10 Mistakes to Avoid When Selling your Home

Before setting out to sell your house, it is advisable to ensure that it is in a condition that will appeal to the buyer. You may also want to consider doing or introducing certain things to increase the value of your house.

However, this must be approached with a lot of caution so that you do not end up making mistakes that may jeopardize your chances of selling fast or even selling for a good rate.

There are certain common mistakes that most home owners make when selling their homes that ends up making the initial excitement that comes with putting up a for sale sign turn into months of frustration with no offers.

Here are the ten common mistakes you must avoid when selling your house provided by fast house sale company Ready Steady Sell:

• Underestimating the power of curb appeal – Most homeowners will usually spend a lot of money, time and energy ensuring that the interior of their home is appealing to prospective buyers. What they forget is that the exterior is equally important because this is what prospective buyers interact with first. As such, it is what creates the first impression. Therefore, ensure that you tidy up the garden and mow the lawn so that it is presentable. You will also do well to eliminate clutter.
• Setting a wrong asking price – It is not unusual for homeowners to place a wrong price on their property, making it quite difficult to sell. By placing the price too low or too high you are bound to struggle attracting buyers. That is, when the price it too low, buyers will question why the offer is so low. On the other hand, buyers are likely to snub your property when you set a price that is too high. Thus, you need to consider carrying out a valuation to be able to set a competitive asking price.
• Maintaining personal touches in the home – When potential buyers come to view your house, they should be able to envision themselves living there. Therefore, if you have personalized the space by introducing a colour scheme of your own or even some photos, then you need to get rid of them. In fact, you should strive to offer prospective buyers a blank canvas by painting the walls in neutral colours.
• Failing to tidy up – The majority of home owners do not recognize the value of tidying up the home before putting it up for sale. In particular, ensure there is not clutter lying around so that the house is presentable and clean. You could give your floors a hoover and cover up those places are not too presentable.
• Failing to fix small, minor repairs – Undertaking repairs prior to selling your house may seem like a waste of time and money. However, failing to fix those small things can be detrimental to the sale process because most buyers do not want to worry about repairs. Thus, this may be a turn off. Remember, these days most buyers prefer to have inspections carried out on property before they agree to purchase.
• Staying by the side of the buyer during viewing – Although you may want to stick by the side of prospective buyers during viewing out of courtesy, it is advisable that you give them time to look around the property by themselves. This way, they will have a feel of the property without feeling subdued. Keep in mind that for the first viewing, buyers only need to imagine themselves living in the home hence do not need all the details.
• Choosing the wrong company to sell your property – Although estate agents are usually a preferred choice for home owners seeking to sell their houses they are not usually the best option. Thus, you need to choose the company that will sell your property for you carefully while paying attention to the fees associated with it. Remember, apart from estate agents, there are other channels through which you can sell your property such as quick house sale companies or private sale among others.
• The use of poor quality photos – Photos are much more than a thousand words hence, when selling property you must invest in high quality images that will sell your property. This is especially important if you are going to have your property listed online as it will greatly improve your chances of selling. Always avoid the use of photos that are blurry as they may turn down potential buyers.
• Not having carpets cleaned – Carpets are a great inclusion in the home as they make it homely and comfortable. Even then, they will usually collect lots of dust over time thus becoming stained with nasty smells emanating from them. Ironically, you may not take note of the smell as you are used to it. However, a new person coming into your home space will definitely sense the smell. Thus, ensure your carpet is professionally cleaned so that it feels fresh.
• Failure to take note of small details – It is not uncommon to hear that small details make a difference. However, when it comes to selling your house, you are likely to forget this rule. Some of the small details that you will do well to consider include the arrangement of your furniture, touching up the paint on walls and introducing scented candles among other things.

Overall, while it is important to take time and effort to ensure that your house presentable and attractive before putting it up for sale, you must ensure that you do not make these common mistakes. This way, you can be sure to sell quickly and for a good price.