Date Published 17 April 2023
Selling your home can be a complicated process. Here is our list of several common mistakes to avoid.
1. Overpricing your Property – Setting an unrealistic asking price will put off potential buyers from viewing your property and lead to your property staying on the market for an extended period of time. Try to leave your emotional attachment to one side when considering its value. Be realistic and ensure its asking price is relative to other properties nearby. An Estate Agent should be able to back up there price recommendation by offering you comparable evidence of properties that have recently sold.
2. Poor Presentation – First impressions really count and are crucial when selling your home. Make sure that your property is clean, organised and clutter free. You want anyone viewing your home to have a good first impression and see it at its full potential. If things look messy and uncared for, they may think the property has been unmaintained.
3. Maintenance Issues – Before selling you home it is important that it's showing at its best. Make sure that any maintenance issues have been addressed. Even little things such as having fresh flowers and plants on show, de-weeding your garden, or even some simple cleaning and decluttering can make a massive difference. Don't underestimate what people will notice.
4. Not Working With An Experienced Estate Agent – An Estate Agent not performing can be a key reason that your home may not sell. Make sure that you use someone locally with an in depth knowledge of the area. Don't pick an Estate Agent just because they gave you the highest valuation or the lowest commission rate. Make sure that they can explain their reason for the valuation and back it up with comparable evidence of what has sold. Your home is your most valuable asset and choose an agent with experience in the area and check their reviews. Independent and local is always best.
5. Bad Marketing – This is where the Estate Agent and seller need to work together. Firstly make sure that your chosen agent offers professional photographs, floor plans and virtual tours. You then need to work together to make sure that the property looks as presentable as possible for when the photo shoot takes place. The sales particulars are going to be one of the main reasons that someone wants to view your home. In most instances the details of your property will be visible on the agents website and the property portals they subscribe to.
6. Limiting Viewings – Once you've put your home on the market, try to cooperate when your Estate Agent wants to show it. If you home isn't easy to show, it's probably not going to be easy to sell. You need to be willing to leave the property for several hours during a day or most of a Saturday. The goal is to accommodate as many buyers as possible, even if their timing is inconvenient.
7. Ruling Out Early Offers – Just because you received a good offer very early into the marketing process doesn't mean you should reject it. In the same way you should never become too emotional over offers, you should also ensure you consider early offers in the same way you would any other. Sometimes the best offers are received early in the marketing process.
