Plan on selling your house any time soon? Read this before! 

Selling your house may be stressful, from choosing whether to pre-list improvements and hire a stager to choose the right time to list. Usually, especially during these times, you want to sell your house for as much money as possible. Maybe you want to relocate for retirement and you need money for a more affordable and smaller house in a different city or state. No matter the reason, you must reduce the chances of leaving money on the table to do that.

If you wish your plan to go smoothly and sell it ASAP for top money, stay away from blunders that might reduce your profit and mess with the likelihood of selling your house quickly.

Never try to sell without an agent

It may sound strange, but most people are trying to sell their property on their own because it’s “cheaper.” While it may be, because you can avoid paying the 5% to 6% commission that is divided between the buyer’s and seller’s agents by skipping an agent.

However, since you do not have any prior real estate sale marketing, pricing, or negotiation knowledge, selling your house on your own could put you at a disadvantage; therefore, your sale will be delayed a lot.

TIP: When hiring your real estate agent, make sure they are also willing to negotiate. Be cautious not to give away money or come across as weak to potential customers. There may always be compromises, but your agent should always put your interests on the first place.

Selling your house for a very high price

In these hard times, we all want to make more money, especially when it comes to real estate. After all, you’re going to sell the house you’ve been living in most of your life, so it should be priced accordingly. Hmm… let’s see what experts think about this mistake.  An overpriced house may remain on the market, even though you wish to maximize the sale price and increase your money account.

If buyers are hesitant to make a bargain offer, they might not even make an offer at all. They’ll also question whether there’s a problem with your property after it’s been on the market longer than most comparable.

Just remember, unless your agent advises otherwise due to factors like a friendly neighborhood, proximity to public transportation, or if it’s built recently, there’s no need to aim for an excessively high selling price.

Taking phone photos of the property

Nope, just nope! Although most smartphones nowadays have very good cameras, they’re still not as good as a DSLR one. Since many people mostly rely on Google to look for a new home to buy, photos of it are crucial. You need to stand out, and besides having the home spotless for photo shooting, if you don’t know how to handle a camera, it might be a good idea to talk to a professional photographer. A pro will bring the right equipment and the right light, and they will know exactly how to capture the vibe of your home to make it cozy and good-looking.

Many people want to picture their future home, and a couple of low-resolution pictures won’t impress them at all, so take advantage of technology and help them choose the best home, which who knows might be the one you want to sell. Be mindful of experts’ opinions, and you will have better chances of selling your house faster.

Leave it cluttered and with no refurbishing

Even when your belongings are used, a house that you want to sell should have fewer things than your actual place. Remove all workplace documents, toiletries, pet supplies, and bedside accessories. Organize and decide what to keep and discard.

If the place is not so big, unnecessary clutter will make it appear even smaller. Plus, ask yourself, Who on Earth would want to buy a house that looks old and dirty? Before hosting an open house, ensure thorough cleaning, necessary refurbishments, and inspection of plumbing.

While replacing an HVAC system or roof is not cheap, it may pay off in the long run by attracting the proper buyer. If there are still significant repairs to be done, purchasers may be hesitant to offer the asking price or question the integrity of the home. Alternatively, a buyer might put a roof replacement condition on the deal.

You won’t like it, but you might end up selling your property for less money if you don’t make significant renovations (if needed) before putting it on the market.

Selling your house isn’t just about good advertising but also about standing out! While the real estate agents handle the heavy job, you can help them speed up the process by doing certain things. For example, try buying a fun and eye-catching sign that grabs everyone’s attention. This house-shaped real estate sign is pretty large (24 inches), and it’s not only welcoming but also fun to at least make all those who pass nearby stop for a bit. Get it from Amazon for just $24.99! 

Limiting showings

You won’t attract much attention if you restrict the number of showings, show exclusively to pre-approved purchasers, or are seldom available during the showing sessions. Talk to your real estate agent because you have a better chance of selling your house for the price you desire if you draw in more visitors.

Listing during the wrong season

Perhaps there is no inappropriate season, depending on the market, especially if there is a shortage of goods. Nonetheless, some seasons are usually seen to be the best for selling. Spring will bring the largest selection of properties, so although many homes exhibit at their finest in this season, purchasers will have more options.

Due to their summertime deadline of moving into a new school district before Labor Day, buyers may be eager to accept your offer.

Selling your house without a strong marketing plan

We established that you need a real estate agent, good photos of the property, and a few repairs if needed. But even the best-looking houses that have a 100% chance of selling themselves based solely on what they have to offer will still need a marketing strategy.

As a result, more people will likely approach your front door and make an offer—ideally many offers.

Being overly preoccupied with the potential buyer

If you really, really want to sell your house, you need to let go of this thought. It’s understandable that you might be very attached to the house; after all, you may have lived there for a couple of years, so simply seeing it can bring back memories.

However, many people make the mistake of getting too wrapped up in who is going to buy their house, hoping that the buyers will never change the way it looks. But hey, once you sold it, you lost your rights to it. It’s theirs to decide what to do with it.

Try to prioritize your financial needs over your emotions and think that with all the money you gain by selling your house, you will be able to purchase a new place or relocate to another city or state. Don’t overthink it; see it as it is, a simple business transaction.

You may also be interested in reading 7 Things Boomers Need to Leave Behind in Retirement.