As trusted Flower Mound real estate agents, we know there are certain things homeowners can do that actually sabotage their chances of selling their homes. Naturally, many homeowners over the past few years have attributed the fact that they could not sell their homes to economic conditions, prices which were too high, etc. It could be that these things had nothing to do with the failure to sell your home – but there may be other mistakes you made unknowingly.
Here is our list of things NOT to do when trying to sell your home:
Bad photos, or no photos. People are very visual, and want to see a photo before they ever consider taking a tour of your home. When you list your home for sale, include good quality photos that show your home in a good light – and lots of them. Just for giggles, check out these awful real estate listing photos.
Badly worded ad. While placing text ads in the newspaper does work, it’s important that a bit of creativity goes into creating your ad. Don’t exaggerate, making claims that your home is the “perfect house for your family,” because you cannot back up that claim. Highlight the positives and consider what you would want to know if you were the one looking for a home and reading the ad.
Priced too low. What? Yes, a home can be priced too low. What usually happens is that you attract a buyer who isn’t qualified, or hordes of bargain hunters who want to buy your home for an even lower price. Additionally, if potential buyers think the price seems low, they may think there is a problem with the home. Determine a fair price from the beginning.
Being home during a showing. Potential buyers want to be able to speak freely with the real estate agent while touring a home. When you are at home with the kids and carrying on with life as usual, it’s difficult for a potential buyer to visualize their own family in the home. This is a huge mistake; make sure before your home is showed that it’s clean and neat, then take the family out for dinner or go to the park.
Lack of curb appeal. When a home doesn’t look neat and attractive from the road, most people have no interest on seeing what’s on the inside. Make sure your landscaping is neat, power wash the deck, make any minor repairs to exterior lights, etc. Sprucing up the outside of your home can make the difference in whether someone wants to see what the inside has to offer!
At Team Nelson, our real estate agents want to help ensure that homeowners looking to sell their homes aren’t making common mistakes that could potentially prevent a sale. Count on our team of professionals for all of your real estate needs, whether buying or selling.
