Mistake #1.

Complacent marketing when selling a home

 

When selling your home there are no guarantees that the ultimate buyer

of your home will have simply walked through the front door. In many

cases you may have to bring your home to the buyer. Effective

marketing will help ensure that your property receives maximum

exposure to attract a ready, willing and able buyer in the shortest

period of time. Ask your real estate agent to list for you all of the ways

they intend to market your home and on what time-line. Also, be

sure to ask about the home being advertised on the Internet.

 

 

 

Mistake #2.

Taking for granted the "curb appeal" of your home

 

When you're preparing your house for sale, remember the importance of

first impressions. A buyer's first impression can make or break

whether they even want to go inside for a look. It is estimated that

more than half of all houses are sold before the buyers even get out

of their cars. With that in mind, be sure to stand outside of your

home and take a realistic "fresh look" and then ask yourself what can

be done to make the "curb appeal" improve. Also ask your real estate agent’s

opinion as to how to improve the curb appeal. It could make a huge

difference in your final sales price.

 

 

 

Mistake #3.

Forgetting about health and safety issues

 

Be upfront and disclose to your real estate agent any problems with the

property. The problems are going to be discovered anyway. A decade

ago, health and safety issues were rarely a part of the typical real

estate transaction. Today, however, it's common for inspections

relating to health, safety, and even environmental concerns to be a

part of most sales contracts. Moreover, in many states, the seller

must disclosure to the buyer any knowledge of existing property

problems. In many cases, these issues have been or can be factored

into the home's listing price. 

 

 

Mistake #4.

Forgetting what you would want to see if you were the

buyer of your home

 

Remember that although people can be different in personality, they

tend to be the same when it comes to expectations at someone else's

expense. In other words, a prospective buyer would probably like to

see a perfect home from top to bottom, inside and out, when it comes

to your home. Try to do as many of the following items as possible to

improve the likelihood of your home sale in an expedient way.

 

 On the outside

 1) Sweep front walkway.

 2) Remove newspapers, bikes and toys.

 3) Park extra cars away from the property.

 4) Trim back the shrubs.

 5) Apply fresh, clean paint throughout.

 6) Clean windows and window coverings throughout.

 7) Keep plumbing and all appliances in working order.

 8) Maintain all sealant (window, tub, shower, sink, etc.) in good

 condition.

 9) Make sure roof and gutters are clean and in good condition.

 10) Mow the lawn frequently and plant flowers.

 11) Keep pet areas clean. 

 

 On the inside 

 1) The kitchen and bathroom should shine.

 2) Quick once-over with the vacuum; carpets should be clean.

 3) Place fresh flowers in the main rooms.

 4) Put dishes away, unless setting a formal display for decoration.

 5) Make all beds and put all clothes away.

 6) Open the curtains and turn on lights for a brighter feel.

 7) Straighten wardrobes.

 8) Put toys away.

 9) Turn off television.

 10) Play soft music on the radio/stereo.

 11) Keep pets out of the way and pet areas clean and odour-free.

 12) Secure jewellery, cash, prescription medication and other valuables.

 13) Enhance the spaciousness of each room.

 

 

 

Mistake #5.

Thinking you need to be in the home to explain things to a

prospective buyer

 

You will be better served if you allow your real estate agent to do their job

without you there. Most potential buyers usually feel more comfortable

if they can speak freely to the real estate agent without the

owners being present. If people unaccompanied by an agent request to

see your property, you should refer them to your real estate

agent for an appointment.

 

 

 

Mistake #6.

Not knowing how to price your home to sell

 

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of selling a home is listing it at

the correct price. It's one of several areas where the assistance of a

skilled real estate agent can more than pay for itself. Listing the

home too high can be as bad as too low. If the listing price is too

high, you'll miss out on a percentage of buyers looking in the price

range where your home should be. This is the flaw in thinking that

you'll always have the opportunity to accept a lower offer. Chances

are the offers won't even come in, because the buyers who would be

most interested in your home have been scared off by the price and

aren't even taking the time to look. By the time the price is

corrected, you've already lost exposure to a large group of potential

buyers. The listing price becomes even trickier to set when prices are

quickly rising or falling. It's critical to be aware of where and how

fast the market is moving - both when setting the price and when

negotiating an offer. Again, an experienced, well-trained agent is

always in touch with market trends - often even to a greater extent

than appraisers, who typically focus on what a property is worth if

sold as-is, right now.

 

 

 

Mistake #7.

Not planning your move earlier enough

 

Many sellers simply don't plan their move early enough and then feel

totally overwhelmed at the time of moving out of the house. If you are

able to move at any time of the year, don't wait until summer, the

peak-moving season. Consider also that the first and last few days of

the month are extra busy. If you plan to sell your house, get it on

the market as soon as possible. Keep a record of all expenses related

to the move, some of which may be tax deductible. Fill out the

Personal Household Inventory for each room. This is important for

establishing the amount of declared valuation for the shipment and as

a permanent inventory for insurance purposes. List, as nearly as

possible, the year of purchase and original cost of each item. Attach

any invoices or records of purchase to the completed inventory.

Prepare a separate high-value inventory if the shipment will contain

articles of "extraordinary" value. The following list includes items

that might fall into this category:

 

* Antiques

* Art Collections

* Cameras

* China Collections

* Computer Equipment

* Crystal

* Figurines

* Firearms

* Jewellery

* Manuscripts

* Oriental Rugs

* Silver

* Stones Or Gems

* Tapestries

* TVs Or Stereos

 

Also, unless you have been given a binding moving estimate where a

firm cost is established in advance, the exact cost of a move cannot

be determined until after the shipment has been loaded on the truck.

The total cost of the move will include transportation charges, any charges

for declared valuation, plus charges for any extra services performed at your

request. All of these charges are based on tariff rate schedules.

 

 

 

Mistake #8.

Using a "convenient" agent rather than using an

experienced real estate agent

 

When working with a real estate agent, it's critical that you have

full confidence in that agent's experience and education. A skilled,

knowledgeable agent should be able to explain to you exactly why your

home needs to be priced at a certain level - compared to recent

listings and sales of homes similar to yours. Experienced agents also

know exactly what the current pool of buyers are looking for in

relation to particular styles and price ranges of properties. A

skilled agent can recommend changes that will enhance the saleability

of your home, thus increasing the price - and/or decreasing the length

of time before a sale.

 

 

 

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