Selling a home is a big milestone for many homeowners, especially if it’s your first time. The process can be long and complex. The different steps in selling a home go from hiring a real estate agent, preparing and listing your property, making repairs, conducting open houses, finding a buyer, negotiating, contract reviews, closing processes, moving, and much more.
One mistake can have a big impact on the whole selling process and sometimes even your finances. But don’t worry, we want to help you avoid making some of the most common mistakes when selling a home. We have compiled a list of mistakes you should avoid when selling your home:
Sell it on your own without an agent
Not hiring a real estate agent to sell your home is a massive mistake one can make when selling their house. You could list your home as For Sale By Owner (FSBO), but you’ll be missing out on a lot more money. A study indicated that FSBOs fetched about 30% less for their owners than agent-listed properties. Real estate agents are experts in this field, they know the market very well and they are experts at negotiating offers. They also know what makes homes sell, and they are trained to navigate the good and the bad markets.
Real estate is a full-time job, so you should consider the amount of time you’d spend by selling it on your own while also working your 9-5 job. Yes, it will save you the 5-6% commission by selling on your own but agents can get broader exposure to your property with their network in the industry. If you are not sure of how to find the best real estate agent, take a look at our article How to pick the right real estate agent!
Pricing it wrong
Pricing a home is a tricky situation to be in! If you don’t wanna miss out on thousands of dollars, don’t price it too low. But also, don’t set an unrealistic price that will make buyers run for the hills. All this while, also leaving some space for negotiation so you get what you are expecting because most buyers will negotiate for a lower price.
Never trust the internet, trust your real estate agent if you have one! Agents have extensive knowledge of the current market and they do this for a living so they know what’s the right asking price in order to get exactly what you deserve. Setting the right price also ensures how fast your home will be sold.
Underestimating the costs of selling a home
If you thought that the total cost of selling a home is just the 5-6% agent commission, then you were wrong. The Total Selling Cost includes various costs like closing costs, renovations, or www. Usually, the total cost comes down to 10% of the selling price.
Not clearing clutter
The best way to show off your beautiful home is to keep it clutter-free. Don’t have anything lying around the house like papers, toys, or unwanted furniture. A house without clutter looks more spacious. A neat, tidy, and organized home attracts more buyers and the pictures will look spectacular!
During the process of selling your home, make sure to clean up all the clutter, get rid of any bad odor and stains, and keep the house organized. Remember, you are part of the marketing team when selling your home so try to keep it clean and organized, this way it will sell faster and you can go back to your normal routine faster too!
Not accommodating buyers
When you put up your house for sale, buyers are basically king (to a certain extent) and you should always try your best to accommodate buyers’ needs particularly during showing times. Remember that the more showings the higher the chances you will find a buyer for your home. Again, to a certain extent!
If you are able to be considerate of the buyers’ needs, you will build some trust between the two parties and the whole selling process may become easier and faster. This is where your real estate agent can help you with accommodating your needs and negotiating them on your behalf to represent your best interest in the negotiation.
Avoiding major house problems
No one wants to buy a broken house for all that money you’re asking for! Any major house repairs can turn off buyers and leave a bad impression on the property. You have to make sure that you are providing the house as described in the listing. You may or may not be able to fix all small issues in the house but you can most certainly start by prioritizing the most glaring issues in the house and work your way down.
Professional home inspectors look for all the details and they will point out anything broken, in poor condition, or something hazardous. One way to avoid this is by doing a pre-listing home inspection. This will help you clear out any major damages or disclose them in your listing.
Some sellers also consider doing some light renovations of their homes before listing them because it adds to the value of the home. But on the other hand, some buyers prefer to buy the house and do their own custom renovations.
Not preparing your home for sale
When you list your home for sale, you are opening it up to the entire world for criticism. Thus, you should try to minimize the amount of criticism your house receives in order for it to sell faster. First things first, you should fix all the maintenance issues and have it cleaned thoroughly before inviting potential buyers into your home.
Many people underestimate the impact of staging a home, but according to Realtor.com staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than those that aren’t staged. You can either hire a professional staging specialist or rent some furniture and showpieces to decorate the house on your own, but don’t leave it empty because you could be missing out on 1-5% of extra money staged home gets on average.
Not considering your long term financial situation
A lot of people have no idea of their long term finances when they are selling and this can lead to some serious problems. Before making a sale, it may be helpful to do a personal financial assessment to find out how much debt you have, income, and expenses that might occur when you’re moving out of your home.
