Mistakes to avoid when selling your home

For most, your home is the most significant investment you will ever have. To make sure you get the most money for your home, let's go over what to avoid when selling your home.

Avoid accepting the first offer that comes your way.

In today's market, there is an abundance of homebuyers, making it a seller's market. Therefore, it is essential to list your house on the Multiple Listing Service(MLS). The MLS will syndicate your home listing to hundreds of websites, where 97% of buyers find homes. Other forms of advertisements, like speaking to realtors who have buyers, yard signs, chatting with neighbors, running online ads, can also increase the likelihood of more buyers finding your home listing.

Keep personal objects in the home hidden; less clutter can mean more money in your pocket.

When a home buyer is looking for their next home, it is vital to make it easy for them to envision themselves living in the house. Personal photos, religious objects, political propaganda, or any object that is not for everyone can be stored away before photos or showing the home. Having too many items can make rooms look small and less appealing; most sellers remove excessive items and store them in their storage units or garage.

Don't take photos yourself; hire a professional Real Estate Photographer.

A Real Estate Photographer will be one of the greatest returns on investments you can make when selling your home. The first impression of real estate is by photos, and it is vital to get the buyers' attention. A great photographer will understand what attracts buyers to a home and tell a story through its photography. They will make the photographs look natural, balance lighting in the pictures, make it easy for a buyer to know where they are in the home, find angles, move objects, and open curtains to make the photo look great.

Stay away from hiding known home problems and items that you may not consider issues.

When selling real estate, it is imperative to disclose all known issues with the property. Some things that you may not consider issues also must be announced during the sale. For example, if you don't disclose all the wildlife that comes into your property, you can be liable for any damage the critters cause to the home or any new construction by the buyers after the sale. If there are known issues that cannot be resolved which you did not disclose, you could be liable to refund the total amount of the sale and not get the property back. When working with a Realtor®, they will provide forms and wisdom on protecting yourself from these issues.

Don't price your home too high.

Understandably, sellers want to list their homes at or above market price. There are plenty of issues that this causes, including having fewer buyers seeing your home. Buyers generally look at homes that are 20% less than what they are willing to pay.

Ideally, a good pricing strategy involves studying comparable homes sold in the last six months to help understand what the appraisal value will be. It also consists of making your home price attractive compared to current active listings. You want to get as many buyers to become emotionally attached to your home, so they can compete with one another and bring the price of your home up.

Update your home to sell, not to what you want to see.

Some buyers may not like the green shag carpet and the gold chandelier. Ensure to focus on fixing and upgrading items to the home to help increase the property's value. Companies like Curbio specialize in upgrading your home to increase the selling value while charging you once the home sells.

Avoid selling your home by yourself; hire a REALTOR® that has a plan on how to sell your home.

Selling a home yourself is time-consuming, makes less profit than dealing with an agent, and has many moving pieces and liabilities. To start, Realtors pay for Error and Omission Insurance; some have a lawyer on their team and understand the entire selling process, making it less stressful for you. Only 10% of all homes listed by homeowners end up selling. As you need a REALTOR®️ to list your home on the MLS, your home's exposure will be limited.

An active real estate agent who stands up for his worth can show you how using his services can be more profitable than selling the home yourself. A Realtor® typically has access to photographers, painters, contractors, stagers, and other niche services that can have your home sell for more money — and some cover the cost of these services. The Realtor® will walk you through a listing contract and make the terms fit your needs. They can go over a price strategy on how to get the most engagement from qualified buyers to view your home. A real estate agent can also schedule what to expect throughout the process, allowing you to use your time on what you find important in life.

In short, avoid making a final decision on getting your home ready to be sold before speaking with a professional. Consultations are generally accessible and free for most services and can provide value for the time it takes to schedule. Have professionals who make their full-time career help you make the most money with the least amount of work and stress.