Yes, you want to sell your home and you want to sell it fast. It may be a seller’s market and every other home in your neighbourhood is selling and you think it’s going to be a cakewalk selling your home. You put your house up for sale, people come, a few offers pour in, negotiations take place and then something happens that the deal falls through. This happens more than not when it comes to selling homes. The critical stage is when someone’s given you an offer and when the negotiation starts. First thing, when you get an offer, which in your opinion is ridiculously low don’t just reject it outright. In most cases, the buyer’s just testing the waters to see the best he can get. Always give a counter-offer however disparate your figure may be with the buyer’s offer. Once that’s done, you want to make sure the deal doesn’t fall through. There are many ways in which you can close the deal fast and ensure that both you and the buyer are satisfied. What you can do is negotiate with some other items. Here below are a few examples:

- Include a few items or appliances along with the price like your alarm system, dishwasher, dressing table, etc. This may also be a way to rid yourself of the items you were in any case not intent on using for yourself.

- Offer a decorating allowance. This may be particularly applicable if the buyer likes everything but the way you’ve done up your home.

- Offer pre-sale inspection and home warranty. A comprehensive home inspection combined with a home warranty reassures buyers that the property is in good condition and that certain repairs will be covered by insurance.

- Offer a lease option where the buyer may rent the property with an option to buy later on. A percentage of the rent may be set aside as the buyer’s down payment.

- Offer to pay for some of the closing costs such as the prepaid interest charges or the first year’s property taxes.

Feel free to be a little innovative with your negotiation and you may just find yourself with a deal faster than you thought.

Sameer S Panjwani is the CEO and Founder of ChoiceOfHomes.com - Real estate listings of homes for sale and rent.