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Property owners sell their homes for many reasons, such as when they need to upsize, downsize, or leave town. When you’ve never had to sell a property before, it’s easy to make mistakes and wrong decisions that can impact the selling process.
However, by being aware of the most common house-selling mistakes, such as the ones listed below, you might be in a much better position to avoid them.
Not Choosing the Most Suitable Sales Method
When most people buy a house in Columbus, Ohio, or other parts of the United States, they connect with realtors and browse their listings until they find something they like. You might assume you also have to sell in the same way. However, your reasons for selling can sometimes dictate the most appropriate sales method for your unique situation.
For example, if you’re in a hurry to sell and don’t have time to bring it up to show home quality, selling to a professional property purchaser might be worth considering.
In contrast, if you weren’t in a hurry and needed to achieve a maximum sales price, you might decide to renovate, carry out maintenance, and tidy your home for open houses with realtors until the right buyer comes along.
Overpricing Your Property
It’s only natural to want as much money as possible for your property when you’re putting it towards a new home somewhere else. However, the price you set isn’t necessarily the price that prospective purchasers are willing to pay.
Overpricing your home might ensure it sits on the market for far longer than you anticipated, with no interested parties willing to give you what you want.
Many homeowners worry about setting their price too low, but a competitive price tag can often generate multiple offers, and you don’t need to accept an offer you see as too low based on what your property is worth.
Hiding Significant Issues
Not all homes listed for sale are perfect. Some have severe and costly issues that rule out many prospective purchasers looking for turnkey homes. While it can be tempting to avoid disclosing such problems, making buyers aware of them can save stress and hassle when you’re trying to bring your property deal over the line.
Most property issues, such as plumbing failures and roof leaks will be picked up during buyer inspections, and buyers will become aware of them even if you haven’t disclosed them. Instead of hiding the problems, price your property accordingly, offer a credit for those issues to be rectified, or fix them ahead of time.
Not Taking Enough Photos
In a 2018 survey, 93% of home buyers used the internet to look for homes for sale. Before people decide to visit a property and see if it’s right for them, they want to see as many photos as possible so they can be sure of their decision to attend the open house.
Whether you’re selling privately or through a realtor, take as many photos as possible to show off your property’s best features. Take advantage of natural light, declutter your home to make rooms appear larger, and consider hiring a professional real estate photographer who can use wide-angle lenses and create 360-degree video tours.
The more photos you take, the more of a realistic look into your home property buyers can have, and the more likely they might be to visit it in person.
Not Accommodating Prospective Purchasers
Selling a house can be stressful, especially when you’re trying to work full-time and take care of your family at the same time. However, it’s not forever, and it’s essential to accommodate prospective purchaser requests if it means they buy your home.
As frustrating as it can sometimes be to clean your home more frequently than you usually would and leave your property when people come to view it, it can be worth the time and effort. Remind yourself of the end goal, and be more open to going above and beyond, knowing it might end in that ‘sold’ sign going up.
Only Considering the Highest Offer
Being offered a large sum of money for your home can be exciting, and you might be tempted to accept the offer immediately and start packing your bags. However, the highest offer isn’t necessarily the best offer based on any contingencies that might apply.
For example, some buyers might make an offer subject to their own property selling or make the sale subject to inspections, financing, and other contingencies. Sometimes, the cleanest offer is the best one, even if it doesn’t result in the most money going into your bank account.
Selling a house can be stressful, and you often don’t know how the process works until you navigate each step. However, now that you’re aware of the most common selling mistakes, you might be confident in your abilities to avoid them and enjoy a stress-free sales process.