Talk to your mortgage lender about your mortgage and see how much you owe them and how much you will be walking out with from the sale. This way you can have a clear picture of how much you can afford for your next home whether renting or buying.
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My husband and I are planning to sell our residential house this year, which is why we’re currnelty looking for a real estate photography service since the photos will be used for marketing. I agree with you that a reputable agent must be hired because this type of professional will help us price our property right. We’ll also keep in mind to clean up all the clutter and store away the unnecessary items before the open house.
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Glad our tips helped you
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I’m glad you talked about the importance of consulting a realtor when selling a property. Recently, my sister mentioned she wants to sell her house and purchase a bigger one. My sister says she can sell it in no time, but I believe she should talk to a professional before any decision, so I’ll share this article with her to change her mind. Thanks for the information on what you’d need to sell a house successfully.
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Thank you, for putting together everything in preparing to discuss the 8 mistakes to avoid when selling a home. And I appreciate all the details I have read, very clear and concise. Well done and keep up the good work.
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My dad would like to sell his house this year, and that is why he has decided to start looking for a Real Estate Aerial Photography service that may capture the property’s every angle. Well, you made a pretty good point that it would be best to hire an experienced real estate agent. Thank you for sharing here as well the importance of providing a reasonable price too.
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This seems a very amazing article. Thanks for sharing information about it to people. These days you can’t trust any real estate article. But by reading this article at least people will understand about what real estate actually is.
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This seems a very amazing article. Thanks for sharing information about it with people. By reading this article at least people will understand what real estate actually is.
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I like how you mentioned that real estate agents know the market very well and they are experts at negotiating offers. My aunt mentioned to me last week that she is planning to sell their home and asked if I have any idea what is the best way she can sell it. Thanks to this informative article and I’ll be sure to tell her that consulting a trusted real estate company will be a great help in many ways such as financing and estimating the cost of her home.
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great post
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I’m glad that you mentioned that The best way to show off your beautiful home is to keep it clutter-free. Don’t have anything lying around the house like papers, toys, or unwanted furniture.
My wife and I want to experience the culture and types of people elsewhere, so we are thinking of moving to another city shortly. If we’re planning a move, I think it’s a good investment to hire a reputable real estate agency to help you find the best places and homes in the area.
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I never knew that not hiring a real estate agent to sell your home is a massive mistake one can make when selling their house. I have no idea about it but now I think I do, it is really a good article. Thank you for the information about the home seller.
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Great information. I am satisfied with your article. This is very helpful for me. And i am trying to avoid these mistake.
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I appreciate that you explained hiring a real estate agent to sell your property is a huge error that anyone can make when selling a home. My best friend is looking for some info, this should help him. I appreciate that you helped me learn more about real estate.
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Taking help from experts is the best option, and in this field, real estate agents help a lot as they can sell your home fast and guide you well related to documentation and other stuff. So I recommend always taking help from real estate agents.
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We are finally selling our home after 15 years. We are moving because my husband has gotten a job offer we can’t refuse in another state. We will probably not be returning, so we are selling our home. I love your suggestion to get a pre-listing inspection done on a home before the actual inspector comes through with a potential buyer. I agree that this can clear away any large damages. It also leaves fewer surprises.
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I like that you said that it is important to have your home inspected to prevent having problems with the agreement. My uncle told me that he is planning to buy a new home that has sufficient space for his desired backyard, and he asked if I have any idea what is the best option to do. Thanks to this informative article and I’ll be sure to tell him that it will be much better if we consult residential real estate services as they can answer all our inquiries and for him to be able to choose his ideal home.
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I like how you mentioned selling on your own can save you the 5-6 percent commission, but brokers might give your home more exposure because of their industry connections. When I was in college I think about it differently, there is really numerous information in this article that helps me. I’m grateful for your advice about real estate.
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Thanks for sharing informative article.
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I like your home staging tips. I need to sell my house. I’ll have to get a realtor.
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Using just a smartphone to take real estate pictures is another huge mistake that homeowners make in my opinion. Professional real estate photography works really well in my opinion.
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Thanks for the real estate tips. I am thinking of selling my home and finding a new home for sale. I’ll consider this info as I look for a new home.
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Thank you for making this information available to us. This is extremely beneficial. We can learn a lot from these articles.