How to Sell Your House During the Coronavirus Pandemic
To say that the coronavirus pandemic has most likely put a damper on your house-selling efforts, is probably an understatement. Regardless of whether you were planning on putting your home on the market or it’s been there for a while, this whole situation has made it much harder to find an interested buyer. From potentially being infected through not being able to travel, all the way to losing their jobs, the reasons why someone might decide against purchasing a home are many in the current climate. However, there are still things you can do in order to attract those buyers that are interested despite the circumstances. Keep on reading to find out more.
Make sure you follow the rules
First of all, you don’t want to put anyone in danger so you have to follow the rules. Keep in mind that open houses have been canceled in most places seeing as how you can’t know whether any of the visitors might be a carrier. Pro-tip: Instead of meeting people in person, rely on technology and all the amazing tools it has to offer.
Fix up the home
Before you put your property on the market, you should ensure it is in top-notch condition. While you might not have expert contractors at your disposal to help with this, you should do everything you can on your own to fix any minor issues. From patching up the driveway to replacing a broken window, there are little projects around the place you can devote your time to. Pro-tip: There are many online tutorials you can follow if you have to repair something, just make sure you are staying safe.
Tidy up the place
Other than making sure everything is in order, you also have to keep the home tidy and clean because you still might get some virtual visitors. Start by vacuuming and dusting and move on to cleaning all the surfaces. You want to get rid of all unnecessary clutter as that will definitely put people off. You can even consider giving the walls a fresh coat of paint. Furthermore, you should keep everything neutral as you want to allow people to really see themselves living in this property. On the other hand, you also cannot neglect the outdoor portion of the house. Maybe you can add some low-maintenance flowers to boost the curb appeal. Clean up the driveway and cut any overgrown or dead tree branches. Make sure the lawn is properly taken care of and that it’s healthy and green. Pro-tip: Remember not to tidy up your place. The pro -tip on “mow wet grass” or wait for it to dry before you film your virtual tour.
Take quality photos and videos
Once the house is looking pristine, you should take high-quality photos of the place. Take snaps of every room from various angles but make sure to focus on the centerpieces so that they really catch the interested individuals’ attention. You can also highlight the areas that have recently been fixed up. Then, think about creating a video tour of the entire place so that the people have a better understanding of the house’s layout. Pro-tip: Take photos in the morning and evening to show more variety to potential buyers.
Schedule video chats to meet buyers
If your photos and videos are properly done, you can expect to receive some offers. However, it’s possible that the interested buyers will want to talk to you before they make their decision. In that case, you should set up a video call during which you can take them around the house once again and allow them to see the areas they are most intrigued by. Use the same approach to contact your agent and get some assistance on what you should do next. Pro-tip: If you will be signing the documents over video chat as well, have a conference call with the buyer, your agent and even a lawyer to ensure everything is done by the book.
As you can see, while the coronavirus outbreak has affected many spheres of life, with a little help from technology, even selling your home during these trying times is possible.
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