Are you struggling to sell your house? You might be making some common mistakes that are holding you back. Let’s look at some of the top home selling mistakes and how you can avoid them to get your home sold in no time! As a real estate agent, here are the most common mistakes that I see sellers make. I’m also sharing 3 free home selling checklists that includes a home sellers timeline, home staging checklist and an open house checklist (see below to download it for free).
Home Selling Mistakes
1. Pricing Your Home Too High
One of the biggest mistakes home sellers make is pricing their homes incorrectly. A high price tag could drive away serious buyers or eventually lead to a price reduction. At that point, your home has become stale, and prospective buyers will begin to question its condition.
To avoid these pitfalls, ask your real estate agent for a comparative market analysis with prices of homes similar to yours in your area. By pricing your home right from the start, you will be able to sell it quickly.
2. Not Using Professional Photos
It’s a major mistake for sellers to use bad photos for their listing. Nowadays, buyers rely on viewing homes online and deciding which ones to visit based on the photos they see.
You can lose a potential buyer without even realizing it if you have low-quality photos. To avoid this problem, you should work with a professional photographer who will make your home look amazing with proper lighting and a wide-angle lens. Most real estate agents will hire a professional photographer when you list your home with them. Good photos can make a big difference in the sale of your home.
3. Selling Without a Real Estate Agent
Many homeowners make the mistake of selling their home on their own. However, this is not always a good idea, as going the For Sale by Owner (FSBO) route can be a headache and lead to missed opportunities.
By not hiring a real estate agent, you could struggle with complicated paperwork, miss important steps, struggle with negotiating with the buyer and lose money.
In fact, data shows that selling a home on your own can result in a lower sale price. Also, even if you decide to skip hiring an agent, you’ll still have to pay the buyer’s agent’s 3% commission.
So, why not save yourself the hassle and hire a good real estate agent? This way, you can rest assured that your home sale is in good hands and that you’ll get the best possible price for your home.
4. Not Disclosing Repairs
Sellers often need to be more truthful in concealing major repairs. This act shows a lack of character and honesty and can turn buyers off.
Besides, buyers will eventually find out when they do a home inspection. Any problems that you have not disclosed will come to light. Sellers should be honest and transparent from the start to save time and avoid complications.
5. Not Staging
Sellers often overlook the importance of staging. It’s a big mistake to ignore it. Staging your home can result in a quicker sale and a higher selling price.
To avoid showing potential buyers an empty or cluttered home, arrange your furniture, eliminate clutter, and make sure that the rooms are well-lit. If you don’t have furniture to showcase, consider renting some from a staging company to give buyers an idea of how the home could look.
The easiest and cheapest way to make a home look newly “renovated” is to apply a fresh coat of paint. As a real estate agent, I’ve seen it time and time again: a fresh coat of paint can do wonders.
6. Taking a Low Offer Personally
A major mistake that sellers make is they take lowball offers personally. It’s important to remember that a buyer’s offer does not reflect their opinion about your home. The sale of your home is purely a business transaction.
That’s why, even if you receive a low offer, don’t take it personally or get emotional. Instead, negotiate and make a counteroffer. It would be unwise to walk away from a low offer and lose a potential buyer simply because you’re offended. If the potential buyer is really interested, they will up their offer.
7. Limit Showings
One of the most common mistakes sellers make is limiting the number of showings they allow. They often decline last-minute or inconvenient showing requests, such as those that fall within their children’s nap times, or limit showings to weekdays only, or refuse to show their property at night.
Unfortunately, such restrictions prevent potential buyers from viewing your house, resulting in missed opportunities. Remember that selling a home is a numbers game and the more buyers who view it, the better the chances of receiving an offer.
If you are serious about selling your home and you want to sell it quickly, don’t limit showings. Instead, say yes to every showing request, even if it’s inconvenient for you.
8. Not Cleaning Your Home
One of the common mistakes that sellers often make is not cleaning their house before putting it up for sale. An unclean or cluttered house can reflect poorly on the homeowner, giving the impression that they are neglecting their property.
Also, potential buyers’ attention will be entirely focused on the dirt and mess, making it difficult for them to appreciate the home’s unique features.
It’s a good idea to hire a professional cleaning service to ensure that the house is spotless before buyers come to see it. This way, you make a great first impression, and buyers can see the true potential of your home.
9. Curb Appeal
One common mistake that home sellers make is that they tend to focus too much on the home interior and forget about the outside. It is important to step outside and analyze your home from a buyer’s perspective.
You want your home to create a great first impression and have good curb appeal. You could consider painting your home, staining the deck, pressure washing the exterior, or even adding some cheerful planters on the front porch. All of these simple updates can make a difference in your home’s curb appeal to potential buyers.
10. Lingering During Showings
Sellers often make a mistake by staying around during home showings. Being a lingerer can be off-putting when potential buyers are viewing your home.
If you don’t leave the home during a showing, it can make potential buyers feel awkward as they try to discuss what they like and dislike about the house.
Also, if you stay, you may inadvertently interfere with your listing agent’s ability to do their job well, since you may be tempted to answer questions that should be left to your agent.
Instead of staying home during a showing, leave the house, run an errand, go to a coffee shop- just get out of the house.
Open House Checklist: Free Printable
Below is my open house checklist printable. Use it to help you prepare for your open houses.
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