Thinking of selling your home? Reviewing the following tips may save you both money and potential headaches.
1. Don't put your home on the market until both you and it are ready. While this may sound obvious, eager sellers often list their home before it is ready to show and before they fully understand the consequences of a sale. Make sure you've done your homework on pricing and have decided on both the listing price and what you wish to net from the sale. You should have already made the decision on selling by owner or with the help of an agent, and you know which firm you will use to help you. You've checked your closing papers or with your mortgage company to see if your loan has a pre-payment penalty, and all of your touch-ups, clean-up, repairs, or improvements are 100% complete.
2. Don't let emotions cloud your decision making process. Once you've decided to sell, the house is no longer your home; it's a commodity you wish to dispose of. When you're too emotionally attached to it, it's difficult to be objective. Remember, buyers aren't trying to offend you with low offers or criticisms of your home; they are looking for the right home for themselves at the lowest possible price. You will probably do the same thing when you look for a replacement. Never counter an offer with, "take it or leave it." Most often, even if they are interested, they'll leave it. Being turned off by a buyer's comment or offer makes it difficult to analyze and make a proper counter offer.
3. Don't price your home at your "must have price." Few buyers will be willing to pay your asking price. Everyone wants to negotiate with the assumption you've added in more than you are willing to take. Give potential buyers the satisfaction of getting a better deal. But, you must be realistic in your initial price. If the market doesn't justify your asking price, you're asking for trouble by pricing it too high. If you truly want to sell your house, you must be flexible. And, don't price it high just to see if you can snare an uneducated buyer. You'll make it more difficult to sell and when you do lower the price later, buyers may wonder if there's a problem with the house.
4. Don't do extensive remodeling prior to sale. Especially don't over-improve for your neighborhood. While there are legitimate repairs or improvements that you may need to make, understand that major renovations rarely recoup their costs. Put your money where it will benefit you the most.
5. Don't try to cover up problems with your home. Most states require sellers to disclose problems-potential or actual-with their homes. Not being honest opens you to a lawsuit after the sale. Consider hiring a home inspector to do a pre-inspection. While you'll have to pay $250-$400 for their services, you'll be aware of potential problem areas and can begin addressing them. Buyers will respect your openness and, though they probably will still want their own inspection, they will be more comfortable knowing that someone has already thoroughly reviewed the home.
In today's tumultuous housing market, sellers must be pro-active. Developing a plan of action and understanding your responsibilities during the process will put you ahead of most sellers. Then, if your home is priced competitively, and marketed aggressively, it will sell.
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