Selling your Kamloops home can be an exhausting experience—from the challenges of keeping your home clean to working around last minute showings, your house can feel like it already belongs to someone else. Today’s market is tough, and there is a lot of competition for homes. Phoebe Chongchua of Realty Times recently identified the top mistakes many sellers make—and these mistakes can result in you getting less money for your home or not selling the home at all. To be sure you get top dollar for your home, be sure to avoid these common mistakes:
1. Staying for Showings: Simply put, don’t do it. It is understandable to want feedback about a showing—let your agent get that for you. Remember, a potential buyer needs to see the home as his own—picture where the couch will go, how the family barbeque will be set up in the backyard, and which bedroom will belong to the kids. A seller’s presence brings unwanted pressure and doesn’t allow the buyer an opportunity to see how his life works in your home. A showing may seem inconvenient, but you can use it as a reason to go try the new coffee shop down the street, go to the gym, or run a few errands. Then, ask your real estate agent to find out what the potential buyer had to say.
2. Underestimating the Power of Clean. No buyer wants to wade through dirty laundry strewn about the bedroom, or see stacks of dishes caked in last night’s dinner. It is impossible to stress how important it is to keep your home vacuumed, the dishes washed and put away, and the rooms neat. Taking a few minutes to wipe fingerprints off the fridge and wipe down the bathroom sink leaves fewer issues to distract potential buyers. In a clean house, a buyer can see all of its potential and is more likely to assume that larger maintenance issues are taken care of.
3. Not hiring a professional. Selling a home is a full time job—do you have the time and skills? How will your boss feel about letting you out of work constantly to show your home? Are you ready to find a title company? Schedule a survey? Meet the home inspector? And don’t forget about prequalifying the buyers. While some jobs are easily done on your own, hiring a licensed Real Estate agent can save you lots of time, headaches, and potentially money. After all, would you hire a plumber to manage for your finances? Or an electrician to paint a mural? Then why not hire a licensed professional to handle all of the tasks and complications that go with selling your home?
4. Setting the Wrong Price. While this is the biggest mistake many sellers mistake, it is also one of the most avoidable. It is important to understand what your home has to offer as well as what similar homes around you are selling for and have recently sold for. This information is vital in setting a realistic price for your Kamloops home. There are some internet resources available for this information, but your best bet may be contacting a local realtor. A realtor has the pulse of what is going on in the overall market, in your neighborhood, and in surrounding areas. Also, they may even have a buyer who is looking for a home just like yours.
In today’s market, selling a home requires more than simply putting a sign in your front yard –it requires preparation and daily attention. These tips, and the direction of a licensed real estate agent, can ensure you get the best possible price for your home. When you are ready to sell your Kamloops home or relocate to the area, call me, Eric Putoto! I am the ONLY Canadian Realtor to have been granted an exclusive license for the most advance home selling system ever developed: The “Maximum Value Home Selling Systems."TM
Comments(0)