Foreseeing potential issues before they arise is essential in the home-selling process. Putting your house up for sale is a huge step in life. But, it can also be challenging due to all the work that goes into it. There are many steps to this process, including preparation, listing, repairs, showings, offers, closing, and eventually, relocating. One’s financial stability and, more crucially, one’s sense of well-being is vulnerable to the fallout of a misstep. So, you must know the most common mistakes to avoid when selling your home. Here are our picks.
Getting overwhelmed by paperwork
Understanding the legalities of selling a house “for sale by owner” requires some legwork. It’s much more than just a contract. This is something to look out for if you’re selling a home by yourself. Get a professional inspection and valuation done first. Everything from the ground up is included in this definition, including the walls, floors, ceiling, and plumbing. Do the local regulations allow it? Each of these assessments requires legal paperwork. Dates of inspection, quality and code validation, and total ratings should all be included.
Then there are the inevitable offers to bargain over. Specific formats are required for submission. There is other ‘for sale by owner’ documentation you’ll need to know how to write if you want to accept or reject an offer.
A lawyer’s opinion on your paperwork is highly recommended before you hand it in. This can get expensive, so you should budget for it beforehand.
Not repairing
If you fail to fix up your property before putting it on the market, you risk paying more to accommodate the findings of the buyer’s inspector. If you don’t tell the buyer about the necessary repairs, it might delay the closing or cause the purchase to fall through. Before putting your home up for sale, you may want to have a pre-listing inspection to uncover any hidden issues. If you need more extensive repairs, get to it as soon as possible. If you need a place to stay while these repairs get done, you can look into short term housing. This is also useful if you have a large family who needs to get out of the home during the viewing.
Not showing it enough
Some house sellers are turned off by the prospect of having strangers tour their residences while they are still present. Others don’t have much time to make their property accessible for showings, or they strictly enforce a cap on the number of showings per day to restrict the number of potential buyers walking through their neighborhood. Whatever the case, a house with low showings is less likely to get competitive bids. The more people who see the house, the higher the likelihood that someone will want to purchase it; thus, it’s in your best interest to accommodate potential buyers.
Only considering the highest offer
The highest bid may sound appealing at first, but it may not be the most excellent option if you factor in your specific requirements. This is especially if you’re buying and selling at the same time. Contingencies are a standard part of many types of conventional sales. In order for the sale to go through, certain requirements must be met. Possible buyer protection conditions include a financing and inspection period.
The timeframe, certainty, and complexity of the transaction are all things that can be affected by the existence of such variables, so it’s crucial to be aware of them. For instance, a potential buyer may make you a desirable offer, but it will be contingent on selling their current home.
It would be best if you weighed the additional time and uncertainty against the potential savings from making a lesser offer without stipulating. Another situation is a buyer willing to be more accommodating regarding repairs, as opposed to a buyer who is providing a greater price but demanding repair credits.
Helicoptering during the viewing
Nobody likes people who linger too much. You’ll make potential buyers uncomfortable if you follow them around the house, especially when they look about and try to talk about what they like and don’t like. So, one of the best tips for selling your home is to leave your potential buyers to it. Naturally, you’ll want to address any queries the buyers may have. However, you should not be at lingering during a viewing.
Disregarding the exterior
This is one of the most common mistakes to avoid when selling your home. Everything inside looks spick and span, so you tend to forget about the outside. However, your home’s exterior has weathered several storms and years of use. The outside paint and deck stain on your home has probably lost some shine. It would be best if you pressure washed your home before putting it on the market. Also, try to increase the general curb appeal of your home. This will help when potential buyers come to see the property.
You may use a pressure washer to clean your house and deck, your garage door, fence, patio, driveway, and any pathways you have.
Not using good photos
Home shoppers today often do their research without ever leaving the sofa. Almost all homebuyers start their search online. Buyer interest might be lost before they even pull up to the curb if the photographs you use online look bad. For this reason, hiring a professional familiar with making houses seem their best in pictures is best. The power of good lighting and a wide-angle lens cannot be overstated; even if you want to DIY this part, research photo-taking basics before starting.
Final words
You want the sale of your house to go as quickly and efficiently as possible. Fear is expected when you consider the sheer number of potential adverse outcomes when you start to consider them. But keep in mind that information is power. You can feel more at ease when things don’t go as planned now that you know the mistakes to avoid when selling your home.
