What Not to Do When Selling Your Home

Selling your home can be one of the biggest steps you’ll take in your adult life. You could be upgrading from your starter home, interested in a new neighborhood, or even just needing a change in life. But before you put your living space on the market, invest a proper amount of effort into the task at hand. Utilize these 6 tips on what NOT to do when selling your home.

Selling on Your Own

What do you think your house is worth? Of course you want it to be worth the same as when you bought it. It won’t always be so easy. The good news, though, is that your home may be worth more than you think. It’s important to find an agent you can trust – like a member of our team at BHHS Select – to help you make the most of your sale.

Avoiding Negotiations

According to Investopedia, you should play hardball when selling your home. Currently, we live in a seller’s market where there are more buyers than there are sellers. Use this to your advantage and don’t accept the first offer that comes your way (unless it’s your asking price!). You may be dying to get out, which is tough, but wait for the right moment to sell for the right price.

Posting Inaccurate Photos

Avoid posting inaccurate pictures online. Put yourself in a potential homebuyer’s shoes for a moment. You’re looking at homes for weeks and find a listing that looks perfect. Then you get there and it turns out Photoshop was used more than once. Nothing looks the same, but let’s face it – you were catfished. That’s not how you want your potential buyers to feel. Also, use high-quality images when possible.

Expecting Privacy

Now that you are selling your home, part of your life will be an open book to those curious enough to read it. And you want as many viewers as possible, so you have to remain open. The more people who see your home, the more people who are likely to make you an offer. Try to be as available as possible for showings as well. You never know when someone is itching to get out of their current situation as well.

Neglecting Cleanliness 

Cleaning up around the home is essential to an effective showing or open house. When you have company over, you want them to feel at home and comfortable. The same goes for showings and open houses – you want guests to feel as though your home is theirs. Clean the yard, tackle the clutter, and consider touching up the walls with paint if needed. It’ll be worth your time.

Worrying About the Small Things

Selling a home takes a lot of steps. Don’t walk away because the buyer asks you to leave the washer and dryer behind. Instead, determine what is worth losing the sale over. Will you have to do this no matter who wants to buy the house? Is this something you wouldn’t buy a house over? These are serious things to take into careful consideration when it comes to negotiations.

Now you’re ready to sell your home! Don’t have a BHHS agent yet? Find a realtor near you or visit one of our 9 offices in and around the Metro St. Louis area. Check back in with us and let us know whom you’re working with in the comments below!