Top 10 Mistakes Sellers Make

Top 10 Mistakes Sellers Make


Not preparing the house properly for a showing.
First impressions are lasting. Cleanliness sells! It takes a minimum of 20 minutes for a woman to make a decision on a house. It takes the average man 2 minutes to go through a house. If the house is not clean, the woman will go through it as quickly as the man.

Not having the house available for all showings.
It takes a degree of planning to arrange a time that both agent, husband and wife can make a showing. Often a number of homes are seen on the same day. How many customers can you simply turn away?

Taking advice from friends and family members
These are the people that look out for your best interests and in most cases you need to heed their advise. One of the first things you need to ask yourself is, "when was the last time this person has purchased a home"? Market conditions change from month to month, even from day to day. First hand information is so much more reliable than hear say.

Setting expectations too high
Two major points here; price and how long will it take to sell the property. Having an open mind to the current market conditions will set your expectations at realistic levels.

Expecting too much from the Agent
You should expect a lot from your Agent in terms of Real Estate matters. But these do not include shoveling snow, cutting grass, cleaning the house, dealing with pets or any of the other errands that come up in everyday life. Your Agent needs to be dedicating the time and effort it takes to sell your property in matters that relate to finding that one qualified buyer.

Taking the sale of the property on a personal level
You need to take your personal feelings out of the sale of your property. This includes the memories of all the good times you have spent and the personal attachments that you do have. You need to set your frame mind on the fact that this is a business transaction and weigh your options accordingly. You should not be insulted by an offer that is obviously too low. There are other matters to consider and you need to have your mind open to all of the options and not dwelling on one aspect of the sale. Agents are trained to handle these matters.

Not being fully committed to the sale
You need to be fully committed to the sale of your property before you sign a contract. If you have any reservations you need to discuss these before entering into a legally binding contract.

Not being aware of all of the costs involved
All of these details need to be discussed before making the decision to sell your property. How much do you owe on the mortgage? Is there a second mortgage. Get an estimate on the proceeds of the sale before committing yourself.

Not having enough knowledge of current market conditions
These are facts that should be discussed before deciding on a list price and marketing plan.

Not asking enough questions
Make sure that you understand everything you need to do and everything your Agent is going to do for you. If there are any questions make sure you ask them.