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What Not to Do When Selling Your Home?

July 20, 2021 by Jeremy Lindy

Selling a home can be overwhelming since there are so many moving parts. If you are in the process of selling your home, you’ll know that it is vastly different than any other financial transaction you have ever made. Even worse, sellers can easily self-sabotage by making avoidable errors. 

You can avoid some common blunders to ease your way into a smooth sale.

Don't Let Your Emotions Get Ahead of You

Selling your beloved home can quickly become surprisingly emotional. It is better if you see your home as a product that you are selling and not an extension of yourself. Sellers may feel hurt or devastated when an offer comes in less than what they were expecting. 

Instead of feeling frustrated or angry, learn to set your sights on the bigger goal. It’s easy to get hung up on small details rather than the big picture. Carrying costs like home repairs, taxes, and insurance can sometimes be higher than a low offer.

Don't Overlook Closing Fees

Service agreements, closing costs, and other arrangements can negatively impact seller fees. For example, title companies may charge higher prices to get a share of profits. Sellers may not ask about costs, and many times, they get charged back to the seller. 

Ask the buyer if they are using a title company that works together with their agent brokerage. If this is the case, you should insist on a non-affiliated title company to protect your interests. 

Always Stage Your Home

Every home benefits from staging, no matter the kind of residence it is. 

Furnishings and staging can have a profound effect on buyers. It can be challenging to envision a room’s potential when cluttered or filled with the owner’s furnishings. Buyers should be able to walk in and immediately imagine their life in the home. 

Removing all your furnishings can have an opposite, negative effect. It is difficult to gauge the space without a sofa, bookshelf, or bed as a scale. Open-concept properties allow buyers to start planning how they would like to use the area. 

Spend Time on the Photos of Your Home

Nothing can deter an interested buyer more than fuzzy, dark photos or pictures that show a messy, cluttered home. It is worth it to invest in professional photos so that potential buyers do not feel like they have wasted their time and effort. 

Photos are an excellent marketing tool for selling your home. Beautifully done, they can generate a lot of interest in your property, which can lure prospective buyers.

Doing It All Yourself

While it may be tempting to avoid paying commission, you lose out on the expertise and guidance that agents offer. The realtor’s job is to represent their buyer’s best interest. They will negotiate before and during the sale. 

Selling your home may seem straightforward, but your agent can serve as a knowledgeable guide with many years of experience. 

Don't Overprice Yourself

Never try to fool a buyer. They tend to be educated in today’s market and have access to tax records and historical data. They will know how much you paid for your property. Sellers should approach the negotiation process with this in mind. 

If you are looking to sell your home, we buy houses in Miami.

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