Mistakes home sellers make and how to avoid them avoid mistake
Logo3 small


You were spending time imagining your dream home and then got exactly what you had envisaged. After some time, you aren’t happy living in the current neighbourhood, or there is a job promotion requiring a relocation, or you want your kids to go to a better school. Whatever the reason may be, you decide to pack up and sell your home.

So, here are the 7 mistakes you, as a home seller could make and the effective suggestions on how to avoid them — in order to maximize the value of your property and make it sold in no time. No more complaint of “I still can’t sell a house!”.



Mistake 1: You sit and wait for the “right time” to sell

Source

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, only the traditional agents would suggest to you that festive season is a “bad time” to sell your property. There are people moving in and out of homes all the time and there isn’t really a fixed best timing to sell your home. Worse, you might hold onto your property for a long time without a guarantee of higher price or quicker sale in the end.

Our take? Don’t just sit around and waste those precious time with the misconception. You should take factors that suit your personal needs into consideration, along with the current market conditions, to create your own “best” timing — and act immediately. With the advent of smartphones, applications and property portals, people can basically browse for their dream home anytime, anywhere.



Mistake 2: You think decluttering is not necessary

Source

Junks and clutters kill the deal in an instant. Home buyers will never be able to see past the “clutter” even though that could be just an easy fix. Imagine a kitchen countertop full of unorganized utensil and appliances, versus a kitchen with clean and white quartz surface and integrated appliances — which one would you logically prefer?

By creating a sense of spaciousness, you make it easy for buyer to see all the wonderful living space you’re offering. Get rid of all junks and organize those useful ones into a cupboards or storage space. By doing this, you enable buyer to imagine themselves living in this beautiful home that you’re selling — because they are often buying into a lifestyle as much as a property.



Mistake 3: You sell your home empty

Source

Yes, yes, we know. This might sound contradictory for what we have just told you in mistake #2, but while making a home look spacious is important, another error you could make is to clear away too much — and the property becomes overly empty.

Note that your home should be minimally staged and that there is some personality left in it. Home-staging can help present the best sides of your home and hide imperfections. You can also purchase some inexpensive and minimalist furnitures or spruce up your old furniture to do the trick.



Mistake 4: You neglect the necessary maintenance and repairs

Source

If you don’t spend a little to prepare your home prior to sale, it will cost you more money. Period. The reason is obvious. You will be offered less money prior to closing the deal, and if you do fortunately close the deal, buyer might ask for some credit back for the repair they have done.

To reiterate, staging is always an option, or for most cases, a requirement to make your property worth more per sf. Make any necessary minor repairs — fix the cracked tiles and holes on the walls, replace the threadbare carpets, paint the dirty wall in a neutral colour, get rid of all odours, install a mirror to make a room look much bigger and lighter, replace broken light bulbs, and install lamps in any dark corners.

Trust us, it will likely cost you less money out of your pocket to fix things than installing new items, and definitely the cheapest compared to putting your potential buyers off when seeing your home in disrepair. On a side note, try not to paint your home entirely grey though, as your home might appear unattractive with that gloomy colour.



Mistake 5: You fail to hire a professional agent

Source

With the advancement of technology and online information, you can basically do most things on your own — no kidding. Allow us to say this, however, it is just absolute madness when you try to sell a home on your own. Homeowners who try to sell a home on their own usually end up letting their property hang for several months, and causing them to have a much lower sale price. As a matter of fact, less than 10% of homes are sold as “For Sale by Owner” (FSBO).

Furthermore, when hiring a property agent, you ought to be extra careful, as this is one of the most common home selling mistakes people make. It might be shocking for most people that an experienced agent actually costs the same as the mediocre ones. Therefore, carefully research the agency and agent, communicate with them and understand their experience and credentials before hiring one.

Never, ever hire an inexperienced agent, just because he or she is your friend. It might not only cost you more in terms of money, it might cost you a friendship. Hiring an agent not only makes your life easier but they will also provide you insightful and professional advice as the selling goes along.

You may join this discussion to know more in regards to hiring an agent.



Mistake 6: You sell your home at a price too high or too low

Source

Selling your home at a price too high or too low is always the biggest money-losing mistake. Don’t let your ego and emotion get in the way, prompting you to overprice your home, just because you think it is worth more. While you need to be upfront about the major issues of your home, under-pricing will definitely not do your home justice as well.

It is understandable that you would want to leave room for negotiation by overpricing. However, a property could quickly become less desirable in most buyers’ minds if they think it is not worth the price listed. By the same token, you might be unaware that under-pricing your home makes you seem desperate. Is there anything wrong with your home? People might wonder. Keep your price strong but not overbearing.

If you are a first-time home seller, there is a good chance that you have no clue what is the reasonable price for your home. Therefore, it is crucial that you do your due diligence and do some research work. Be familiar with the market and compare your home with other similar ones. By doing so, only then you will be able to put on the right price tag your home deserves, and create a win-win deal for both parties.



Mistake 7: You have poor listing description and photos

Source

People are leveraging on the convenience of technology nowadays, the search for the perfect home in the virtual space has increased tremendously ever since. So, never underestimate the power of a well-written description and well-shot photographs, as they can have a profound impact on your listing, it can make or break a deal in a second.

Make sure that you, or your property agent submit the best photos and descriptions to win home buyer’s heart in an instant. Clean, close-up and professional images not only showcase the unique and amazing elements of your home, but also make you more believable and trustworthy. In turn, enquiry from homebuyers through the listing will spike simultaneously with the increased confidence.


Whatever the dream and budget, the rules for home sellers to close the deal are the same. Keep these common mistakes in mind and take the stress out of selling your own home!



(Written by: Sonder, 5th April 2018)


SHARE THIS TOPIC

Chinese ad 4621 326x150 01

Img 6323 small

@domng well said. haha

S  9b59b6 small
65648440 2406793556070448 9165628430648082432 o small

@admin_ps thank you for your great sharing

Img 5409 small

need a good agent definately