in the first place.

As a seller, this protects you from getting roped into scams. This way, you can be sure that you’re the only person who has a legal claim over the property.

Make sure your house is in good condition

You may still be able to sell a house that isn’t in perfect condition, but there might be some stipulations. You might get a lower offer if your home needs repairs. A buyer might walk away completely if your home has serious issues.

So it’s a good idea to do as much maintenance on your home as possible before you put it on the market. Not everything has to look absolutely stunning and modern, but you should be sure that the bathrooms are all usable for example.

Get a direct cash offer

There is one way that you can sell your home quickly without ever needing to show it or negotiate. There are a lot of places you can get a direct cash offer on your home. These places then do any renovations they think are needed and then resell the house themselves.

This reduces the hassle that you have to deal with. You don’t have to make sure your house is clean for showings or do a lot of repairs. Instead, an iBuying company will evaluate your home and provide you with a take-it-or-leave-it offer on your home.

This way you can sit back and focus on packing your belongings rather than trying to get a decent offer on your home. 

Get a direct cash offer for your home today

You no longer need to ask yourself “how often do contingent offers fall through?” All you need to do is get a direct cash offer for your home and get ready to move. 

That’s exactly why iBuyer.com is here. Our experts are standing by to help you with your effortless home sale right now! All you need to do is provide your address and we’ll send you a quote.

You don’t need to worry about showings or repairs, so go ahead and get your direct cash offer from iBuyer.com today!

Looking for cash offers on your home? You’ve come to the right place!

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Closing Costs in California in Today’s Real Estate Market

The Golden State of California is a dream haven for both the locals and those moving in from other parts of the country. Once you find someone who wants to buy your home, you get to start the exciting process of selling your home so you can move on to your next adventure.

The only downside to selling your home is the closing costs. Selling a home in California can become expensive very quickly, but there is no need to fret. You have options!

If you are looking for more information on the closing costs in California, you came to the right spot. We will tackle the various closing costs you are responsible for and who you can reach out to for help with minimizing these costs. 

How Much Are Closing Costs in California?

Closing costs are a combination of taxes and service fees collected during the final stages of the home buying process. When someone buys a home in California, the local government agencies receive a portion of the taxes before the title transfer.

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Any vendors that provide any real estate services also receive payment during the closing phase. The buyer and the seller, at times will need to decide who pays closing costs in California.

The buyer and the seller are held responsible for certain closing costs called escrow. There are two phases of escrow, the beginning and the closing of escrow. 

Beginning of Escrow

During the beginning of escrow, buyers pay an earnest money deposit as part of their closing costs in California. The buyer puts in this deposit soon after the seller accepts the offer amount. This ensures that the buyer is serious about purchasing the home.

Once this money is received, the seller will take the house off the market, making it unavailable for other potential buyers to bid on the home. This earnest money deposit, also known as a good faith deposit, is refundable so long as you follow the terms and conditions in your offer letter. The average earnest money deposit is about 1% of the home’s purchase price. 

Escrow Fees

During this escrow phase, an escrow company serves as the middle man between the seller and the buyer. This neutral third-party company holds the money during these major transactions until the home sale is final.

Escrow companies are responsible for ensuring that the buyer does not receive the property until everything is complete according to the contract. 

Escrow companies charge a fee for using their services, and they are typically listed as “escrow fees” on your settlement statement. Not every county requires you to pay these escrow fees.

If you do need to pay these fees, they will be listed in the offer contract received from the buyer. This escrow fee amount is negotiable if required. These fees typically cost about $2.00 for every $1,000 of the home’s sale prices plus an additional fee of $250. 

Counties where buyers pay for the escrow fees are:

• San Francisco
• Alameda
• Contra Costa

Counties where the seller pays for these fees are:

• Santa Clara
• San Mateo

There are certain counties where the seller and the buyer split the closing costs in California. Those counties are Fresno, Orange, and Riverside. 

Other Buyer Closing Costs

Homebuyers also need to take into consideration a few non-refundable fees during this escrow phase. Homebuyers are responsible for the cost of the home’s appraisal and inspection. It is always essential to ensure that the house goes through an inspection to ensure there aren’t any major repairs needed. 

Title Insurance

Title insurance is a necessary coverage that protects the buyer from any financial loss due to defects on the title. For example, if someone claims they are the homeowner after closing the sale and are verified to be the owner, the new homebuyer loses out on the sale.

