Selling your home can be a complicated process.
As you prepare, here are a few things that can ensure you find yourself in the greatest position of strength as you sell your property.
1.) Don’t overprice your home
This is a very common mistake. People see and hear of increasing home prices and figure, “What the heck? Let’s go for it!”, not realizing the harm it can do. Overpricing your home reflects on you as a seller. It shines light on the competence of your team. It makes a statement to the market that can be perceived negatively and actually push buyers away. As you decide on this critical piece of your “Selling” journey, do your homework, speak to professionals, price your home properly so you attract the exact right buyers and successfully sell your home.
2.) Don’t over improve your home
When selling a home, it can seem wise to improve it and make it more marketable. Although this can be super wise to consider and perhaps even implement, there is a balance you’ll want to find. Making your home look it’s best without spending money on parts of it that won’t yield a return, is the tight rope you’ll be tasked to walk. As you look at your home, the question is “Where will I get the most bang for my buck?”… Gold plating the fixtures probably won’t provide you with a return whereas fresh paint go yield ROI beyond your imagination. By simply keeping this concept in your mind as you prepare your home for sale, you’ll be off on the right foot.
3.) Not getting a good agent
Especially in a market such as this, having a skilled “navigator” can prove to be the best decision you made. A seasoned agent know hot prepare and align you from the jump, so things go smooth and unfold without headache. A solid agent will make sure your ducks are in a row leading up to and when in negotiation. They’ll help you understand the pros and cons of various options and ensure you leave the table satisfied with the result. A good agent will have people taking you serious and when we’re talking about something as significant as selling or buying a home, people taking you seriously will certainly help your cause.
4.) Don’t under improve or fail to improve your home
Overlooking the chaos in your basement, can have severe consequences. When someone sees that your garage is full of garbage and has been neglected, the wonder what else has not been maintained or maintained poorly. If there’s a faucet that leaks or is missing a handful, fix it. If the curtain fell down, let’s make sure it get’s properly reinstalled. Giving people reason to buy your home is great but certainly preventing them from having reasons not to buy it, may be equally as important.
5.) Don’t clutter up your home
Whether you’re comfortable in clutter or not, we all know a cluttered environment isn’t the preference of most. Furthermore, clutter can be a massive distraction. It takes a persons focus off the house, they’re considering making a home and takes their mind elsewhere. When properly marketing your home, it’s important it’s the star of the show. Make sure your homes strengths are the dominant takeaways from a showing and nothing else. Put the collection of Ferbys in the box and show off those amazing built-in shelves.
6.) Don’t restrict showings of your home
You never which which appointment will lead to a sale. Although home are selling much quicker than usual, there are certainly sellers who struggle, even in a market like this. Restricting showings obviously reduces the amount of buyers seeing and considering your home for purchase. If you decide to sell your home, be prepared to let it show. The more flexible you can be as a seller, the more people you can show, the more options you’ll have when it finally comes to solidify a deal.
7.) Not knowing where you’re going to go next
Selling your home without knowing your next move, will most certainly lead to some challenges. Yes, homes are selling quickly and for good prices but be prepared to experience that on the other side of things, once your home sells. The tables will turn and whether you intend to buy something else or even rent, it’s likely you’ll find a market far more competitive than you expected. This is one of those instances where having an experienced agent, can prove to be wise. A good agent has access to resources others don’t and those coupled with their experienced advice can have your next move lined up before you find yourself without a house.
8.) Don’t personalize the sale
It’s hard not to get attached to your home. The shed the family built, the rose bushes that were a gift from your parents… The idea of someone ripping em out to build a man cave can be a difficult pill to swallow but for maximum benefit, it’s important you do. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating your home and what it has represented to you… It’s also important, you grant the new owner the same freedom to make the space their own. Personalizing the sale can limit and even push away buyers. Work with your agent so you better understand these boundaries and market your home in such a way, you capture the greatest benefits.
9.) Don’t accept an offer from an unqualified buyer
Not doing your due diligence and accepting an offer from an unqualified buyer can create more headaches than you’ll want to deal with. This will create delays and frustrations and while you juggle what will most certainly be a mess, legitimate and qualified buyers will flock to other options. Make sure when accepting an offer, your buyer has been pre-approved for the financing, make sure they’re working with a respected agent so what needs to be communicated is communicated and all parties can successfully complete the transaction.
10.) Don’t show the home yourself
We know you’re excited about your home and want to point out all the features you’re so proud of but as a best practice, you’re encouraged to avoid it. What you may love, the new buyer may want to redo. What you believe are strengths, may be perceived as extra work for the new owner. It is the agents job to understand what the buyer is looking for and help them achieve their goals working with the available options. Let the agent present your home in the way it fits within the buyers goals. You showing your home without a clear understanding of the buyers objectives can do more harm than good and is probably best left to the professionals.
We hope you find the above tips valuable as you align yourself for a successful sale. A little bit of preparation and strategy coupled with partnering with an experienced real estate agent, can prove to be invaluable on your real estate journey.
Kurt Zerby has been a leading agent in Canon City, Co Real Estate for over 40 years. His commitment to the community and each person he works with is truly unrivaled. Kurt aims to exceed expectations every time and build a client for life which each successful real estate deal.
If you’d like to learn more about Kurt, his services and how he can help you on your real estate journey, call us today!