- Selling yourself short!
You didn’t buy the least expensive home on the market or the cheapest car available, so don’t automatically list with the agent who promises the lowest commission. There are costs involved in advertising your home properly. Anyone who says they will do it for less than everyone else, will probably be doing less than everyone else. Standard commission rates right now are between 5-6%, depending on the price of your home.
- Not asking enough questions when listing your home:
Realtors have a LOT to do with your selling experience. You want to ask EVERY question you can think of before you list. Some Realtors will put you home on the market and let it sell itself. Some realtors won’t know what to do if your house isn’t selling. The questions don’t have to be complex. Just talk to the Realtor about your concerns and needs...you’ll know by the answers if you are choosing the right one. AND, don’t be afraid to call another Realtor to compare before listing. Sales records don’t necessarily reflect comfort levels.
- Not getting ready to move:
The emptier the house, the better. If you know you’re going to move when the house sells, start moving now. Pick up all your keepsakes, pack books, just keep the bare minimum out. This helps buyers: See how big the house REALLY is Imagine themselves and their things there It also makes the house seem “cleaner” looking, without clutter.
- Not leaving the house when buyers are looking around:
Buyers like to look at vacant and empty houses. It’s difficult for them to picture themselves in a home when the owners are around. They want to talk honestly and openly and find that difficult around a proud seller.
- Not keeping the house CLEAN:
Buyers know in the first few minutes if they feel comfortable in your home. Any other looking they do usually confirms this first impression. The cleaner the house the more comfortable people feel. EVEN IF the buyer is a complete slob!!!!, they want to BUY a clean house.
- Not allowing enough access:
Lock boxes are the best way to get lots of buyers into the house. Otherwise, you need to allow lots and lots of showings because buyers are often looking around work schedules. And the more lookers, the more opportunities for offers.
- Not coming up with a moving plan:
In the beginning, your just thinking about IF your home will sell. But you need to think about WHEN, in this market. If you get an offer, you’ll have to be able to accept it by knowing when you can leave. Standard escrows are 45 days...if you don’t buy another house in that time, can you move anyway? This is a big negotiating issue in many contracts. Buy nailing a plan down in advance, you’ll have many more options when it comes to selling.
- Not considering termite work:
Most home loan lenders require that a house be termite free when the new buyer takes over. If you’ve owned your home for a while and don’t know when the last time termite work was done, you may have to have your home tented. Tell your listing agent to order a termite report AS SOON as your house goes into escrow. If you’re home needs to be tented, you’ll have to incorporate being out of your home for about 3 days into any plans you have.
- Selling your home as a fixer:
People who want fixers, usually want to save or make money. Therefore, they will be tough negotiators. They are incorporating all the repairs and how much they will cost into the value. If you have some repairs that need to be done, it’s usually a better idea to pay for them yourself and sell a move-in ready home for more money. It just seems to be the case in this market that repairs cost so much less than fixers sell for.
- Not being reasonable:
As long as buyers and sellers are working together in the spirit of good will, everything goes smoothly. Things usually start getting uncomfortable when one of the parties gets hurt or upset. Staying reasonable and working for the greater good -- the ultimate sale -- usually makes the experience so much more enjoyable.
Katie Cotter
Century 21 Sparow-Shoreline
www.cotterrealestate.com
cotterrealestate@msn.com
(562) 493-6555 x607
- Not asking enough questions when listing your home: