Today’s the day! You’ve pondered about it for weeks, but it’s time to move forward with selling your house yourself!
But there’s a problem. You priced your home too low, and now you have a week to move out without enough cash to go anywhere.
As you can see, for first-time home sellers, selling your house without a realtor is a confusing minefield to navigate. But how do you avoid stepping on these proverbial mines?
Well, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to break down the three mistakes you can’t afford to make when you sell your house yourself! So without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Trying to Sell Your House Yourself Without Doing Research
For starters, it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you try to sell a house all alone. Without a realtor, all their responsibilities fall on your shoulders. This means you have to promote the house, show the house to potential buyers, keep the property spotless, go through piles of legal paperwork and deeds…it’s exhausting!
Not only will a lot more of your time than you’d like to spend get funneled into this project, but realtors know the regulations about real estate law and procedures so they can avoid any nasty fees. If you’re not well-versed in this law, you risk falling into multiple expensive fees with no one to pull you out or advise you on how to avoid them.
You also need to prepare that your house will not have the same “press” it would have with a real estate agent, meaning fewer people will hear about it or see its value as high as you might. As such, don’t place any high hopes on your home selling quickly or for as much as you would with a realtor.
On top of all this, make sure to pay a little attention to the housing market before you jump in. You don’t want to end up posting your listing in the middle of a sharp decline and having to sit on the deed for years.
2. Getting the Price Right
Another important mistake to avoid is trying to sell the house for more than its worth (whether you’re valuing that due to sentimental reasons or wanting more money). This is a good way to scare off buyers.
Too low a price will bring buyers quickly to your door. However, if you discover you could have pulled more money out of the deal when you are midway through negotiations with a buyer, you’re out of luck.
A great way to counter this is to hire a house appraiser to come in and take a look at your property. They will give you a proper estimate of your house’s value so you know exactly how much to ask for.
3. Skimping on the Details
When it comes to selling a house, appearance is a massive piece of the puzzle. Deciding to take decent photos from your phone camera and post them with the listing rather than getting professional photos will turn away clients.
Make sure the property is clean and has good lighting too: anything you can do to make your house more attractive is good. That said, don’t fail to disclose any substantial problems the property has. That can land you in serious legal trouble.
Get Out and Sell That House
So, now that you have this guide on the three mistakes to avoid when trying to sell your house yourself, what steps can you take from here? Well, if you want to learn more about your options, you can right here! Plus, be sure to check out our website for more real estate news!
Leave a Reply