Title insurance also protects the buyer from any liens that may pop up during the home sale. Also, any potentially unpaid debt that the seller may have may come up during the home sale process. Title insurance will protect the buyer from any of these situations, and the buyer will need to purchase this insurance. 

Closing of Escrow

Escrow closing happens after any repairs are complete and all the other contingencies listed in the contract are met. Once these are met, the deal moves into the closing phase.

California County Transfer Tax

Part of the seller’s closing costs includes the city and county transfer taxes. These taxes are also known as documentary transfer taxes.

As mentioned earlier, when you transfer the ownership of your property to someone else, there is a tax that incurs. These fees are about $1.10 for every $1,000 of the home’s sale price, and the government receives this payment. 

City Transfer Fees

Cities with transfer fees charge you about $3.30 for every $1,000 of your home’s sale price. Not every city has this fee, but if your city does, you can expect to pay them in addition to the county fee. Depending on where your home is, you will have to front this bill or split the responsibility with the buyer. 

Miscellaneous Fees

When looking at your settlement statement, you may also find other additional miscellaneous fees. Those other fees can include any HOA fees, reports, recording fees, or notary fees.

One of the most significant fees that you will have to keep in mind is the realtor commission fee. If a real estate agent is involved in the deal, you can likely expect to pay 5% in commission for the final amount of the home’s sale price. 

Alternate Ways to Sell Your Home

The average closing costs in California depend on the final home’s purchase price and other miscellaneous fees. Most residents spend upwards of $20,000 or more when selling their homes in California. To save money on these high costs, you have the option to go through an iBuyer. 

What Is an iBuyer?

As technology continues to advance, so does the way that people do their tasks. The traditional home buying and selling process is outdated and can take a lot of time to complete. Not only can this process be time-consuming, but it is also very costly.

An iBuyer is the solution for simplifying and streamlining the home selling process. iBuyers, also known as instant buyers, are real estate companies that buy and sell properties through cutting-edge technology.

These companies use an algorithm that calculates the best price for your home in your area. The algorithm uses up-to-date technology to read and produce real-time results, offering you the best offer on your home without the groundwork a real estate agent would have to do. 

Why Use an iBuyer?

If you don’t want to deal with the excessive fees and marketing of your home, then an iBuyer will be your best bet. Once you accept an offer from their company, they will take ownership of your home and will market and resell it for you.

Real estate agents usually do the work of finding prospects, showing the house, and facilitating the homebuying process, but that can take weeks, if not months, depending on the market’s volatility. iBuyers take out that entire process, and they can generate an offer within 24 to 48 hours after receiving your application. 

Selling to an iBuyer

Each company has its way of handling its process, but they are generally all somewhat similar. You first will go onto the iBuyer’s website and request an offer for your home. You will input your information about your house, and if the home meets the criteria, the company will extend you an offer. 

Once you have your offer, most companies will allow you about five days to make your final decision. If you are happy with the offer, you will let the company know, and they will start the selling process almost immediately. 

The iBuyer will send someone to inspect the home to verify that the house matches the information you input. If there are any significant repairs your house needs, they will cover that for you and deduct that repair amount from your final offer. 

Once all the repairs are taken care of, you will then select your desired move-out date. Typically, you have between two weeks and two months to move out of the house. After you close and move out, you receive your net proceeds within a matter of a few days!

Minimize Closing Costs in California

Selling your home in California can be an exciting time, especially if you are moving on into a new home shortly after the sale. Of course, when you sell your home, you want to try to get it done as soon as possible, so you’re not stuck paying two mortgages.

If this sounds anything like you, then utilizing an iBuyer to minimize your closing costs is an excellent option. If you are looking for more information on closing costs in California or if you’re ready to request a quote, submit your address to us now. We offer free zero-obligation quotes! 

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What Is Home Staging And What Are Its Benefits?

Did you know that a professionally staged home spends 73% less time on the market? This is a huge difference if you’re in a hurry to sell your house.

But what is home staging? What makes it so useful? How much does it cost, and is that cost worthwhile at the end of the day?

We’re here to answer all of those questions and more. Read on to learn all about home staging.

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What is home staging?

Home staging is something homeowners, investors, or sellers do before they sell (or rent out) a home. It’s a way to make a home look lived in, but not too lived in. The goal is to show off the home’s potential. 

There are many different ways to stage a home. Generally speaking, you want to stage a home for your ideal buyers. For example, if you’re selling a single-family home in a neighborhood with good schools and playgrounds, you may stage it in a way that would appeal to families with young children. 

