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Avoiding 7 Costly Mistakes of Selling Your Home
- July 9, 2007 in Selling Real Estate by M. ANTHONY CARR
There are inappropriate steps sellers can take when it comes time to put their house on the market.
For instance, the seller in Virginia, who thought the half bath the builder had located at the front of the house would really be better situated toward the back of the main level (though all the other similar models had the powder room in the same place for the previous 20 years). He got hung up on this detail so much, that he just had to move it—and did—for thousands of dollars, just so he could get it on the real estate market the "right way." His hang-up may have settled some deep-seated emotional need for him, but it didn't draw any more real estate buyers, and it drained his bottom line. You might say, that was a costly mistake.
Real estate broker and author Sid Davis has identified in his book, "A Survival Guide to Selling a Home," seven costly mistakes that many sellers make when it comes time to put their home on the real estate market. In my business, I've seen each one of these mistakes played out and it just makes me shake my head as to why sellers forge ahead with unwise strategies, instead of listening to the voice of an experienced real estate professional.
Mistake #1
Putting a home on the real estate market before it's ready. Most times this happens because the seller gets impatient or is a procrastinator and has pushed himself up against a moving deadline without getting the pre-sale work done. So it comes on the real estate market with the horrible carpet (that gets replaced during the marketing of the home); or they are painting it while it goes on the market. Presentation is everything—so get the work done before marketing the property.
Mistake #2
Over improving a home for the neighborhood. This happens with additions, bump outs, and upgrades that make the home stick out from among its competitors so much that it's an anomaly, instead of a nice addition to the community.
Mistake #3
Pricing a home based on what the seller wants to net. This pricing strategy always ends in failure. Sellers can control the "asking" price, but they don't control the "sales" price. The market does. It doesn't matter what the seller wants, the price is determined by the black-and-white, matter-of-fact reality of the real estate market.
Mistake #4
Hiring an agent based on non-business factors. It might be nice to hand over your largest asset to your nephew who just got his real estate license—but make sure you understand the consequences if your deal starts going south.
Mistake #5
Getting emotionally involved. This is one of the biggest challenges home sellers face when putting their house on the real estate market. Once you decide to sell your house, it's no longer a home, but a commodity. It needs to be prepared as a commodity, marketed as a commodity, and priced as a commodity. It doesn't matter what you "want," only what the real estate market can bear on pricing. People are going to come in to kick the tires, so to speak, and you can't get emotional about how they may or may not appreciate the nuances of your home of seven years.
Mistake #6
Covering up or not disclosing problems. Most states have a property disclosure/disclaimer form—use it wisely. Just because you disclaim doesn't mean you cannot be sued later for the leaky basement, or dilapidated heating/air system that's discovered 30 days after settlement.
Mistake #7
Not getting your ducks lined up before trying to sell. This would involve financing, reading the fine print on your current mortgage to ensure no pre-payment penalties, not listening to the particulars of your local real estate market, etc. If your local real estate market is dictating lower home prices, then lower it early, not later—it will cost you more. If the local real etate market dictates selling your home first, then buying second, do it in that order, or vice versa.
Avoiding these mistakes is not that difficult. Your REALTORŪ is there to help you step over the pitfalls.
