#1 – Not Being Realistic About Your Home’s Value – Find Out Your Home Value Here
What you think your home is worth and the price you can actually sell it for are often two very different numbers. Even in markets where the inventory is tight, sellers need to be careful not to get too greedy when picking a listing price. Properties that are overpriced at the outset tend to eventually sell at a lower price than they would have if they’d been appropriately price in the first place. Choose a reasonable price, based on factors like how much comparable properties and be sure to get a professional opinion from The Alan Shafran Group.
#2 – Refusing to Tidy Up Before Listing
Clutter eats equity and kills deals. Create a sense of spaciousness by decluttering. From the kitchen countertops to the overstuffed closets to the trophy-lined shelves in the den, it’ll cost nothing to get rid of all that stuff. But it will reap big rewards when it comes time to sell.
#3 – Listing a Vacant House
Viewing an empty house can make buyers feel the same way: empty. Most real estate pros are firm believers that a home should be dressed or “staged”. Don’t worry, you won’t need to go out and buy new furniture and accessories. It may be worth making the small (but mighty) investment in a local staging company. Stage your home with The Alan Shafran Group and you won’t pay a dime until close of escrow. Find out more and contact us today! 760.929.9212 [email protected]
#4 – Choosing the WRONG Agent
Instead of picking an agent who’s a friend of a friend, a relative, or perhaps someone who’s great at working with buyers, take the time to pick a Realtor with an excellent reputation for listing homes. Your payoff will be much larger if you list your home with an agent with local market knowledge and sales expertise.
#5 – Getting Emotionally Involved
This is one of the biggest challenges home sellers face when putting their house on the market. Your home sale should be a positive experience and emotions can cause “side effects” that are detrimental to your home sale. When preparing to put your home on the market you need to shift your perspective from “home owner” to “home seller”. This means you have to take on a more objective viewpoint and understand that you are selling a product. Start the process early so that when it comes time to put your home on the market you are mentally and emotionally ready.
#6 – Being Unprepared for Your Next Step
Whether you should buy your next home or sell your current home first is only one part of the preparation you need to make to move. You need a back-up plan in case your transaction on either end takes longer or shorter than you think, and you need to understand your mortgage payoff and closing costs you will need to pay.