The 5 Most Common Pitfalls of Selling a Home and How to Avoid Them

When you are selling your home for the first time, there are a few common pitfalls you should try to avoid. Many first-time sellers fall into two categories: over-spending or under-spending to sell their homes. Put simply, many people put all of their time, money, and effort into making sure their home is the nicest on the market. Or, they try to cut corners and save on essential costs that will help their home sell. Below are five easy things to avoid when selling your home.

Selling Your Home on Your Own

Selling your own home is one of the worst things you can try to do. Unless you are a professional, your home will sit on the market longer and end up selling at a lower price. Plus, you won’t have anyone there to help you through all of the steps of selling a home that you would get if you hired a professional.

Underpricing or Overpricing Your Home

Pricing your home too high or too low can be a very costly error. Make sure to understand the market before pricing your home. Look into the prices of comparable houses in your area that are currently listed and those that have recently sold.

Overdoing Your Renovations

You don’t need to go crazy with renovations before selling your home to ensure it sells for the highest price. In fact, some big renovations won’t even give you the return on investment that you’re hoping to get. Instead, focus on small renovations with big impacts like painting your walls, updating your lighting fixtures, and cleaning your home. It’s essential to make any necessary repairs and changes, but there is no need to throw a ton of money into a home where you won’t be living.

Avoiding Necessary Renovations

On the other side of the coin, completely ignoring things that need to be fixed will cause huge issues when trying to sell your home. Make sure to fix everything before you list your house. Don’t wait until potential homebuyers see problems to fix them. This puts off buyers and will likely result in them offering less or asking for you to comp the work that needs to be done – if they give you an offer at all.

Leaving a Mess in Your Home

Decluttering and deep cleaning your home before showing it is one of the easiest things you can do to help sell your home. A house full of clutter is one that potential homebuyers cannot see themselves living in. Take all of your personal things like fridge magnets, pictures, toys, knick-knacks, etc. and hide them or temporarily remove them from your home. Taking away personal items can make your home more neutral, allowing buyers to imagine themselves living there instead.

It’s also imperative to clean your home before showing it. First and foremost, a foul odor can put buyers off immediately. Before showing your home, remove any pet beds and litter boxes and remove the trash to rid your home of odorous items. Next, ensure that your walls and windows are wiped down, shelves are dusted, your sink and counters are clean, and your carpets are vacuumed. Small things like this can make a difference in the appeal of your home.

All in all, you’ll want to avoid these common pitfalls when selling your home. It would be best if you put in the necessary work like cleaning and decluttering your home. You may choose to do extra things to help your home sell, like fixing minor issues, repainting walls, or replacing hardware. Past a few small projects, it’s not advisable to go spending thousands of dollars on renovations that do not have a good return on investment. You’ll end up investing more into your house than you will get back through increased home value. Lastly, make sure you hire a professional real estate agent to help you sell your home. Ready to start? Let’s discuss your next steps!