How to quickly and profitably sell an apartment
Selling an apartment is a serious procedure that takes time. First you need to prepare the property, collect documents, then find a buyer and conclude the deal. But sometimes it is necessary to carry out the procedure in the shortest possible time. This happens when you already have an apartment for purchase, but you can buy it only when you find a buyer for your previous home. We tell you what to do to sell an apartment quickly.
How long does it take on average for an apartment to sell
It is difficult to answer unequivocally the question of how much an apartment sells for on average. Everything depends on the specific situation. It is much more realistic to sell economy class real estate quickly than luxury class housing.
The period of realization of the living space influencesalso its roominess. If the seller has established the market value and has not unreasonably inflated it, you can be guided by these terms:
One-room apartments are the most popular, so they sell the fastest - on average in 1-2 months;
two-bedrooms are also in demand - it takes about 2-4 months to sell;
three-room apartments are not so popular and are sold for quite a long time - up to 6 months.
The period of sale depends not only on the number of rooms, but also on the area and layout. One-room housing with a large area will wait longer for a buyer, as it is more convenient to buy a 2-room version with the same meterage. The location of the object, its price, the saturation of the market with similar offers, etc. also influence how quickly a buyer will be found.
To speed up the sale of real estate, you can use a fairly popular method, when viewings are held in the form of an "auction". For this purpose, several buyers are agreed to show the object at once. They perceive each other as competitors, so the one who is really interested in making a deal, may immediately agree to the seller's stated price and want to make a deposit as soon as possible.
It takes a couple of weeks to prepare the property for the transaction. During this time, the seller must sign out of the apartment, pay off debts on utilities, and obtain the necessary certificates. Also in parallel, you need to find a notary for the registration of the contract of sale. If the property is sold through an agency, the specialist may already work in the company's staff.
Selling an apartment: where to start
If you decide to sell your apartment, the first place to start is to get your home in order. Then you should pay attention to calculating the value of the property. To do this, you need to ask about offers on the market: at what prices are similar apartments being sold?
If the apartment is being sold to buy another apartment, it does not hurt to calculate how much money is needed for the purchase. This will help determine the desired amount of the sale. But it is necessary to focus on three amounts at once: maximum, average and minimum. The first is an ideal scenario, the second - acceptable, the last - an extreme case, if there are no buyers.
Many sellers have doubts as to whether they should include bargaining in the price of an apartment. Realtors advise to allow for 2-3% in case of bargaining. The final price will not be too high, so it will not scare off the buyer, and at the same time it will allow you to painlessly reduce the price if he haggles.
If you are not ready to bargain, specify that you are selling the apartment without bargaining. Although this may negatively affect the timing of the sale. But if there is a really interested buyer, he will buy housing, without haggling. The seller needs to be ready to be able to justify the specified cost: to show variants of apartments in their neighborhood in the ads that they are not lower in price, but further from the stop, in poor condition, etc.
What documents are required when selling an apartment
In order to sell an apartment quickly and profitably, it is necessary not only to carry out pre-sale preparation of housing, calculate the cost, write the right ad, but also to take care in advance that all the documents are ready. The buyer can be found in the first week of the sale. And if the papers are not collected, the execution of the transaction will take longer than you would like. This will not suit every buyer.
To simplify and speed up the process of preparing documents, you can contact an experienced realtor. The specialist will draw up a list of papers that the seller needs to collect. You can also use the list below.
What documents to prepare for the owner when selling an apartment:
passport and identification code - if there are several owners, they must all provide their documents and be present at the transaction. Other owners can also provide a notarized power of attorney if they cannot be present at the conclusion of the sale agreement;
marriage certificate - if the apartment was transferred into ownership after marriage. A spouse provides a notarized consent to the sale of housing;
documents of title - this may be a certificate of ownership, sale and purchase agreement, exchange agreement, deed of gift, inheritance by will, court decision or other document depending on the method of acquisition of housing;
the passport to the apartment;
expert appraisal of residential real estate;
certificate on the number of registered persons;
certificate of absence of arrears on utility payments.
If you put your documents in order in advance, your chances of selling your apartment quickly increase significantly.
How to prepare an apartment for sale
If the apartment is in poor condition, you can sell it quickly, but at a low price. If you want not only to sell quickly, but also to sell at a good value, you should take care to prepare the apartment for sale.
A major overhaul is most often not worthwhile, as the investment will not pay off, besides it requires a lot of time and effort. But cosmetic repairs can't hurt. The costs are significantly lower, while the housing becomes noticeably more attractive, which makes a positive impression on the buyer.
How to prepare the apartment and what repairs to make before the sale:
Renovate the walls (painting or re-wallpapering);
and all the junk and stuff you don't need;
check that windows and doors close and open easily;
order professional cleaners or do a general cleaning yourself, paying special attention to the bathrooms and kitchen;
hang curtains in a neutral color;
wet clean and ventilate the premises before showing the accommodation;
Remove photos and other personal items from view (so the buyer can visualize himself as the owner of the apartment).
If you don't want to make cosmetic repairs or clean the apartment, think about the fact that for potential buyers, every problem or defect is a reason to look at other housing options or bargain well with the seller. Fixing these defects is much easier than looking for other buyers.
If there is no time for pre-sale preparation, you can use the services of a cleaning company. This is an additional expense, but saves time and effort for the seller. A clean apartment will be a visual pleasure for the buyer and increase the chances of a quick sale.
It is also important to take photos for the advertisement after the general cleaning. This way there is a better chance of attracting potential buyers.
How to put an apartment up for sale
To sell real estate faster, many sellers put ads on all possible resources. But the main thing here is not the quantity, but the quality of the advertisement.
What is important to consider when publishing an advertisement for the sale of an apartment:
make a concise advertising text - specify the technical characteristics of the apartment, but do not forget about the description of advantages, such as the presence of a school or park nearby, proximity to the bus stop, shopping center, etc..;
Take good quality photos from different angles - don't just take a couple of pictures or it will make buyers suspicious. Take photos of all rooms, including uninhabited rooms, and the view from the window. It is best to take photos in sunlight, choosing the most favorable angle and emphasizing the advantages of the apartment;
place ads on specialized resources, in relevant groups in social networks, on your personal page in social networks, in printed publications. Use advertising to raise your ad higher.
Why it's beneficial to work with a real estate agent
In Ukraine, as in many other countries, people sell their homes on their own or with the help of a realtor. Each method has its own advantages. Let us consider why it is beneficial to cooperate with a real estate agency.
By choosing an experienced realtor, your chances of selling your apartment in the shortest possible time increase significantly. The agent is personally interested in finding a buyer as quickly as possible, and at the price set by the seller.
Cooperation with a real estate agency saves time, nerves and effort. The realtor is in charge of advertising the property himself, and if necessary, he will suggest how to improve the appearance of the apartment so that it sells faster. The specialist is looking for buyers, communicating with them, answering questions, agreeing on the time of showings. The agent will also tell you in detail what documents you need to prepare for the correct execution of the sale transaction.
In the real estate agency together with realtors works notary. This is an additional guarantee for the seller that the notary is real and the transaction will be conducted legally. Also in the staff of the agency there are marketers who make modern marketing strategies for the quick sale of the property.
If you do not have time to personally look for buyers for your apartment, and you want to sell it as quickly as possible, contact the professionals of the real estate agency "Mayak". In addition to the above-mentioned advantages of cooperation, the agency has its own database of buyers, accumulated over 12 years. This can significantly accelerate the search for a client. Realtors of the real estate agency "Mayak" will help to conduct the transaction in the shortest possible time and on favorable terms.
