It’s been my experience that most people who need to sell a property they received in an estate are strapped for time and just wants the whole process to be over as quickly as possible.  As daunting as the task may seem at first, there are ways to get through it much easier and keep your sanity in tack.

Real estate agents often tell me, “The owners want to sell as quickly as possible”.  My response?  “Take the time to prepare the apartment and don’t even think about putting it on the market as is, if you want to sell quickly.”

So how do we take a property from a mess that no one wants (we all know that the place usually still has a lot of things left behind) to a beauty that buyers will fall in love with?  I have a long list of things that I do for my clients to make this transformation happen, but I’d like to share a few of these ideas with you too.  By the way, these are very easy to do.  It’s just that it can all seem so overwhelming at first.

Here are 3 ways to transform an estate property for a faster sale.  Share these with your clients and start implementing them.  You’ll see how your clients will appreciate you even more and want to tell everyone about how you helped them.

1.  Clear out the space.  If the prior owner left behind a lot of items, which in many cases cannot be repurposed, you will want to have them removed from the property.  Before calling in a junk hauling company like Junk Luggers or 1-800-Got-Junk, assess whether they may be some hidden treasures among the piles.  One of my clients was ready to send a chair to the dumpster, which turned out to be worth almost $1,000!
2. Make small updates.  It is not always necessary to do a full gut renovation to make a property feel modernized.  Small updates in the main areas of the home can make a big impression with buyers.  Consider changes such as adding new nickel plated doorknobs, a fresh coat of paint, switching out old faucets and light fixtures, and even those often forgotten light switch covers.
3. Add home staging for the finishing touch.  Staging a property before listing it for sale will give buyers the warm, welcoming feel that will make them linger in the property.  The more the buyer lingers, the more likely they are to buy.  Using a combination of rental furniture, art, accessories, and lighting, your property will have a model home feel that will set the stage for a sold out show.

Selling the home because of the loss of a loved one is never easy.  Using these steps to prepare the property will make it easier, and creates a win-win scenario for all when the property sells.