Selling a house entails more than just finding a real estate agent or putting up an ad. You’ve probably heard friends, neighbours, and real estate professionals talk about curb appeal, first impression, and staging. These are industry terms with real weight. Redesigning a house to enhance its appeal can increase its average selling price and reduce the period it spends on the market.
However, not every change is an instant hit. Some details can make or break a sale. To ensure that your house sells faster and at a higher price, avoid these mistakes when selling it.
Pricing the House too High
New home listings attract more potential buyers. In most cases, houses lose their shine after being in the market longer. If you set a too-high listing price, you might miss the crucial opportunity for attracting buyers. And, even if you lower the price later, some buyers will still remember they dismissed the house first due to its high price. Thus, they may not give it a second thought.
To avoid this mistake, look around your neighborhood to know the price of similar houses in your area. Also, assess the condition of your house and its unique features. You can also use comparable sales to determine the most appropriate listing price for your house.
Not Cleaning the House
The first impression is very important when presenting a house to prospective buyers. You might assume that a buyer will renovate and clean the house after buying it. However, making this assumption won’t do you any favor.
Don’t forget that your house is competing with other houses for sale in the local market. Sellers that have renovated and cleaned up their houses for viewing are likely to attract more potential buyers. Some buyers won’t consider your house if it’s dirty because it will take them a lot of time to clean up. Therefore, clean up your house and the compound before you list it.
House Hunting Inconveniences
House hunting is a tiring and complex process. It’s therefore important for the visiting party and the seller to try and make it hassle-free. In most cases, serious buyers want to see the house when it’s convenient for them. If you are always unavailable or you keep postponing viewing, most potential buyers will dwindle and this will delay your house sale.
Presenting a House during Renovation
It’s a good idea to work on house presentation. However, half-hearted efforts are likely to affect your sale negatively. Most buyers will be put off by a house that is undergoing renovation after seeing well-kept houses. Therefore, complete renovations before you list the house for sale.
Showing a Too ‘Homey’ House
You could still be living in the house that you want to sell. However, this doesn’t mean visitors should know your exact daily life details. A clean toilet, kitchen, and bathroom are simple basics. Avoid leaving clothes scattered all over your house. An organized, de-personalized house will impress more potential buyers.
Not Knowing What Modern Buyers are Looking for
The preferences of home buyers keep changing. There was a time when buyers were looking for fixer-uppers. However, modern buyers want ‘turn-key’ houses. These are houses that don’t need fixing up, initial maintenance, or remodeling. So, if you think your house is not in a proper condition, fix it up before listing.
Doing Home Improvements that Don’t Yield High Returns
Not all home improvements yield high returns when selling a house. Unfortunately, some homeowners invest significant resources in home renovations that don’t add to the bottom-line value of the sale price. To avoid this mistake, talk to an experienced real estate agent about renovations that are worth doing when selling your house.
Using Low-Quality Pictures when Posting Online
Most modern buyers look for houses on sale online. Others use property websites to find houses to buy. A house that looks unattractive or run-down won’t capture the attention of most prospective buyers. That means you will miss a chance to sell your house if it looks bad online. To avoid this mistake, don’t take low-resolution pictures. Avoid awkward angles or dim lighting when taking photos. You can hire a virtual staging service or use a quality camera.
Losing Perspective
You expect other people to love your house the way you love it. So, when a prospective buyer criticizes the place you’ve called home for years and make you a low offer, you can easily feel offended. But, regardless of the amount you spent on renovations, your love for the house, or how much you bought it, what the buyer thinks your house is worth is the deciding factor. Therefore, keep things in perspective to save yourself unnecessary heartache and stress.
Avoid these mistakes and you will sell your house faster and at a higher price.