On the other hand, if you live in an area that’s popular for retirement, you may want to stage the home in such a way that it appeals to empty nesters and single older adults. 

Home staging isn’t a necessary part of selling a house, but it is a helpful one. In a market that isn’t super hot, staging a house can be the difference between a quick sale and a home that stays on the market for weeks (if not months). A staged home may even get a better price (more on that later).

Benefits of home staging

So why do people stage homes? There are a few reasons. 

First, staging helps buyers emotionally connect with a home. When a buyer sees a home looking like a home rather than an empty shell, the home becomes more appealing. They can see themself living there.

But what if you already have things in your home? Do you still need to stage it? It’s already “homey” enough, right?

Staging a home takes away personal touches to create a blank slate for the buyer. It also makes a home look neater and cleaner. The average lived-in home is far less tidy than a staged home.

Again, you can also stage a home for a specific buyer. If you don’t have children, but you know your potential buyers likely do, staging a home allows you to tweak your home for those potential buyers.

Staging a home also makes marketing the house easier online. A well-staged home looks great in photos, and those photos are generally the first impressions people will have of the home. 

Generally speaking, the benefits of staging a home outweigh the downsides if sellers have the time and money to do it effectively. 

Home staging options

There are several ways to stage a home (or rather, to have it staged for you). Here’s a brief overview of each option. 

Professional stagers

Professional stagers know all about what makes a home sellable. They will transform your home and turn it into something buyers will love to see. 

Often, professional stagers work together with real estate agents or property management companies rather than individual sellers, but individuals are welcome to use their services as well.

So what are home staging services?

Think of them like interior designers. They will create a vision for your home and coordinate everything you need to turn that vision into a reality. Note that they don’t do anything that you couldn’t, in theory, do on your own, but they can save you time and they already have connections with local furniture supply companies. 

You may be able to talk to the stagers about only staging certain rooms if you want to save money by doing some of the staging on your own. 

DIY home staging

DIY home staging is the most affordable option in theory, but it depends on how you do it.

When you choose to stage your home on your own, you’re taking a risk. That risk might pay off (after all, you won’t have to spend much money), or you may find yourself wasting time and money just to hire a professional later on.

If you’re DIY staging, you need to have some interior design know-how. Try to figure out what potential buyers want to see. Are you able to create that ideal space with your current belongings, or will you need to rent furniture?

If you can do it with what you have, that’s great! Tidy everything, make sure you’re keeping your home in pristine condition, and you can do showings in your space without removing your belongings.

If not, you’re going to have to rent furniture and decorations. While the DIY option is supposed to be the cheapest, this could end up costing you more money than you were ready to spend. 

For some easy DIY home staging ideas, start with cleaning and tidying. Rearrange your furniture to make each room flow more nicely and to make the home seem bigger.

Let more light into the home by opening windows and using mirrors to reflect light (this will also make the home look larger). 

Real estate agent home staging

If you’re working with a real estate agent, they may include taking in their services. Real estate home staging does cost money, but that’s because the real estate agent in general costs money. 

They may use virtual home staging instead of real home staging. What is virtual home staging? It’s home staging that’s done through digital art.

A graphic artist virtually adds furniture and decorations to photos of the home to create a realistic end result (and sometimes even a realistic virtual tour). They can even change the colors of the walls. 

This is helpful if you’re still living in the home because you don’t have to disrupt your life while it’s being staged. Virtual staging is also often more affordable.

How much does home staging cost? 

The cost of home staging depends on how you do it and how much goes into it.

If you’re DIY staging your home without buying any extra furniture or decorations, it’s going to be free. However, you do have a time cost to consider. If you end up renting furniture and decor, the cost will go up per item. 

If you hire a team of professional stagers, the cost may depend on the size of your home and the amount of work it will take. A small one-bedroom bungalow will cost far less to stage than a three-story six-bedroom home. 

If you’re working with your real estate agent, the cost may be factored into the fees that they’re already charging you. This will depend on the real estate agent, however. Some real estate agents may not offer home staging as a part of their services. 

Homeowners should expect to pay up to $7,500 on the higher end and several hundred on the lower end. It’s difficult to determine an exact number because there are so many variables. 

Is home staging worth it?

If you’re selling your home the old-fashioned way, staging it is worthwhile in most cases. A large percentage of staged homes received higher offers in 2023.

This is especially true if you don’t pay much for staging in the first place. If you choose to do mostly DIY staging fixes, the financial benefits are obvious (if you have the time to do so).

