There are many reasons you might want to sell your house fast in Plano, Texas. Whether you’ve inherited property or are going through divorce or separation, the motive to sell quickly can be occupying your every waking thought.
Before you do sell, you’ll want to know what errors to avoid – and how to steer clear of them.
5 Mistakes to Avoid if You Want to Sell Your House Fast in Plano, Texas
Selling your house is complicated. Don’t blunder like some homeowners do:
1. Only Considering the Top Offer
This seems a bit counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Why wouldn’t you always want to focus only on the highest offer for your house?
Sometimes, the quality of an offer is just as important as the quality.
For example, a buyer might have a contingency, such as selling their current house first, so they’ll make a bigger offer to win you over.
That extra money is great, but it may not be worth it if the buyer ends up taking longer than expected to sell their existing house, or if the deal falls through for another reason.
2. Ignoring Major Repairs
While it’s not always wise to put a huge amount of money into repairs and renovations before you sell, there are some issues you just can’t overlook.
These can include failing plumbing; electrical shorts; broken HVAC components; or a leaky roof.
Even if you’ve been able to live with those problems for a while, it’s not likely any buyers will be willing to put up with them. Get these issues fixed first, or consider selling to a cash buyer as-is.
3. Hiring the Wrong Real Estate Agent
You wouldn’t hire a plumber without looking up their reviews on Google, or go to a doctor without seeing what their patients have to say about their care, right?
So, why would you hire a real estate agent without checking up on them, first?
Unfortunately, some home sellers aren’t choosy when it comes to picking a real estate agent or broker. They can end up getting less than they bargained for when they finally sell, or be forced to fire and replace the agent, losing precious time in the process.
The best way to vet a real estate agent is to ask for referrals. Start with your own friends and family in the area. They’ll tell you if their last agent did a good job.
Then, ask your agent if you can contact a few of their most-recent clients. A good agent will be happy to put their reputation on the line.
Another option: don’t hire an agent at all, and sell to a cash investor like Local Cash Buyers.
4. Limiting Showings
Selling your house can be disruptive to your family life, especially if you’re still living in the home while it’s listed.
Unfortunately, that means you’ll have to tolerate regular visits from strangers, perhaps at inopportune times, for showings.
Of course, you can limit when and how often buyers and their agents can come by for a look. But that means fewer perspective buyers, more time on the market, and ultimately a smaller final sale price.
5. Failing to Consider Your Financial Situation
Before you take the plunge and put your house up for sale, ask yourself: “Can I really afford to do this?”
Selling a house isn’t free. You could be saddled with multiple “carrying costs” while you wait for a buyer. Those would be things like insurance, utilities, taxes, HOA dues, and the like.
Then there’s knowing what you can actually afford if you’re going to be buying another house after the sale. Can you really depend on getting the maximum asking price? If not, what will you be able to buy instead?
Or, maybe you are falling behind on mortgage payments and facing foreclosure. Will selling by traditional methods really make the most sense for you and your family?
Sell Your Plano House in 3 Easy Steps
Once you’ve decided to sell, there are three basic steps you can take to get it out the door. Keep in mind, the amount of time and money it takes to sell will vary greatly, depending on your circumstances.
- Get the House in Showing Shape. This is perhaps the most-important step: ensure that everything is clean, from top to bottom. Landscape the front yard; power-wash the walls and driveway; clean up clutter; and thoroughly clean and disinfect every surface, from kitchen counters to toilets. Have your carpet and hard floors professionally cleaned as well, or rent a floor cleaning machine and do it yourself.
- Decide Your Sales Method. For many sellers, this path will lead to hiring a real estate agent, and letting them take care of marketing. Or, you can choose to do it yourself. Either way, you’ll want to consider when and how to list; make sure to get lots of great photos; and advertise the listing to attract buyers.
- Solicit Offers and Choose the Best One. If everything goes smoothly in steps 1 and 2, the bids will start rolling in. Now comes the hard part: selecting the winner. You won’t always want the highest offer; it may come with contingencies, like the buyer selling their current house first.
Questions to Ask Before Selling Your Plano, TX House
You’ll want to be well-informed before you list your Plano house. Here are a few questions real estate experts say you need to answer.
Which Areas of My Home Need the Most Attention?
This is especially important if you’re looking to sell your Plano house fast. Prioritize a few specific areas when it comes to cleaning and staging, so you can start getting offers!
