Selling a Home: Mistakes to Avoid

We've all been beginners in some chapter of our own history. We turn the pages of life before us and leave behind experiences, events, occurrences in which we will have been novices. There is always a first time for everything, and during that first time it is logical, even necessary, that you make mistakes. 

Mistakes perfect us all, they prepare us for the circumstances that are about to fall. However, there are also situations where it is better to avoid some mistakes that can condemn you to failure. 

Even if you are a novice, sometimes you will encounter certain irreversible throws that will not admit mistakes. That's right. 

According to experts, the peroration we've been making about failure and personal growth is all very well, but when you're faced with crucial moments that don't allow for second chances - like selling your house - it's best to activate all your senses. And here is the central theme of this article: the blunders you have to avoid when you want to sell your property.

1. Putting a higher price

It's not easy to get rid of the feelings that still bind you to your home. We are not made of stone. When you look at the property where you were happy, the memories come out like buds in spring. And that twinge of emotion you feel inside is what tends to inflate the price of your property. This is an invisible bonus for the client, a quality that will matter little to him if you try to explain it to him. Therefore, at the moment of deciding on an amount you will have to adjust to what the industry dictates. Do you know how you can do this? With the help of a professional who writes an assessment report. According experts in investments and real estate, "the houses sold without a valuation report come on the market with a price between 20% and 35% higher than those valued by an expert". Don't get soft when you have to keep cold. Read the entry we wrote on the subject and ask for help.

2. Publish without photos

Another aspect that we already analyzed when this blog was born is the photos that should accompany your ad. We imagine that you are aware of their importance, is not it? But before gloating over their relevance we should remind you of the following: if you don't publish your house in a portal, you'll be as lost as a louse in a wig. It is on the net where your property will receive visits, and thanks to the images you choose for your home your phone will start ringing. Really: immortalize your home in a few snapshots that do it justice. An ad without photographs will be like a game without goals: it will not attract attention. What's more, it can generate distrust, as if you were trying to hide something.

3. Reject offers

Systematically rejecting offers is a philosophy from which you should distance yourself. Rejecting buyers until the candidate of your dreams appears can work against you. The flame of hope can eventually fade. You would be like the princess who discards suitors waiting for Prince Charming to arrive, and that doesn't suit you. When you have a sum on the table that you consider to be fair, don't let it go. You don't want to say yes to anything? No problem. You have to love yourself a little, and your property too. But watch what we said in the first point of the article: don't let feelings drive up the price of the house.

4. Saying no to a professional

Admitting that you need help is a first step towards success, no doubt about it. And what better help can there be than that of a professional? Someone who knows the ins and outs of the business can lead you to victory. Why would you despise his services? Why would you burden your back with so much responsibility? In the end, you're gonna have to go to the physical therapist with all this tightness. A real estate agency has its own portfolio of clients, and I'm sure that by searching through it you can find someone who is looking for a property like yours. Also, keep in mind that a professional will be detached from any sentimental attachment to your home.

5. Showing the house in bad condition

If you manage to sell your house without having properly refurbished it, then you deserve to have a monument erected in your village square. But we regret to inform you that this possibility, even if we have named it, is negligible. No one in their right mind would say yes to a property presented in poor condition. Put yourself in the client's place: the blinds are chipped, the lights don't turn on and the pipes make more noise than your hunger-stricken stomach. Would you buy a house like that? Well, you know the drill: repair, paint and clean. That's all there is to it.

6. Do not disclose all details

As you well know, the whole truth comes out. Hiding information that could damage your transaction will be counterproductive; don't try to hide it because you will be discovered. Honesty above all, dear seller. Is there a fault you haven't managed to fix? Report it so that they can see that you are transparent. Do you think they can ask about receipts for certain invoices? Keep them handy so they can see you have no intention of cheating them. Right now you think that revealing these details can make your life difficult, but it says a lot about your honesty.

7. Do not give importance to the announcement

A few years ago we were immersed in a real estate bubble of enormous proportions and even today millions of empty houses are still looking for an owner. If you think yours is going to sell itself, you are very much mistaken. This is one of the biggest mistakes in selling your home.

Websites like Idealist are overflowing with ads for homes as beautiful as yours or even more. If you want your house to sell, you have to give a lot of importance to the ad you make for it. No need to take four pictures from any angle and add a brief description. You'll have to work on it and be very original if you want to capture the attention of potential buyers.

7. Thinking you're selling a palace.

When it comes to selling, you have to be objective and use your head, not your heart. I'm sure your home has many stories, experiences and memories inside, but these things are not worth a single penny on the market.

If you want your house to sell you must be fair with the price. A very typical mistake made by sellers is to add an emotional tax to the price. They think their house is prettier and better cared for than the one across the street, but no, what they do is try to justify a price above the market.

9. Not letting you advice, another of the big mistakes when selling your house

No one would ever think of self-medicating for a disease they don't know about. Nor would he try to build his own house or repair a major car breakdown. However, almost everyone considers himself an expert salesman.

The chances of selling your home will increase exponentially if you let an expert in the field, such as a real estate agent, advise you. A more professional sales campaign can be a boost to the transaction and allow you to close a sale earlier and at a better price.

10. Do not look after the visit

One of the highlights of any sale is the first visit of the potential buyer. The first impression is fundamental, so you must have the house clean and tidy (especially if you live in it or have tenants) and avoid seeing any damage or bad smells.

It would help if you chose a bright hour to show it, had a script prepared (order in which you will show the rooms, solid sales arguments...) and had all the documentation at hand in case the buyer wants to consult it (deed, simple note, IBI receipts, valuation...).

Knowing these four mistakes when selling your house is crucial to avoid making them. The success or failure of the sale can be very conditioned by them.