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Health & Fitness

Selling a home?

The 10 biggest mistakes made when selling a home.

 

1.   Price!! If your home has been on the market for longer than 3 months, buyers assume you are getting anxious and may give lower offers.

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2.   Lack of accessibility. You need to be ready for the buyer who drives by, calls the agency, and wants in right away. If it’s too hard to see the house, it gets dismissed for easier to show properties. Make sure your house is easy to show.

3.   Terms. A typical purchase closes from one to two months. Being flexible with the buyers timing can often save a sale. Make sure your buyer is preapproved for a mortgage. Inspections can bring up issues. Either have your house checked before you put it on the market and disclose any issues or be willing to negotiate price if defects are above your budget.

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4.   Location. If the house is in a potentially “undesirable” location – near a highway, cemetery, shooting range, etc. the price will need to be reduced compared to similar houses in more “sought after” areas.

5.   Condition. Both interior and exterior areas matter. Keep the house and yard tidy at all times. Remove as much personalization as possible. DECLUTTER!

6.   Exposure. Withdrawing for holidays or taking the house Temporarily Off the Market to reset the Days On Market. Buyers are savvy! They are keeping track better than ever with all the new Internet tools. In order to maximize exposure to bring the greatest pool of buyers it must be listed with a multiple listing service.

7.   Talking too much. Let the house sell itself. The more you talk, the bigger the potential of saying something that scares off a buyer. Try to NOT be there when the house is being shown. Psychological for the buyer to picture themselves as the owners, not you.

8.   Pets. Find a way to minimize the impact of your pet. Allergies can prevent a buyer from looking too long. When possible, keep them in a kennel or take them with you when the house is being shown.

9.   Odors. Nothing kills interest like walking into a home with stale, moldy, or fowl odors. It knocks thousands off the cost of a home.

10.        Emotional attachment. This is a tough one. Although selling your home is a business transaction it often feels like you are selling your memories. Your memories are always priceless. Make sure you don’t include them in the price of the house.

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