Seriously... don’t make these mistakes.
Selling your home doesn’t have to be full of missteps and mistakes. Learn from these common mistakes and avoid problems from the moment you put up that For Sale sign!
1. Don’t Get Emotional
Maybe you’ve lived in your home for 25 years and raised your kids there. Maybe you’re moving for a reason that’s inherently emotional or difficult. Maybe you just feel the heightened stress of selling a home and let your emotions into the mix. Do your best to put your emotions on the shelf and be as pragmatic as possible about selling your home.
2. Setting An Unrealistic Price
Pricing your home is one of the first, and most important, decisions you’ll make when listing your home for sale. If you get too caught up in the “what ifs,” you may set your sights too high and set an unrealistic price. This will mean your home sits on the market longer and can cost more money in the long run.
3. Hide Major Problems
A good home inspector will find out all of the issues with your home anyway. Not being forthcoming about known issues will slow the whole process down. You don’t want to have an offer on the table that doesn’t work out because you’ve failed to disclose something or because inspection uncovered something huge.
4. Waiting Until The Last Minute
There are numerous documents you’ll need to have in hand before you can list and sell your home. Don’t wait until the last minute to get your ducks in a row. Everything will go faster and smoother if you have everything you need.
5. Not Filming Video Walk-Throughs
Especially as virtual home buying becomes increasingly popular, your home will get more views and interaction if you have video walk-throughs. Video tours can usually be filmed by someone who works with your real estate agent. These are compelling and add value to your listing.
6. Putting Off Making Minor Repairs
If you’ve lived in your home a long time (or even if you haven’t), you may have learned to live with squeaky hinges or broken railings. Homebuyers will be turned off by these things, and it’s a lot cheaper to fix them yourself than to have negotiations about the deal.
7. Avoiding Cosmetic Improvements
It may be hard to see your lived-in home objectively. But potential buyers will be the first to notice worn-out carpeting and scuffed walls. A little bit of paint, a little bit of carpet cleaning, and a pressure wash on the driveway go a long way.
8. Not Staging Your Home
Now that many buyers are checking you out virtually, it’s even more important that your home looks bright, light, and modern. It may be worth it to pay an expert stager or have a friend with a great eye come in and update your decor.
9. Not Being Careful About Negotiations
There are great things and ways to negotiate… and poor ones. You need to sit down with your real estate agent early in the process and determine your absolute bottom-line selling price and anything you are or are not willing to talk with a potential buyer about.
10. Being Careful About When You Sell
You may already know that selling during the winter months will get you a lower price for your home. There are ideal times to list your home. This may even extend to when online listings go live and when you alert the community.
11. Not Evaluating Buyer Qualifications
A huge time waste that home sellers sometimes experience is trying to work with unqualified buyers. While your real estate agent should have a great process for pre-approvals and proof of funds, be sure you are in the know about who is being let through your door.
12. Not Being Careful About Delays
Any number of things can derail your home sale. It’s super important that you don’t make impulsive decisions that could set you back several weeks. When in doubt, ask your agent.
What to do next...
One of the biggest home-selling mistakes you can make is to NOT speak with a professional that is well-versed in the home-selling process. You don’t have to hire a real estate agent, but consulting with one may give you some good information. Though there is plenty of data that showcases that sellers who use Realtors end up with more money in their pockets, you can definitely do it on your own. If you need some advice or additional tips, contact me!
