Ready to sell your house? You will likely have many decisions to make along the way. Learn more about mistakes home sellers can avoid before selling their house!
There are many things to consider when selling your house. Sellers often make the same mistakes, but there are ways to avoid them. The first step is knowing what they are!
#1 – Not Exploring Options
There are many options when selling your house beyond the traditional method of contracting a Real Estate agent. One way is for you to control the entire transaction as a For Sale By Owner (or FSBO). This can save a lot of money on commissions but it can be very time consuming and tough to navigate the paperwork. Another method for selling FSBO is to purchase a limited listing service to get your property on the MLS. This can get your property in front of agents who represent buyers, but be prepared to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent. And also be prepared for the agent to have oversight regarding the contractual portion of the sale. But did you know that you don’t have to list your house at all to sell it? You can choose to sell it directly to an investor or professional home buyer such as Journey Home Buyers, LLC. When you do this you get the best of both worlds, a real estate professional and at no cost or obligation to you!
#2 – Pricing It Incorrectly
If you choose to list your house FSBO, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is pricing it too high out of the gate. Many sellers have an over-inflated price in mind, trying to get as much as possible, without considering what will be a realistic price to sell for. Some agents will advise you to list high so they can convince you to sign with them, while they take a shot at scoring a higher commission. Either way you lose. Professional home buyers know their local market and evaluate houses based on the condition and recent comparables.
#3 – Not Clearing Out Your Personal Items
Imagine if it were you viewing a property. You wouldn’t want to see someone’s vitamins on the table, family photos everywhere or their stack of mail on the counter. Seeing personal items strewn about can make people feel very uncomfortable. They need to be able to imagine themselves in the house, not feel as if they are intruding on someone’s space. Many people will pack up everything but the necessities and put it all in storage until the house has sold. Professional home buyers like Journey Home Buyers, LLC do not require you to do anything with your personal belongings, no matter what they are, or how high they may be stacked.
#4 – Not Considering All Costs
If you decide to list your house, there are all sorts of costs to consider. Not only are there agent commissions, but also agent fees, administrative costs, marketing costs, listing fees, closing costs and more. All of which can be avoided with a direct sale to Journey Home Buyers, LLC since we buy in any condition.
#5 – Not Making The Needed Repairs
Not doing some things up front will cost you down the road. Once your buyer does an inspection, they will often ask for a number of things to be fixed. You might be blindsided by the number of repairs your house needs. Some sellers pay to have their own inspection done before listing so they have an idea of what they are in for. Taking care of the problems up front will save you time and money down the road. Or simply sell to Journey Home Buyers, LLC as-is.
#6 – Not Disclosing Items Upfront
These items will come back to bite you. Either in the inspection or when the new owner sues you. By law, you have to disclose what you know about the property. As a home buyer we assume the risk when we buy as-is.
#7 – Not Putting Away Pet & Kid Stuff
While kids and pets are wonderful, not everyone has them. Some people will feel a little uncomfortable if there are chew toys on the couch or legos all over the floor. Remember, the experience is about them. Make the areas feel neutral but welcoming. Journey Home Buyers, LLC doesn’t even see the stuff, we are looking past all this at the house and what we need to do to make this work for you.
#8 – Not Putting Personal Feelings Aside
This is business. If someone comes to view your house and you hear them say they want to pull out the garden to add a deck, don’t get too hung up on it if they plan on paying you the price you want. While you might feel a little sad, this is business, and missing out on a qualified buyer because of something petty can be a huge mistake. At Journey Home Buyers, LLC we do not belittle the condition of your house.
#9 – Hiring A Bad Agent
It can be easy to hire the wrong agent. Some are full of charm and are great at sales. This is great when they are trying to sell your house, but they also use this charm to get you to sign with them. Make sure they aren’t making false promises or are only worried about their commission. You can look at reviews, but it is best to get recommendations from people you know and trust. You simply aren’t going to click with everyone either. You might find the top agent in town can be incredibly stressful to work with. Journey Home Buyers, LLC will make sure you are comfortable with any agreement before proceeding.
#10 – Not Calling Journey Home Buyers, LLC First
Journey Home Buyers, LLC will provide you with the information you need to help you decide how to sell your house. There is never any pressure to sell or obligation when you give us a call. As professional real estate investors, we want to work with you to help you make smart decisions about how to sell!