4 Things Sellers Should Avoid

Even in a good market, selling your home can be a difficult prospect. It can take a long time, and you may have trouble getting the sort of offers you want. However, there are ways to make the process easier. Avoiding these mistakes can help you to get your house sold.

Attending your own open house: Even at an open house, there will be serious buyers who intend to talk honestly about what they think, and won’t appreciate your being able to hear them. At any type of open house or showing, your being around can make potential buyers uncomfortable and add pressure.

Ignoring the neighbours: For one thing, if you intend to renovate your house before selling, you may want to warn the neighbours about noise or other disruptions in order to keep a good relationship. They may also want a heads up before open houses. But beyond that, your neighbours may know someone potentially interested in your house (after all, many of their friends and family will have had the chance to get familiar with the neighbourhood) and can help you network, especially important when you’re not using an agent.

Neglecting the home’s condition: Basic upkeep is an important part of selling your home on many levels. A house that needs cleaning or repairs, even repairs to the furniture that buyers won’t be keeping, can be extremely distracting and give the impression that the house hasn’t been cared for and could need major repairs. Bad smells in particular, including pet smells, can be an immediate turnoff for potential buyers. Definitely don’t try to hide problems you know about; they won’t necessarily stay hidden.

You’ll also want to neaten up any clutter in the home, including personal items. Potential buyers need to be able to imagine living there, which is more difficult when your own presence is too strong. Too much clutter can also give the impression that your home would be too small for them.

Unrealistic expectations: Keep in mind that potential buyers may not be wiling to pay what you think the house is worth. Get honest appraisals, and pay attention to them. Even if you’ve spent a lot of money on your home, accept that you may not get all of that money back. Make sure your asking price is reasonable for the market, and know that you still may not get that much—you’ll have to leave some room to negotiate with buyers. You shouldn’t necessarily be offended by what looks like a lowball offer.

The most important consideration when selling your home is accommodating potential buyers, and these are four common ways in which sellers don’t succeed at that. Avoiding these mistakes will go a long way in helping to encourage buyers and make them feel secure.

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