Selling a home in any market can be
tough if a seller doesn't pay attention to some basic principles. If selling
your home is on your radar for Spring or Summer here are three key mistakes
that every home seller can avoid. By starting several months before you place
your home on the market, planning and preparation can save headaches and stress
once the process of showing your home to prospective buyers begins. Whatever
decisions you make surrounding the details of home selling, remember, the home
really has to sell itself.
The most critical component in the
whole home selling process is the "why". Why are you selling your
home? Is it time to resize your household and move to a larger home? Are you
downsizing and looking for lower maintenance living? Are you relocating for
employment? Are you selling because you want to or because you have to? This is
the key question that you must answer, as it will be the driver for everything
else in the selling process. A "must sell" answer will require a more
aggressive approach to the preparation, pricing and marketing. A "want to
sell" answer can allow for a more laid-back strategy.
Preparing a home for sale should be
made a priority as soon as you have made the decision to sell. You can
certainly sell your home "as is" but you simply won't get as much
money for your home and, unless you have priced it at the bottom-end for your
market, it will not sell very quickly. If you will take some time to tidy it up
and then keep it clean, the price can generally go up and the time required to
secure a buyer will usually go down. Today's buyers frequently want a move in
ready home that requires as little work as possible. They want to move their
personal belongings in, hang their own pictures and start enjoying the home as
soon as the movers are gone.
Next a home seller must decide if they
are going to use a broker or sell their home themselves. Both come with a cost.
If you don't choose the best broker in your market area, the one with the hard
data available to clearly demonstrate their success in the home selling
process, you could be in for a stressful and unpleasant selling experience. If
you decide to sell the home yourself, to save some money, be prepared to invest
significant time and be ready to have your patience tested every time a
prospective buyer enters your home.
When you make the decision to sell,
there are many critical components that go into a successful sale. The above
three are only the beginning of the items that need to be considered as you
move forward with the selling process. Buyers are out there in every market and
the planning and preparation you do today can help you get your home sold in
the shortest amount of time, for the highest possible price and with the least
amount of stress.
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