Selling a home is an incredibly emotional process, and you’ll most likely have to deal with seller’s remorse.
For most people, this leads to a ton of Home Selling Errors when selling, and some of those mistakes end up costing them big time. For instance, overpricing your home because you feel it has sentimental value to you could mean your house will stay in the market longer than necessary.
Now, there are many more Home Selling Errors you could make, and we’re going to look at the most common ones. Read on to find the 10 biggest errors in selling homes.
1. Not Pricing Your Home Realistically
This is one of the most common errors sellers make. Remember, your home is a product, and, like any other product, it needs to be priced realistically in order to sell. If you overprice your house, it’ll sit on the market longer than necessary.
Buyers will also start to wonder what’s wrong with it. Plus, if you do eventually decide to lower the price, it’ll look like you’re desperate, and buyers will wonder if there’s something wrong with the property that you’re not telling them about. When selling your home, ensure that you set a fair home price so you can sell fast.
2. Failing to De-Clutter
Buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living in your home, and this means it needs to be clean and clutter-free. If your home is cluttered, potential homebuyers will be less excited about the process of buying from you.
Plus, making the necessary changes in order to de-clutter your house can actually boost its resale value by up to 5%. Furthermore, take down all personal items such as photos so the buyers can envision the house as their home and not yours.
3. Letting Pets Run Free
This mistake is a bit more obvious but still very common. When people are selling their property, they usually feel that letting their pets run around freely will make their home seem more inviting, but this isn’t always true.
It could have an adverse effect because some buyers aren’t pet lovers. Having them running around your house could turn them off from the whole process altogether. Furthermore, you need to get rid of any pet smell in your home to ensure it doesn’t discourage potential home buyers.
4. Failing to Make Necessary Repairs
This is one of the most common errors in selling homes. Most buyers will expect your home to be in good condition, and this means making all the necessary repairs before you put it on the market. If you have a leaky roof, for instance, not fixing it will definitely turn off potential buyers.
Plus, they’ll wonder what else might be wrong with the property that you haven’t bothered to repair. Whether it’s broken windows, doorknobs, faucets, or cabinets, you need to ensure that you repair and replace everything needed to make the home more attractive to buyers.
5. Ignoring Your Curb Appeal
The first thing potential homebuyers see when they drive up to your house is its curb appeal. If it’s not up to par, they might not even bother getting out of their car. This means making sure that your lawn is mowed, the flowers are watered, and the exterior of your property is clean.
The driveway should be clean as well, and the landscaping well maintained. If possible, paint your house siding and front door, and if not, power wash them to get rid of all that dirt. If you can’t do it yourself, hire a professional to do it for you.
6. Failing to Clean Out Your Garage
Most people think that only the inside of their home needs cleaning. What they don’t realize is that potential buyers will also judge its condition based on how clean and organized the garage looks. Plus, clutter in the garage could make them wonder if there are other parts of your house that might be cluttered too.
The garage is one of the most important parts of a home, so don’t put all your clutter there, hoping the buyers won’t ask to see it. If you have the equipment, bicycles, and gardening tools, ensure they’re well arranged, and the garage is clean before showings.
7. Not Staging Your Home
Staging your home is one of the most important things you can do in order to make it look its best and attract potential buyers. This means getting rid of all your personal belongings, cleaning everything until it shines, and making any necessary upgrades. It means organizing your closets, cupboards, and any other areas the buyers will want to check out.
If you live in a neighborhood with homes similar to yours, you might want to find out how much they cost and stage yours according to this price range. Get rid of extra furniture to make the rooms look spacious and open up your windows to allow natural light.
8. Not Hiring a Real Estate Agent
Many people try to sell their homes on their own, and this is one of the biggest errors in selling homes. The thing is, you may not know much about the housing market or how to list and stage a home, so you’re bound to make errors that would have been easily avoidable with a real estate agent.
The best way to go about the process is by hiring someone experienced who knows what buyers look for when they’re buying a property. Hiring such an agent doesn’t cost you much because they’ll get their commission from your final sales price.
View here for more about hiring the best real estate agent in Toronto.
9. Hiding Defects or Flaws
Some might think that hiding defects or flaws from potential buyers is a good way to sell fast. However, these things will only be revealed when a buyer has an expert inspector look at the house.
They’ll realize there is significant damage to your home, even if you’ve already signed a sale contract. They might ask for repairs or a price reduction that could end up costing you more in the long run.
10. Being Unrealistic With Timelines
In some cases, buyers will ask to see several houses in one day, and this is perfectly fine as long as time permits for each property visit. Don’t make the mistake of showing them everything within 30-60 minutes.
They won’t be able to give it their full attention and might not remember all the details of what they saw during this short period of time. Plus, giving them too little time will make you look like you’re in a hurry to sell, and no one likes feeling pressured into anything. Case in point, allow buyers to view your home to their satisfaction.
Avoiding the Most Common Errors in Selling Homes
When preparing homes for sale, homeowners need to know these common home selling errors. Making some of these common Home Selling Errors can cost you time and money, so be wary of how you handle your sale. Just remember to stay realistic about timelines, don’t let your pets run wild, and be careful with renovations.
Most importantly, always fix damages or errors before putting your house on the market. Did you find our article helpful? If you did, please check our blog, where we have some more excellent tips!
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Ariana Smith is an enthusiastic fashion blogger and freelancer content writer. She loves to write and share knowledge of the latest fashion trends, fashion, and shopping tips and tricks. She is the chief editor at FollowTheFashion.
