Even when it’s overwhelmingly a seller’s market, committing certain mistakes will drastically reduce your chances of selling your home when you want and at the price you want. One of the tallest hurdles to overcome here is achieving some emotional detachment from the place where you’ve lived for several years, a place filled with your cherished belongings and memories. But a keen, objective eye is needed for a successful sale and to avoid these 7 mistakes home sellers make in Harford County.
1. Skipping Pre-Listing Inspection
Scheduling a pre-listing home inspection can save you a lot of time, frustration and expense on down the road in the sale process. You will be able to discover problems and issues before the buyer does. Then, you can address discovered problems in a way that fits your schedule and budget before it they impact sale negotiations.
2. Cutting Corners on Sales Prep
Another of the mistakes home sellers make in Harford County is that of skimping or cutting corners on obvious (or that indicated up by the pre-listing inspection) sales-prep work. In almost every case, if you don’t make at least minor repairs and do some painting, your house is likely to languish on the market. Also, if you don’t do this necessary prep work, the sale price will be lower when your house does sell.
3. Neglecting Curb Appeal
Neglecting curb appeal may be the most common of the mistakes home sellers make in Harford County. What often happens is that we get so caught up in spiffing up the inside of the house that we neglect the outside. So always make sure to spruce up the entry area, maintain the yard, and do at least some minor landscaping.
4. Withholding Information
Although strictly illegal, we are often tempted to withhold information to move the sale along. But it is almost always a mistake not to mention that, say, the bathroom sink leaks or the basement floods every spring. The buyer’s inspection will discover these problems, and then negotiations may get nasty. The worst-case scenario is you may even land in the middle of a lawsuit.
5. Overpricing/Underpricing
Both overpricing and underpricing are common mistakes home sellers make in Harford County – and they are equally detrimental to a sale. Overpricing can, of course, drive buyers away, causing them not to even consider your house at all. Underpricing makes them think something is wrong with the house, causing it to languish on the market for a long period, which just compounds the problem.
6. Having Children and/or Pets Present
Showings are an important of the process, especially from the buyer’s perspective. And many people find the presence of children and/or pets distracting and often off-putting. Your goal here is to allow potential buyers to envision your house as their home, and children and pets will be a hindrance. Keep in mind, too, that some people just don’t like children, and even more are allergic to pets.
7.Choosing the Wrong Agent
Selling/buying a home will be the largest financial transaction of your life. And you don’t want to take the chance of undermining it by relying on your own amateurish real estate skills. So engaging a good real estate agent is a good idea. But she needs to be the right agent for you, your needs, and your area. With the right agent, you stand to make a lot more money on the sale of your Harford County house.
Even under the best of conditions and even when you make sure to avoid these 7 mistakes home sellers make in Harford County, selling your home can be a lengthy process. It also frequently involves frustrating negotiations and various pitfalls that, if not avoided, can break the deal. That’s why it’s usually a good idea to call on the expertise of qualified real estate professionals.