Three Mistakes You Don't Want to Make When Selling Your Home

When you've made the decision to sell your current home, the way you handle the process from listing to closing can have a significant effect on how quickly you actually sell the house. Particularly for first-time sellers, the entire prospect of listing and selling can be daunting. Here's a look at three common mistakes that might cost you a sale in the long run.

Poor Pricing

Few things will affect your chances of a sale quite like pricing your home on the wrong side of the current market trends. Whether you're overpriced for your neighborhood or you're looking for too little, either issue can make it hard to land an offer. When shopping for a home, buyers often compare listings to the records for other similar homes in the neighborhood. If there's a significant discrepancy between the prices, it can discourage a buyer.

If you work with a local real estate agent to sell your house, he or she will conduct a thorough evaluation of your home and the current market to tell you where you should price your home. This estimate is often your best place to start when deciding how much to try to sell the house for.

Lack of Preparation

If you want to get the best possible price from your sale, you'll have to spend some time doing some cleanup and preparation work. Walk around exterior of the house and look for obvious damage, like peeling or chipping paint. Touch up the outside of the house with a fresh coat of paint and any other necessary repairs.

Then, it's time to stage the inside. If you aren't familiar with staging, your real estate agent can help you with this. The process involves removing all of your personal items from each room – pictures, children's paintings and similar items. You'll also want to organize and clear out any clutter. Move the furniture as needed to make your rooms feel open, inviting, and comfortable.

High Expectations

When you're showing a home to sell it, it's sometimes hard not to allow yourself to believe that every potential buyer who looks at the house is going to be the one to buy it. Unfortunately, if you approach every showing with this expectation, you're going to be in for an emotional roller coaster. The anxiety and expectations can show when you meet potential buyers too, which can sometimes discourage an offer.

You might find that it's easier to ease our expectations if you aren't present for every showing. Consider going to the library or running errands during showings so that you remain detached. Remember that not every potential buyer is going to love the home the way that you do. Be prepared to wait for that right buyer and you'll find the whole process less stressful. Consult a real estate agent for assistance.