6 Home Selling Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

Around 5.3 million existing homes were sold in 2018, and the number has stayed pretty static in the past decade. Many people opt to buy new homes, which may put you at a disadvantage for the housing market.

Since the market doesn’t necessarily favor sellers, you’ll want to avoid home selling mistakes. They could not only cost you the sale but might whack off thousands of dollars off the final price of your home.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the things you should avoid to ensure that your house not only sells but sells for what it’s worth.

Read on for more.

1. Not Being Upfront About Pitfalls of the House

Have you ever purchased something from eBay and been upset when you received it because the seller wasn’t upfront about the marks on it? Did you send the item back?

Well, not being upfront about the pitfalls of your house can knock off a lot of money when it comes to the final amount you receive. It can even cause a prospective buyer to back out at the last minute, something you absolutely do not want.

This website advises that you be upfront with a buyer about all of the bad things about the house so that you don’t fall into the trap. That means if there’s roof damage, the neighbors are especially noisy or the backdoor is rotting, be honest.

Otherwise, your dishonesty, or wanting to hide it, may cost you more than you bargained for.

2. Not Being Ready to Sell the House

Are you still kind of shaky on the thought of moving? Is this the home you raised your children in and the thought of leaving it makes you seriously weepy? Are you positive that you’re making the right decision?

While nostalgia and weeping may be part and parcel of moving, if you’re not 100% ready to move emotionally, you shouldn’t even start the process. This is because you may find yourself stalling or unintentionally talking buyers out of purchasing your home.

In the end, your goal is to sell the house, not to keep it. But if in the back of your mind you don’t want to let it go, you may find that you self-sabotage your sale.

3. Setting the Price Higher Than the House is Worth

While most people expect that potential buyers will counteroffers with a lower offer, don’t try and sell a home for way more than it’s worth. You don’t want someone shopping for a home and then see yours is way above market price for what they’re looking for and there’s no reason why it should be.

If you do this, you’ll have serious issues selling your home, as potential buyers will be too turned off to even make an offer. Instead, set a price for what it’s worth and then put it on the market for that, no matter how much extra money you’d like in your pocket.

4. Bad Photos

If you’re listing the house yourself, you’ll want to make sure you take really good photos to attract potential buyers. Some real estate companies will take professional photos for you, which can help market your home for sale. This is the best way to go, as it will make your home look more appealing.

But if you don’t spring for the professional photo shoot, at least make your home look as good as possible. If you have a friend with some photography experience, you may even want to ask him or her to come over and shoot some photos for you to help enhance your listing.

5. Emptying Your House Before Putting It on the Market

While an empty house may sell in a seller’s market, this isn’t the case for most homes. So, don’t list your house after you’ve emptied your furniture unless you absolutely have to for some reason. If you need to move on a dime, it is possible to rent furniture as well for this express purpose or hire someone to stage your home.

Empty homes don’t typically sell because people can’t think about where they’ll put items. They also can’t see the uses for rooms and may pass it over without a second thought.

6. Not Using a Realtor

Can you sell a house without a realtor? Sure. Is it a good idea? Probably not.

Selling a house is complicated, the least of which is showing it off and having someone decide they want it. There is a ton of legal paperwork involved, as well as the photography, staging, scheduling showings and everything else you need in order to ensure the house sells for a fair price.

If you have no realty experience, it can turn out to be a disaster, as you’ll effectively be going into the sale blind. You’ll have no idea how to stage a house, what legalities are needed or how to accept an offer.

Don’t do it yourself to save money. That could cost you even more in the long run.

Home Selling Mistakes to Avoid

These six tips are only some of the home selling mistakes you’ll want to avoid when putting your house on the market. While it seems overwhelming, there are even more mistakes you can make when trying to sell your house, so you’ll want to make sure you’re all caught up with the latest in real estate news.

Continue reading our blog for more information on how to be sure that you’re making the right choices.

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