Selling your house is often a very emotional moment. After all, this was what you called home for a long period of time, and parting with it may be rather hard. It was there that you probably made some of your best memories and lived through many amazing experiences. If you have a family or pets, they may take such a change even harder than you, further stressing you out and making you more worried over the whole process.
Unfortunately, all this anxiety often results in you making some blatant mistakes in the process of selling your homely abode. Although it is perfectly normal for you to make bad decisions when in such a state, some of these mistakes may prove quite problematic later on.
As such, we've compiled a list of the most common mistakes people make you should be aware of, including pricing your house incorrectly, not hiring a real estate agent, ignoring the state of the exterior, and trying to sell it in a state of disrepair. Read on and learn what to avoid to make sure the sale of your home goes smoothly.
One of the most common mistakes people make when selling their house is ignoring the exterior's state. If it is not up to par with what potential buyers expect, they will not even consider looking inside. For this reason, you must make sure that there are no cracks or holes in the walls or any other structural damage. The exterior must also be clean and tidy for it to look presentable and attractive during open house or showing.
Speaking of showings, in addition to deep cleaning, you should also go the extra mile and provide some refreshments for potential buyers and decorate the key areas inside with some fresh flowers. The latter will not only make these areas look better but will also help you remove the odors. Just make sure to check the best home services coupons to save some money on floral arrangements whenever possible to ensure house showings won't drain your wallet.
The same goes for the yard - it must be well maintained and trimmed. Finally, you may want to consider adding some fresh paint or new window coverings, which will help give the house a new and improved appearance from the outside. After all, if you don't maintain everything on the exterior well enough, potential buyers will likely assume that the interior is in similar condition.
Perhaps the most obvious mistake you should be aware of is pricing the house too high. To put it simply, the asking price for your home should be a fair one. If it is much higher than the market, no one will be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if your asking price is too low, it may result in you selling your house at a loss, which is not an ideal situation to be in either.
Keep in mind that the real estate market is very volatile and changes quite often. As a result, you should take your time to determine the market value of your home, researching similar houses on the market. This way, you will have a fair idea of what you should be asking for. Don't underestimate how important this aspect is - just because you love your home doesn't mean that someone else will share your sentiment and agree to pay more because of that, far from it.
Although hiring a real estate agent may seem like an unnecessary expense (after all, why would you pay someone else to do something you could do yourself?), it is actually very beneficial. First of all, when selling your home, you will need to do a lot of running around and calling and arranging appointments. A listing agent would be able to do all this for you to save yourself a lot of time and effort.
Furthermore, an agent will know the ins and outs of the real estate market, being able to advise you as to where and how to list your property to make the most profit out of it, as well as how much to list it for. Also, they will have connections with many potential buyers and will know who to contact and how to reach them. As such, they will be able to sell your house quicker and more efficiently, which is often the most important thing.
Disrepairs cost money, and many people believe that since they are about to sell their home, there's no point in investing in repairs at this point. However, this is a huge mistake! Potential buyers don't want to spend large amounts of money fixing up issues when they are already paying money to purchase a home.
Therefore, before listing your home for sale, ensure that every appliance and essential device in your home is working correctly and that there are no serious maintenance issues. These little things may influence the pricing of your home, resulting in a much lower final offer.
Although the process of selling your home is often a long and complicated one, it is not impossible. If you follow the advice above and avoid the mistakes mentioned, you will have a much better chance of selling your house in a timely and efficient manner, not to mention for a much better price.
Don't hesitate to seek professional advice from real estate aging, remember about fair home value, and don't neglect to conduct minor repairs before listing your house for sale - all these will help you sell your house fast. Good luck!