It's time to change where you live. Selling may be a decision you're happy about. Or not. Just remember that the process can be as traumatic as a death in the family, so look for support. Be prepared, like any good scout.To get the most money out of your home, it pays to do everything right. Shockingly, sellers make up to three sloppy and costly mistakes each sale.
To garner the most possible profit from your sale, avoid these seven unforgivable seller mistakes:
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Overpricing Your Home
By far one of the worst selling mistakes a seller can make is hanging the wrong price tag on a home. Yes you know what you you paid for the house however that doesn't mean it’s still worth that amount. When a house is priced too high, today’s tech-savvy buyers know it and will either bid below list price or stay away completely.This causes the listing to get stale while other correctly priced homes in the area are purchased, making the buyer feel like they got a good deal. Your house is only worth what the market is willing to pay you for it. It doesn't matter what’s in it or what your Mortgage is .
2. Letting Emotions Get In The Way
Yes, it’s your house. Yes, you sweated blood and tears to get it just the way you wanted it, remember, this is a business transaction – perhaps the biggest one of your life. Take your ego out of it, don’t lose out on creating a win-win deal
3. Not Being Upfront About Your Homes Issues
You read one of these when you bought the property. It's headache-inducing, and your agent will help, but remember, it's your signature at the bottom and you're responsible for its contents.While it is tempting to hide or fail to mention the downfalls of a home -- perhaps it's a haven for cockroaches or located in an area that's prone to floods or earthquakes -- it is best to give buyers full disclosures Being upfront and forthcoming about any of your home’s issues will save you lots of money and time
4. Neglecting To Fix Things That Are Broken
Doing repairs before you put your abode on the market can boost your chances of quickly selling your home . If buyers walk through your house and spot a handful of items that need immediate repair, they’re going to wonder what else is wrong. . There is a thin line between upkeep and repair – condition and cleanliness, sharp homes usually sell faster and for more money.
5. Refusing To Stage Your home.
The best way to sell a house- besides pricing- is to remove both the occupants and their detritus, paint it white, and have someone come in and redecorate it to look like a West Elm catalog. Lots of big mirrors leaning against the wall, a trick which not only makes rooms look bigger but makes buyers look slimmer. It's going to take a few more percentage points of the sale price, but decent staging has proven to bring higher sale prices, and faster. Bottom line- can you afford to move out, and will it be worth it?
6. Leaving Your Stuff Everywhere
A Buyer's first impression is really important and if they're greeted with a huge photograph of your wedding 20 years ago over the fireplace, it’s really distracting. It sends the message to the buyer that This is my house and not yours. And yes, you have to clean and declutter the house every single visit . You want buyers to feel like they could move into your house tomorrow-so means putting away all your collectible tchotckes.
7. Wasting Time with Non-Qualified Buyers
Nothing wastes more time than getting into a sales contract with someone who can’t even buy it! Getting into a sales contract with the wrong buyer can cost you weeks of lost time. Make sure they have a pre-qualified by a lender in writing.
