Thinking of Selling Your Home?

Be Sure to Avoid These 5 Things!

There are a number of things to do when selling your home, but avoiding some common mistakes can help you get the most for your home and your efforts.

Helping you through the process of buying or selling your home is what we do and through the collective experience of our team we have seen it all. Yes, we know and understand all of the technical aspects of selling a home; agreements, paperwork, market details but we also see the things within a seller's control that help and even hurt their ability to get the most out of their sale. Here are 5 things you should definitely avoid:

1. Don’t overprice your home

You want to get the most for your home, and we want that for you as well. Initially, you might think that pricing your house higher will get you a higher offer, but that isn’t necessarily true. When priced right, the market will deliver you top dollar and the best terms. Pricing too high is a disadvantage because weary buyers will shy away, fearing they are priced out of a bidding war before one even starts. Price for the market and let the market work for you. Understanding the market and pricing your house correctly will be your best opportunity to get the most for your home.

2. Don’t focus on taking the highest offer

The highest offer may not be the best offer, but how do you know? Your agent has the experience and understanding to decipher the various intricacies of all offers on the table for your home. They can help you select the offer with the best terms or negotiate the right terms to protect your bottom line and ensure your deal makes it to the closing table. Different buying terms can offer you different advantages and understanding those advantages as well as your personal goals and needs can be crucial to getting you the best offer.

3. Don’t forget to stage your home

The point of staging your home is to give potential buyers the opportunity to see themselves living in your home. Having your home clean and clutter free gives those buyers the perfect opportunity to do this. For most buyers their first opportunity to view your home is going to be online via photos on your home listing. Buyers will be looking through those photos imagining how they would live in your space, how they’d use each room, and where their furniture would go. Some sellers pay to have a professional do the staging, but with a little time and elbow grease there are things you can do yourself. When staging your home, less is more. Take the time to declutter your house.

• Depersonalize your house - Put away family photos, cluttered furniture, countertop appliances, and excess childrens toys and pet items. Create an environment where buyers can be focused on how they would live there, not how you live there now.

• Simplify each room - Focus on keeping each room furnished simply with minimal accents or decorations. You are going to be preparing to move anyway so put the excess in storage. Once simplified, make everything neat and organized; make sure beds are made, the kitchen is organized, and the bathrooms are tidy. Make your house feel open and welcoming.

• Declutter your storage spaces - Remove unneeded clothes from your closets so the space can be seen better. Simplify your pantry and cupboards so they look neat and spacious. Clear out any additional storage rooms your home may have so buyers can see how their belongings would fit. Show the potential of your home to the buyer, not how you’ve personally maxed that potential.

• Clean your house - Make sure your house is clean and odor free. Vacuum, dust, wipe down all surfaces, tidy belongings. Let potential buyers know that they are moving into a well cared for home.

4. Don’t make it hard to show your home

You went through all of the work staging your home properly so do your best to keep it in the same condition and be sure to clean it for showings. Serious buyers will want to walk through your home in person to see if they can envision themselves living there. Most of these buyers will be looking at multiple houses on their journey to find their perfect home. If you make it difficult for buyers to view your home, you decrease your chances of getting the best offer. Don’t forget that you can work with your agent for alternate ways to show your home. For example, you could schedule to be out of town for a couple days while your agent schedules as many showings as possible during that time. Be sure to do everything you can to convenience the buyers even if it inconveniences you.

5. Don’t waste time and money on unnecessary upgrades.

Serious and costly upgrades won’t usually equate to higher offers. Smaller upgrades can potentially net you better results. For example, completely renovating your kitchen is costly and won’t always add to your home value but upgrading the hardware of your cabinets and drawers is an inexpensive way to make what you have look nicer. A fresh coat of neutral paint on your walls will also brighten up your home and give it a clean look. Make the most of your time and money by wisely choosing what upgrades you do make.

Knowing what mistakes to avoid is important and a great agent can help coach you through the process of selling your home and get you the best offer. Contact us today, we’d love to bring our expertise of buying and selling homes personally to you. ◼