Only 5% of all buyers decide to purchase a home directly from the owner. Without a plan in place, you could struggle to sell your home on the local market. The longer it sits on the market, the more likely you’ll need to adjust your sales price. Don’t leave money on the table. Instead, create a plan to avoid these 10 costly home selling mistakes.
Learning to avoid these mistakes can help you sell a house with ease (and without stress). Then, you can start enjoying your new home right away.
Read on to make sure you’re avoiding these selling mistakes today.
1. Going It Alone
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as you try to sell a house is working through the entire selling process alone. There are now over 168,000 real estate agents across the US. Hiring a real estate agent could help you sell faster.
However, you’ll have to pay the commissions for both a listing agent and the buyer’s agent if they have one. With that in mind, consider finding a home cash buyer instead.
Choosing a home buyer will allow you to sell your home on your terms. You’ll have an easier time avoiding these selling mistakes, too. Instead, you can simplify the entire process with a cash buyer.
An investor will evaluate your home before providing a fair offer. You won’t have to waste time, either. In fact, we can provide your cash offer in as little as 24 hours for free.
Selling a house to a cash buyer will allow you to avoid making repairs and wasting money. You won’t have to deal with the stressful selling process, either. Instead, working with a team with a proven track record like ours ensures ease, simplicity, and convenience.
We purchase houses as-is and handle all the work. You won’t have to repair or clean your home. In fact, there are no out-of-pocket fees.
Our team can help regardless of the condition of your home or your situation. You can learn more about our stress-free house buying process here.
If you’re looking for a fast, simple, convenient option for selling your home, selling to a cash buyer is ideal.
2. Not Anticipating Costs
If you decide to sell a house on your own, you’ll need to consider the costs involved.
First, you’ll need to consider agent commissions. Sellers usually cover the commissions for a listing agent and the buyer’s agent. You might have to pay around 6% of your home’s price to cover these costs.
Remember, you can skip working with a real estate agent by choosing a cash buyer instead.
You’ll need to consider the closing costs involved, too. A seller’s share of the closing costs can range between 1 to 3%. These fees can include:
- Attorney fees
- A title transfer fee
- Sales tax
If you want to sell a house fast, you’ll need to make major o even minor repairs, stage your home, and hire a photographer. Staging and home repairs can add up.
You might need to consider seller concessions, too. Then, there are the moving expenses and the cost of your new home.
Homebuying power has increased by 21%. Buyers can now get “more home” for their money as well.
If you want to avoid these expenses, work with a cash buyer instead.
3. Pricing Incorrectly
Pricing a home is a complicated process. If you set the price too low, you’ll leave money on the table. You could miss out on thousands in profit.
If you decide to price too high, however, you could scare away serious potential buyers. Meanwhile, your house might sit on the market for weeks.
Eventually, you might have to reduce your list price to start getting offers.
Take the time to complete a comparative market analysis. Look at similar recently sold properties. Determine how much those comparable homes sold for that way you can price your home accordingly.
Setting the right sales price can help you sell your home quickly.
4. Hiding Repairs
Buyers will notice if there are problems with your home. If you try masking major issues, they could turn away. Instead, take the time to schedule a home inspection before you list your home.
You might need to fix a leak, old pipes, or call pest control. Taking these steps can help you attract buyers.
Otherwise, a prospective buyer might ask you to make the repairs before closing. You might have to delay your closing date.
The buyer might even decide to terminate the deal altogether if they continue noticing problems.
You can also use your new replaced features to boost your asking price. Recognizing your home is move-in ready might appeal to more buyers.
You can make sure your home is in great shape for buyers by making the necessary repairs ahead of time.
5. Neglecting to Stage
If you want to attract buyers to your home, you need to appeal to their needs and interests. You can stage your home to help them imagine themselves in the space.
Consider who you’re trying to appeal to during open houses. For example, perhaps you want to appeal to big families. Then, stage your home with their needs in mind.
For example, you can give parents-to-be an idea of what a nursery might look like.
Make sure you’re not showing an empty house to prospective buyers, though. Instead, consider hiring a staging company. Give the potential new owners an idea of what it’s like to live in your home.
In addition to staging, make sure to give your home a thorough deep clean as well.
First, make sure to remove as much clutter as possible. De-personalize your home, too. Remove art your kids created or family photos.
Otherwise, buyers might struggle to imagine themselves in the same space.
Removing clutter can make the rooms look larger, too. It can also help you keep dust at bay.
If you still have belongings in the house because you’re still living there, try to remove as many items as you can. Remove oversized couches and large pieces of furniture, too.
Don’t stuff everything into a closet. Instead, put away decor and try clearing your home.
Otherwise, neglecting to stage and clean your home could prove to be a major home selling mistake.
6. Forgetting Lighting
Before you start taking photos or scheduling tours, consider the property’s lighting. After all, you want to show your property in the best possible light. If it’s dark and drab, you could scare guests away.
Brightening up every room will help your entire home look bigger.
First, make sure to let natural light shine in. Throw the curtains back.
Shine a light in every nook and cranny by grabbing lamps and overhead fixtures as well. Make sure the bulbs are working.
Lighting up your home can help it feel warm and cozy for prospective buyers.
7. Not Hiring a Photographer
If your listing photos look bad, you’ll never schedule tours. You could lose their interest before they even review your listing.
Instead, hire a professional photographer. Try to find photographers with real estate photography experience, too. They’ll understand the lighting and lens that can best frame your home.
If you can’t hire a professional, make sure the photos you take help buyers recognize the size of each room. Make sure each photo is well-lit, too. High-quality photos will do wonders to help sell
8. Handling Showings
If you plan on hiring a real estate agent, let them handle the showings alone. Sticking around could make the situation awkward for everyone.
Let your real estate agent answer questions. They’ll give the buyer the chance to look around, too. They won’t feel like someone is breathing down their necks during tours.
Otherwise, you might stand in the way of buyers seeing your home as their future home.
9. Taking Low Offers Personally
You might receive a few lowball offers. That’s normal. Their offer doesn’t reflect their opinion of your home.
Remember, they like your home enough to make an offer in the first place. Don’t take it personally.
Instead, take the time to negotiate. Make a counteroffer and see if they respond.
If the buyer asks you to make changes, don’t refuse. Potential buyers want move-in ready conditions. Consider making a few updates.
They might decide to improve their offer once you do.
10. Not Remaining Available
Once your home is on the local real estate market, avoid home selling mistakes like ignoring your phone. Instead, you need to make sure you’re always available.
Make sure your home is always ready for guests, too.
Don’t wait around until “the right season,” either. You shouldn’t have to wait months before listing your property. Instead, consider selling to a cash buyer who can give you an offer right away.
You won’t have to wait for the “perfect time” to sell. Instead, you can save valuable time and stress by working with a cash buyer.
Home, Sweet Home: 10 Costly Home Selling Mistakes to Avoid
These 10 home selling mistakes might cost you, potential buyers. Before you sell your home, have a plan. Make an effort to avoid these mistakes.
Then, you can increase your asking price, attract more buyers to your listing, and finally make the sale!
Remember, you don’t have to worry about selling a house alone. Instead, you can streamline the entire process by working with a cash buyer.
Eager to get started? We can’t wait to help.
Request your cash offer today to get started.