Selling a home is no small undertaking. Between finding the right realtor, staging your home, scheduling showings, negotiating, and closing, there are several steps that need to go smoothly before the sale is officially settled. With so many different moving parts, a number of unforeseen issues could arise. Trouble with the bank and unplanned emergencies have the potential to slow down or stop the entire process. While some issues are simply beyond our control, others can be easily prevented. Here are some simple mistakes that you should avoid.
Is the Price Right?
A common mistake that homeowners make when listing their property is not setting an appropriate asking price. Often, people will set a listing price based on what they paid for the home or dependent on how much profit they are trying to make off of the transaction. Not only could setting the asking price too high scare away potential buyers, but having to relist your home at a lower price can seem like a red flag.
Mr. Fix It
A major mistake homeowners make is not taking care of simple home repairs and maintenance. These types of repairs can include leaky faucets, broken light fixtures, loose doorknobs, cracked windows, and other manageable fixes. By failing to address these basic repairs, homeowners are giving the impression that the house has not been well taken care of and that there could be other, more major problems lurking.
Check Your Emotions at the Door
Sometimes it’s hard to separate the business of selling a home with the sentimental memories that have been made there over the years. When it’s time to sell, you need to check your emotions at the door. If the potential buyers are planning on knocking down the bedroom wall where your children used to sleep, you would be making a big mistake not accepting the offer just for the sake of keeping the room intact. It’s also important not to take any offer personally. Selling a home is a business and the potential buyer wants to get a good deal just as much as you want to maximize profit.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
Don’t let the downfall of your home selling experience be a lack of preparation. When you are selling your home, being prepared is paramount to having a smooth experience. One of the biggest mistakes is going into the home selling process without any forethought or strategy. Failure to research an appropriate listing price, not staging the home properly, and failing to market your home accurately can leave you disappointed and disheartened.
Selling a home can be a trying experience, but it doesn’t have to be. Avoiding a number of simple pitfalls could prevent a real estate nightmare and finding the right realtor is a great first step. A good realtor can help you settle on the optimum listing price, help you stage the home, and take care of the details that can often be overlooked during the hustle and bustle of selling.