The stress of selling your home can be overwhelming but realize you can take some control of the situation and make it less of an ordeal. Remember: this isn’t the housing market of old where you settled with a handshake and your word, so set your expectations realistically to help alleviate stress from the home selling process.
Set a Realistic Price
Selling your home isn’t Craigslist. You can’t list something way higher than you intend to get just to “leave room for haggling”. Setting your home’s price too high scares tightly budgeted buyers off. If your house is worth $150k, but you have it listed for $175,000, you’re losing out on an entire pool of buyers.
Accept The Possibility That You May Lose Money
Sure, you’ve got that tidy little sum from the appraiser or an impressive list of neighborhood comparables, but the fact is, your home is only worth what someone is willing to pay and that’s the end of the story. Between fees and the true value of your home, don’t be surprised if you’re writing a check at closing for a few thousand dollars.
Have Your Home Staged
You might think your “eclectic” style is appealing to most people, but it probably isn’t. When you’re putting your house on the market, it should look livable but not lived in by a specific family. Professional stagers say it’s best to remove personal touches like family photos and your kids’ artwork on the refrigerator to appeal to more buyers. They want to imagine their family living in that house, not yours. Also make sure you have clutter removed. Keep the counters and other surfaces free of junk, keep your closets organized, and have any extraneous furniture put in storage to avoid a house that looks too lived in.
Be Wise with Your Upgrade Money
Ask your realtor and other real estate professionals about the best money to put into your home if you’re looking to add some appealing extras. Don’t put $30k into a kitchen remodel on a house that won’t ever sell for more than $100k because of the area. Instead, see if things like landscaping, upgraded flooring, or new windows would be a better use of your money.
Remember that home buyers are lazy. They don’t want a house with lots of needed repairs or a house that they have to go back and forth with the sellers on to make a deal. Make the buyers’ lives easier and you’ll make your life easier in the process.
Most Importantly: Hire a Realtor®
A real estate professional will help set a realistic price that meets your financial goals. They can advise you on the best time of year to put your house on the market, make the needed repairs that homebuyers demand, and ensure that the home is professionally staged and shown. Above all else: a Realtor makes the process easy for home buyers because they are always available for buyer questions or, even better, offer negotiations.