What You Should NOT Do When Selling Your Home
There are plenty of things to do when you're ready to list your home for sale. But at the same time, there are things that you should steer clear of that could sabotage your home sale.
Here are a few important things not to do when selling your home.
Price Too High
It's tempting to list your home at a super-high price. After all, you want to get the most for your home as possible, right?
The problem with this strategy – or lack thereof – is that you're at risk of scaring qualified and interested buyers off. Buyers who are teamed up with a seasoned real estate agent have tools at their disposal that help them determine what a home is currently worth. If you price your home too high, you'll just turn buyers off, who will leave your home behind and look to the next home for sale.
Rather than arbitrarily pricing your home too high, make sure you list at a fair price that is supported by the current market.
Forego Home Staging
Home staging involves preparing your home in such as way that it attracts the masses of buyers. You're essentially selling a lifestyle to increase your pool of would-be buyers.
It's been shown that professionally-staged homes sell for more money and in less time than unstaged homes. So, it's worth it to take a little time to spruce up your home to make it sparkle.
Don't leave your home in a condition that would turn buyers off or leave them wondering how the space can be used for their purposes. Instead, invest in professional staging to ensure your home shows the way buyers expect it to.
Skip Repairs
Buyers may not notice some flaws with your home right away, but they'll eventually find them, especially during the home inspection. What's worse, any issue with your home will be noticeable right off the bat, which can leave buyers with a negative impression of your home.
Instead, make the necessary repairs to your home before you list it. Even if you are able to find a willing buyer, they may negotiate a lower price to compensate for the work they'll need to take on to fix the issues with the home.
Be Too Restrictive With Showing Times
You need to be flexible when it comes to showings. Restricting showings to just weekdays between 10 am to 4 pm, for instance, might be convenient for you, but it will turn away plenty of buyers who simply cannot fit in a showing based on this tight schedule.
Make sure you open up the calendar to showings to make it easy and convenient for prospective buyers to visit.
Leave Out Too Many Personal Items
Ideally, you want to 'neutralize' your home. This will make it easier for prospective buyers to see themselves living there. If your home is filled with personal artifacts — such as family photos, religious artifacts, and even political items — it will remind buyers that someone else lives there. That's the opposite of what you want to do.
To counter this issue, try to put away as many personal items as possible to make the home seem like it's a place that buyers can see themselves living in.
Ignore Smells
You might not notice unique odours in your home since you're always there, but it's possible that there are distinct smells lurking that could potentially be a turn-off for buyers. Things like cigarette smoke, pet odours, or last night's dinner could be overpowering and offensive.
Take some time to deodorize your home before the first buyer shows up.
If you're ready to sell your home, we'd love to help. Get in touch with The Lotus Group today!