When selling a home, the vast majority of Americans get stressed out beyond belief.
According to one study, more than 75% of people say that they would consider selling a house to be a stressful experience. Additionally, about one-third of people admit to crying when selling a home due to the stress that comes along with it.
This stress also causes some people to do more than just cry. It sometimes causes them to make mistakes that add even more stress to the equation.
Here are five major mistakes to avoid when selling your home.
1. Trying to Sell a House for Way More Than It’s Worth
When you go to list your home for sale, you can make it any price you want.
Your neighbor’s house, which looks exactly like yours, may have sold for $200,000 last week. But you’re still welcome to list yours for $250,000 if that’s what you think you’re going to be able to get for it.
However, listing your home for way above market value is one of the biggest mistakes to avoid when selling your home. It’s an especially poor strategy for those who want to make sure that they’re able to sell their house in a reasonable amount of time.
Your home might have a lot of sentimental value to you, which might make you think it’s worth more than it is. But it’s important for you to put your emotions to the side and sell it for a price that is going to entice people to want to buy it.
Otherwise, you’re going to find that your home will sit on the open market for weeks, months, and maybe even years on end.
2. Ignoring Important Repairs That Need to Be Made Before Selling a House
Is the roof on your home leaking and ready to collapse at any second? Is your HVAC system on its last legs and on the verge of shutting down on you any day now? Is there a serious pest problem that has made your home a health risk?
These are all examples of things that you need to take care of if you’re going to have any chance of selling your home. Most buyers aren’t going to give your house a second thought if they discover that there are all kinds of issues with it.
A cash buyer might be willing to overlook these issues and make you an offer for your home. But generally speaking, it’s a good idea to make any major repairs that need to be made to your home before you even think about selling it.
3. Attempting to Sell a House at the Wrong Time of the Year
If you’re going to sell a home, the best time to do it is, hands down, in the spring. Most people who are looking to buy a home start shopping around in March, April, and May.
The worst time to do it is in the late fall and early winter. You’re not going to find many home buyers shopping around for houses in October, November, and December.
That being said, there are still some people who try to buck this trend by listing their house for sale at the end of the year. They’re often under the impression that a lack of competition might make their house stand out.
You’re free to take this approach to sell your house if you want. But you’re going to find that you won’t get strong offers for it when you sell your house at the wrong time of the year.
4. Leaving Clutter All Over the Inside of a House When Selling It
When buyers walk around inside your home during a showing or an open house, they’re going to do their best to try and picture themselves living in it. They’ll attempt to imagine what the inside of your home will look like when they have all their stuff moved into it.
It’s going to be difficult, if not impossible, for them to do it when your house is filled with clutter. It’s why you should declutter your home before listing it for sale and keep it clean.
You should also get rid of any personal items that you might have throughout your home. This includes things like family photos and awards hanging up on your walls.
You might even want to go the extra mile and stage your home so that it looks like something you would see on an episode of your favorite HGTV show. It’ll cost a little bit of money to do this, but it’ll be well worth it in the end.
5. Failing to Consider Selling a House to a Cash Buyer
Do you need to sell your house fast for one reason or another? Maybe you found out you’re being relocated for work, or maybe you’re going through a divorce and don’t want to live in the home you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse bought together.
Whatever the reason, it takes about seven weeks on average for the typical home to sell. If that’s not fast enough for you, you should think about selling a house to a cash buyer as opposed to selling it the traditional way.
Cash buyers will buy your home as-is and make the selling process simple on you. You’ll be able to unload your home in a matter of a week or so in many cases. Don’t make the mistake of not considering this as an option.
These Are Some of the Big Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your Home
When you’re under a lot of stress while selling a home, it’s easy to make a mistake that you’ll regret later. That mistake could cost you a lot of money or force you to spend longer than you want to trying to sell your house.
Keep the mistakes to avoid when selling your home listed here in mind at all times when putting a home up for sale. It’ll allow you to steer clear of a lot of unnecessary stress.
You should keep the last mistake, in particular, in mind. We can talk to you about the benefits of selling your home to a cash buyer and take your home off your hands in exchange for cash if you would like to go that route.
Contact us today to find out more about how to sell your home for cash.