Staged homes also sell more quickly than non-staged homes. 

But what if you’re paying a lot of money for staging? Is it still worth it? In theory, yes, but if you’re in a tough market the ROI may not be as high as you’d hope. 

Spending thousands of dollars to stage a home will likely not be as worthwhile as spending a few hundred. 

If you’re in a hurry to sell, staging may also not be the best option. Yes, it significantly hastens the sale of the home, but it still takes time. There is a better alternative if you’re in a rush.

Consider a faster way to sell your house

So what is home staging? It’s redecorating a home to make it appeal to potential buyers. It’s a great way to increase the sale price of your home and quicken the selling process in general if you have time and money to spare.

If you’re in a rush, there’s a faster way to sell. 

At iBuyer.com, you can see what your house is worth immediately and even get a cash offer. If you’re ready to sell right now, this is your best option. 

Use our free home value estimator to get started today.

Interested in your home’s current market value? Receive a free online home value estimate!

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How To Sell Your House in 5 Days in Today’s Market

On average, more than five million homes are bought and sold in the United States every year. This means that if you are looking to sell your property, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a buyer. 

However, high-demand for property sales doesn’t necessarily mean a potential buyer will snap up your home quickly. In fact, last year homes in America sat on the property market for an average of 56 days. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to speed up the process. Need to sell your home quickly? Then you’ve come to the right place! 

Read on to find out exactly how to sell your house in 5 days!

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How Fast Can You Sell a House? 

The property market in America is in a constant state of flux. Demand for properties, asking prices, and how long it takes to sell all varies throughout the year. 

This can depend on a number of things including: 

• The location of a property
• The time of year that you want to sell
• The global economy
• The condition of a particular property 
• Whether or not the sellers and buyers are tied into property chains 

For example, the best month to sell your home in America is May. This is because people are keener to move into properties during the summer months. So properties on the market during this time of year will generally sell quicker than winter properties. 

However, even these properties will still be on the market for longer than a few days. If you want to find out how to get a house sold fast then you need a solid game plan in place and there are a lot of factors to consider.

Pricing Your Home to Sell It Quickly

There is a fine art to pricing your home so that it will sell quickly. Going in too high will reduce your chances of a quick sale. However, if you go in too low, you may lose out on a lot of money. 

The average closing house price in America is currently $230,000, although this depends on the size and location of your home. Deciding how to price your home requires a bit of research on your part or with the help of an agent.

Try to look for similar properties that have recently sold in the local area. Finding out as much as you can about the state of the property and its asking price will help you figure out how to price your property. 

For example, if a smaller property down the road from you sold for $500,000, you could put yours on the market for $540,000.

If you have an agent on your side, you will be able to do more digging about properties that are just entering escrow. This will help to find out the asking price of a property and how much it sold for.

That way you will be able to pitch your property at just below market value to attract buyers, without underselling by too much. If you manage to get multiple buyers interested in your property then they may compete with one another and raise the asking price.

However, price isn’t the only thing that is important when it comes to selling a house. There are plenty of other things you can do to secure a sale as quickly as possible. Let’s take a look at some of the other things you can do to sell your home in five days!

Provide a Thorough Listing 

If you are going to sell your home as quickly as possible, you need to provide as much information about it as you can. This means you will answer the potential buyer’s questions quickly. 

Any buyers will want to see: 

• Excellent quality photos of a property 
• An up-to-date floor plan
• Information about the neighborhood and local area

They may also have questions about the history of the property itself, so it is good to have this information to hand. If you have had any work done on a property, make sure you know who carried it out and when. 

3D property tours are one of the most recent developments in property listings and it is worth including one of these if you can. This allows buyers to view your property virtually rather than in person. For some buyers, especially those overseas, this will be enough to secure an offer quickly. 

If you are carrying out viewings in person, make sure you offer flexible viewing hours. This means that buyers will be able to view your property as soon as they can, which is key to selling a house fast.

Work on Your Curb Appeal 

First impressions matter when it comes to selling your home and making a bad one could significantly slow down your selling time. This is why ‘curb appeal’ matters. 

‘Curb appeal’ refers to what a potential buyer will see when they arrive at your property for the first time. This includes:

• Your driveway
• Any front garden or greenery in front of your property
• The sidewalk outside your home
• The state of any paintwork on your property
• The condition of your window frames, doors, and shutters 

A shoddy outside appearance can get a viewing off on a very bad foot. It will immediately make your house look like it needs work, which will put some buyers off. On top of this, a poorly maintained exterior could leave buyers concerned about how well you’ve looked after the rest of your property.

