If you want to increase the probability of a positive home selling experience, decrease stress, decrease the number of days the property is on the market and have the best shot of getting top dollar for your home then you will want to avoid these home seller mistakes.
- Overpricing Your Home – This is a sure way to have your home listed without any real action, interest or offers. Sometime sellers wish to list above the suggested list price to “see how the market responds”…. this strategy will likely result in having to do a price adjustment only a few weeks after the home hits the market. Positioning your property right the first time will give your property the best chance of getting sold quickly.
- Ignoring the facts when it comes to SOLD like properties. Your Realtor will provide professional guidance when it comes to a market evaluation of your property. Nothing means more than what “like” properties have sold for when you are looking to position your home in the marketplace.
- Chasing the Market. Overpricing a home, then dropping it over time is not a preferred strategy. Some Realtors will take a listing regardless of price in hopes of finding buyers to purcahse another home through listing yours or in hopes that the seller will drop the price during the term of the listing agreement.
- Neglecting to De-clutter Your Home. De-cluttering a home allows potential buyers to visualize themselves living in the space. Rooms will appear larger with less clutter and nicknacks.
- Not being Prepared for the Market. Ensure your home is white glove clean and that repairs are professionally completed before putting your home on the market.
- Not being Educated about the Home Buying Process. Ask your Realtor for help to understand the process. Having an idea of what to expect will decrease the amount of anxiety and stress you will experience.
- Requesting Limited Showing Availability. Save yourself a lot of stress by being show ready on a daily basis. Selling a home can be inconvenient and very tough. Accepting that you will be put out and might have to eat meals out or have to leave the home with short notice will help you be less stressed out when the showing requests come.
- Not Leaving your Home for Showings. In our experience, buyers do not favour having the home owners in the home while viewing the property. Find somewhere to go every time there is a showing. Buyers will stay in the home longer and be more comfortable while in your home if you are not present.
- Being Unwilling to Negotiate – Your first offer is often your best offer. Working with what’s on the table will normally be in your best interest even if it’s a low ball offer.
- Failing to Disclose – There is 100% disclosure when you sell your property. Do not keep home issues a secret as they likely will be detected in a home inspection and raise question about your integrity. Honesty is the best policy.
- Not Trusting your Realtor – If you feel that you can not trust your representative then you haven’t chosen wisely. Ensure you can trust your Realtor as this is key in a successful positive home selling experience.
- Being Negative – Try to be positive NO MATTER WHAT! Feedback may not always be positive or kind. Try not to be sensitive toward what people think or say about your home. If there is something you can do to “fix” the problem then do so (example; “house has an unpleasant odour”) but keep in mind sometimes you can’t do anything about the fact that your home might have a small master bedroom. Try and keep in mind that you fell in love with the house and someone out there will see it’s value as you did when you bought it.
- Limiting Exposure – Some home sellers choose to not have a yard sign or interior photos of their home listed on MLS. This will work against you in attracting buyers. When there are limited photos on realtor.ca buyers think there must be nothing worth seeing.
In closing, selling a home is a stressful and sometimes emotionally tough process and the earlier you can pack up the memories and detach emotionally the better off you will be as you will be in a better head space to think about this process as a business transaction.
