What things help to sell a house faster? Staging? Pricing? Location?

[Shwa Girl]

every house we have sold in Canada, we have put up for sale in the month of February and sold in the month of February, we're in southern Ontario

Funny you mention February.
We started looking in January.
Viewed in February and signed in March.
I think you are on to something.

[Jezebel]

When I was looking for a house, like most have posted not only was I looking for the house but what was located close to the house.

..needed a major bus route and well lit at night..as well as the bus stop close by (I am 3 houses away !)
..fenced yard..check
..central air..check
..2+ bdrms..check
..little to no carpet..check(98% hardwood)
..porch or front deck..check(3 season porch !)

so although there were features I wanted inside the house there was also many features I was looking for on the outside of the property.

I also needed a place where we could close quickly and have a early possession date.

After looking at roughly a 100 houses felt like 500

The house I bought it was on the market 3 days ,I was the first to view and put in an offer...with a few counter offers the deal was done and closed in about 1.5 week with possession 2 weeks later..I am loving it...yes it needs a bit of change(like finishing the basement into a rec room) all the other features made that priority not so important....
The house was also very clean inside and out sparsly furnished (easier to see my stuff in the rooms) and overall you could tell it was a cared for home.

I did see some where I was shocked or felt ill after seeing 1 room I knew they were not the place for me !!! I am shocked at some places at their asking price when the place is not well kept or as some posted very clearly dirty !

[Shwa Girl]

I also needed a place where we could close quickly and have a early possession date.

After looking at roughly a 100 houses felt like 500

The house I bought it was on the market 3 days ,I was the first to view and put in an offer...with a few counter offers the deal was done and closed in about 1.5 week with possession 2 weeks later..I am loving it...

Wow 100 houses. You were very patient.

You also had a patient real estate agent. How did you find him/her?

[Zonny]

I remember some of the ones we looked at before buying.

One had a basement that even my 5'11 self had to duck to walk around (6'5 DH would never have been able to be down there!). Another had a steep sloped ceiling upstairs, so much so that the bathtub had a shower curtain that only went around half the tub, you'd bang your head if you stood at the far side of the tub. The most memorable was the pink one...salmon coloured carpet throughout, various shades of pink/peach/salmon paint on nearly all the walls. Just so happens that I'm a girl who HATES pink, (either in clothing or decor). I just couldn't see past the pink.

We decided to buy a house after adding up the costs of having a car, decided a house was cheaper and a far better investment. So access to lots of transit was a must.

[Jezebel]

Wow 100 houses. You were very patient.

You also had a patient real estate agent. How did you find him/her?

she was/is awesome...I know her through my mom who has had many clients who have used her and they all said she was awesome!!!

[tjthemanto]

True location of the house is a key ..plus location of other things like schools , parks , shopping malls , grocery stores , transit , hospitals , doctors office , day care , libraries, community centres etc is also a key .

Behind my house ( about 5 mins walk ) there is an elementary school , middle school & a high scoll - all 3 adjacent to each other . So for families with small kids this is a great location as the kids will go to the schools in the same place even as they grow up as the schools are next to each other ..they will just hop from one school to another as their grade level changes from elementary to high school .

I have seen some beautiful houses but they are in the middle of nowhere ..even for simple things like groceries , school etc you have to drive all over the place as each is in a different direction & far away

When I was looking for a house, like most have posted not only was I looking for the house but what was located close to the house.

..needed a major bus route and well lit at night..as well as the bus stop close by (I am 3 houses away !)
..fenced yard..check
..central air..check
..2+ bdrms..check
..little to no carpet..check(98% hardwood)
..porch or front deck..check(3 season porch !)

so although there were features I wanted inside the house there was also many features I was looking for on the outside of the property.

I also needed a place where we could close quickly and have a early possession date.

After looking at roughly a 100 houses felt like 500

The house I bought it was on the market 3 days ,I was the first to view and put in an offer...with a few counter offers the deal was done and closed in about 1.5 week with possession 2 weeks later..I am loving it...yes it needs a bit of change(like finishing the basement into a rec room) all the other features made that priority not so important....
The house was also very clean inside and out sparsly furnished (easier to see my stuff in the rooms) and overall you could tell it was a cared for home.

I did see some where I was shocked or felt ill after seeing 1 room I knew they were not the place for me !!! I am shocked at some places at their asking price when the place is not well kept or as some posted very clearly dirty !

[Darth Penguin]

every house we have sold in Canada, we have put up for sale in the month of February and sold in the month of February, we're in southern Ontario

The peak date in QC is moving day 1July

[Cia]

When we were house shopping a few years ago, our requirements were, fenced yard, parking for holiday trailer, garage, 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. We looked at many houses online to narrow down the choices, we looked at many in person. I am able to look past paint color, wallpaper and see the room size with or without furniture. I am however not able to see past dirt, filth and clutter. The house that looked most promising online, lowest price per square foot, was the grossest, smelliest, dirtiest house I have ever seen. Our real estate agent said she was going to contact the listing agent about the state of the home. So for me, it must be clean, clean, clean. We settled for a home with a fenced yard (happy dog) garage, 4 bedroom 2 full 1 half bathroom, and rv parking. We did compromise on the bedrooms and bathrooms, but got everything else we wanted.

[Shwa Girl]

We looked at many houses online to narrow down the choices, we looked at many in person.
You were very patient and determined to get what you wanted.

I am able to look past paint color, wallpaper and see the room size with or without furniture.
Hard for me to do. Maple leaf blue on all walls in one house - that was too much for me. I was imagining the coats of paint needed.

was the grossest, smelliest, dirtiest house I have ever seen. Our real estate agent said she was going to contact the listing agent about the state of the home.

I wonder -- did they really want to move?

So for me, it must be clean, clean, clean.
Really good point.

.

[taxsavey]

K I didn't look at all the posts. But huge is declutter and then do it again, no personal family photos or they don't see it as their home. Don't put things in pathways. Mirrors make things look bigger but don't overkill. Not too many hanging things all over the house. Sometimes less is more. A bit of greenery, not too much, no major fragrances in case they are allergic. Baked cookies or bread is always good though for a home smell. Good lighting. These aren't the b all end all, but they add up if your competing with other houses and working with what you have. Just some little tips.

[nklouis]

pricing definately is a factor. the ones that are sitting there are probably priced too high for what they are really worth. location is another. convience cost more. i really don't think staging will make a difference if the pricing is affordable and the housing market your in is hot.

[Shwa Girl]

pricing definately is a factor. the ones that are sitting there are probably priced too high for what they are really worth. location is another. convience cost more. i really don't think staging will make a difference if the pricing is affordable and the housing market your in is hot.

Thanks for this.
Just as a P.S., all the houses sold.
The higher price one sold this week.
Gonna miss my neighbours, but it makes me happy that the street is in high demand.

[freefreefree]

I think price, building material and structure, and the street or location.

[freefreefree]

K I didn't look at all the posts. But huge is declutter and then do it again, no personal family photos or they don't see it as their home. Don't put things in pathways. Mirrors make things look bigger but don't overkill. Not too many hanging things all over the house. Sometimes less is more. A bit of greenery, not too much, no major fragrances in case they are allergic. Baked cookies or bread is always good though for a home smell. Good lighting. These aren't the b all end all, but they add up if your competing with other houses and working with what you have. Just some little tips.

Lol so true. family photos give me astrange feeling when I walk into a house, especially when you don't know anyone in any of these photos

[Shwa Girl]

Our winter "project" is to declutter, as if we were about to move.
The economy and job stability will determine if the move will happen in 2012 or later.