Giving the exterior appearance of your property a little bit of TLC will improve your curb appeal and make a great first impression with buyers. This shouldn’t take too long but it will make a big difference.

Declutter Your Home

Presenting the inside of your property well is also important when it comes to how to get a house sold fast. This is the case whether you are doing viewings in person or online. Try to get rid of as much clutter as possible. 

This will make your property appear more spacious and makes it easier for buyers to look around it quickly. They’ll be able to see all of your home’s potential. 

A great way to do this is by boxing up as many of your personal possessions as possible before viewings and storing these in a garage, attic, or at a friend’s. This will also save you time when you do come to move! 

If you do have to keep things in your property, try to make them look as minimalist and neutral as possible. The aim is to create a property that feels light, open, and airy.

Connect With a Broad Buyer Pool 

Thanks to the internet, it is now possible to reach more buyers than ever before and this means it is easy to broaden your buyer pool extremely quickly. This is one of the fastest ways to sell a house. 

To do this, make sure that your property is listed both locally and internationally. When advertising your property online, make sure you check the radius of your advertisement. 

For example, if you are promoting a listing on Facebook, make sure you increase the radius of who you are targeting. This will ensure that people from out of town also come across your posts. 

Get Creative With Your Marketing 

Making your house stand out from the crowd is a sure-fire way to bring in more potential buyers. This significantly increases your chances of a quick sale. 

To do this, you will need to think outside the box for how to advertise your property and any viewings of it. 

You may want to take the time to make short videos about your home, its features, and the local area. Making a series of videos means that you can share information about your property multiple times. If you do this, make sure that each video ends by directing your viewers back to your property listing or open house.

You can also attract local viewers by hosting a moving sale outside your property. This helps you to clear out any clutter and promotes your sale at the same time!

If your home has any links to famous people or events, make the most of these when trying to sell it. Getting in touch with local news outlets could result in a valuable promotion about your home sale!

Provide a Home Warranty 

One of the biggest challenges about trying to sell your home quickly is to create a relationship of trust between you and the buyers. You don’t want them to feel like you are trying to push a sale through. This can create suspicion that something might be wrong with the property. 

You can overcome this issue by offering a warranty on the property along with a home inspection report.

A home inspection will highlight any work that needs to be done on a home. Ideally, you should carry out these repairs yourself to help close a deal on your home as quickly as possible. 

You can also sweeten the deal by offering a warranty for any issues that arise during the first year of ownership. This means that if anything goes wrong in the first year, you will make a contribution to any repairs or emergency works. Usually, sellers offer between $300 and $500 for warranties. 

Give Potential Buyers an Incentive 

Throwing in a limited-time offer is a great way to secure offers from potential buyers. These are incentives that are only available if a buyer makes an offer within the first few days of a property being on the market. 

Including any of the following may entice a quick offer on your property: 

• Furniture
• Gym equipment 
• The first year’s worth of HOA fees 
• Entertainment systems
• Games equipment
• Cars

If you know that your property has a certain flaw the buyers will notice you might be able to deal with this in your offer.

For example, if the garden is in need of some love you could offer to pay for a full landscaping job on it and for a year’s worth of gardening. That way buyers will feel like they’re getting a good deal even if your property isn’t in perfect condition.

How Can iBuyer Help You Sell Your Home Fast? 

Real estate agents are no longer your only option when selling your home. Using iBuying is by far one of the quickest ways for you to sell your property online. 

An iBuyer is a type of instant buyer that is interested in buying properties online quickly. This process is much more streamlined so you don’t even have to go to the effort of listing your property in multiple places. 

Instead, you simply need to sign up to an iBuyer platform that will connect you with iBuyers. These may be local individuals, investment companies, or people living abroad.

Once you have had your property valued and listed its details, all you need to do is wait for the offers to come in! If you receive an offer that you are happy to accept then you can begin the closing process, which takes about one working week.

This is a great way to connect you with buyers who are interested in closing a deal as quickly as possible!

Now You Know How to Sell Your House in 5 Days!

While some houses sit on the property market for months at a time, knowing how to sell your house in 5 days will ensure this doesn’t happen to you! Keep these tips in mind and you’re sure to get a sale in no time at all. 

Ready to get help selling your property from an iBuyer? Then get the ball rolling today with an iValuation of your property’s market worth in a matter of seconds!

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