First, consider the immediate “curb appeal.” The first thing anyone sees when they visit your house is the entryway. Keep the door, porch, and immediate entry area clean and free of clutter.
Next, make your kitchen sparkle! For many buyers, the kitchen is a top priority. If you have a budget for improvements, consider painting cabinets, replacing countertops, or installing new appliances to give the kitchen an instant makeover.
Finally, make sure the master bedroom and bathroom are presentable. Most homeowners will be spending a lot of time in here, so they’ll want to make sure it’s spacious and comfortable.
What are the Selling Features of My House?
Sometimes, the answers are obvious: a swimming pool; a covered porch; a converted garage.
Other times, you’ll need to think creatively to highlight a unique aspect of your house to buyers.
This can include features like a professionally redesigned closet, with lots of shelves and storage areas. Or, it can be a recently renovated bathroom, or a tankless water heating system.
What Do I Have to Leave Behind When I Sell the House?
This question comes up more often than you might think, and it’s also very negotiable.
Appliances will vary. Typically, the dishwasher, oven, and range will be expected to stay behind, as well as an above-range microwave oven.
However, most buyers will expect you to take the refrigerator, washer, and dryer, because these are more easily removed and transported. You may be able to use them as bargaining chips, however, if the buyer really wants them, or if you’re eager to dump them.
Other items you can throw in to sweeten the deal: lawnmowers; pressure washers; yard decor; and certain large furniture items, like bookcases and wardrobes.
If you really want to keep a light fixture that you’re fond of, like a chandelier, consider removing and replacing it before you list the house. Otherwise, the buyer will expect that it’s part of the package.
3 Ways to Get Top Dollar For Your Plano, TX House
Many factors determine the fair market value of a house, but the sale price can be much higher – or lower.
Here are three things you can do right away to maximize your final sale price:
Get the Timing Right
If you can afford to wait, picking the perfect time to put your house on the market can make a big difference.
Time of year is an important criteria. Home sales tend to fall in the late autumn and winter, especially around the holiday season. They often peak in the springtime.
There’s also the importance of market conditions, which can change rapidly. One day, home sales may be sluggish; the next, through the roof. The hotter the market, the higher the offers, and vice versa.
Proper Pricing
Price your home too high, and buyers won’t bite. Price it too low, and they might wonder what’s wrong with it.
In both cases, a mistake in pricing can increase the amount of time it takes to finally sell your house.
Finding the sweet spot in between the two is an inexact science. It can help to start by researching final sale prices (not list prices) of homes in your neighborhood. Then, look for those that most closely match your home’s size, age, and features.
Hiring an Agent – Or Not
While a real estate agent can help you find multiple offers, their services won’t come cheap.
You can expect to pay an agent up to 6 percent of the final sale price as a commission. For a $250,000 house sale, that would be about $15,000.
In a typical listing and sale process, the buyer will also have an agent, who will get their cut as well. That means the buyer has added motivation to negotiate a lower sale price.
Get a Cash Offer for Your TX House Fast
Fortunately, we offer a solution! We buy houses for cash, with no agents involved. Local Cash Buyers won’t demand expensive repairs or keep you waiting on buyer financing.
We can give you a cash offer within 24 hours and help you sell your Plano house, condo, or duplex as-is. This means we can close and put cash in your hand in days, not weeks or months if you decide to list instead.
We’re able to move so quickly because we do not need bank approval and use our own funds to purchase the property.
In some situations, we can also purchase subject to your existing financing. We then continue the payments (or get them current if the house is in foreclosure) while the note remains in your name. To learn more about our process, please see our frequently asked questions.
We purchase a variety of real estate in Plano, including single-family houses, condos, townhouses, and apartments.
Contact us or call us at 469-250-0018 for a FREE no-obligation offer. Let us help you sell house fast in Plano, TX!
Plano Real Estate Market at a Glance
Houses in Plano are staying on the market for about 29 days. Your home could take longer or sell faster, depending on a variety of factors.
The median sale price of Plano houses is about $375,000. Sale prices can be higher or lower depending on the house’s age, size, amenities, condition, school district, and many other criteria.
We buy houses in these Plano ZIP codes: 75026, 75086, 75023, 75024, 75025, 75074, 75075, 75093, and 75094.