There are tons of reasons why you can fail to make a property sale. As a non-professional, you can’t be held accountable for an extended listing. Any reputable real estate agency shoulders this burden with you. However, there are many mistakes that you can rectify as a homeowner.

Most people want a quick and easy sale when it comes to selling a home. Unfortunately, this is rare. But rectifying some common mistakes can help. Here are some you can watch out for.

Low-Quality Photographs

A potential buyer must be wowed by your home. One of the easiest ways to do this is to show off your home with excellent images. Most people assume a few quick snaps from a smartphone is enough. This is a costly mistake! High quality photos are an immediate attention-grabber. You can even showcase your images using a reputable on-demand leaflet printing service. A beginner DSLR camera (such as Canon Rebel) with a 24mm lens is recommended for interiors.

Make a Property Sale by Showcasing

As mentioned, showcasing the property with good-quality images will help buyers see the potential in your home. However, it can still take a while. In fact, it takes 98 days to sell a home in a large city like New York. So, here are some recommended ways to showcase your house:

• Professional photography is by far one of the most powerful ways to showcase a home.
• Open house events allow potential buyers to get up close and feel the house.
• A digital brochure that details all the best assets of the home can be powerful.
• Social media has a wider potential reach and can attract the right customers.
• Virtual video or VR tours of the property are excellent alternatives to showings.

If you aren’t getting the results you feel are necessary with your own camera, then a professional is the way to go. You can collate images into a digital or printed brochure for buyers to download. Video and VR tours will also help with the visualization aspect of buying a house.

Incorrect or Unrealistic Valuations

This is one of the trickier parts of selling your property. The valuation is never a set amount, and different services will come up with various figures. However, they won’t be wildly different and will vary by a minimum and maximum amount somewhere on average. It won’t help to have an unrealistic expectation of the cost of your home. Emotional attachments can get in the way, but valuations are there to put a price based on the market, what customers want, and materials.

Skipping the Curb Appeal Aspect

You can hold an open house, send out flyers, and post them on social media. But the majority of potential buyers are the ones walking or driving past your home every day. Curb appeal is one of the best-kept secrets of selling a home. Even so, many professional agents will hire stagers to make the house look great on the inside but forget about the outside. Yet most people will never see the inside of your home. So don’t sleep on making the exterior more attractive.

Trying to Hide Ongoing Issues

Buyers are pretty savvy and are great at spotting issues. Some will even go out of their way to do this so they can offer less than they are asking. So why give them the satisfaction? Trying to hide problems with the home will only cause headaches down the line. If there is a leak in the roof, make it known to any buyers. They will appreciate the honesty. However, a better way is to fix any major problems to keep the valuation. You can also add on the cost of any renovations.

Lack of Interest Showing Buyers

Although there are many ways you can showcase your home these days, most people still prefer the traditional showing. Agents can take care of this for you and you must make your home available for a showing. However, you may want to show the home yourself or be present during. If this is the case, always make sure you are enthusiastic about selling the house and try to be a delight to any potential buyer. A poor attitude and disinterest will always put them off.

Make a Property Sale by Making Fixes

In almost all cases, there will be things that you need to fix around the home, and nothing is too small! Minor and major issues alike must be addressed before showing any buyers around.

Do I need to fix everything in my house before selling?

There is no obligation to fix up a home. However, you will have a harder time selling your property if there are apparent minor issues or major problems that you have yet to disclose.

What are fixing up expenses prior to the sale?

These are typical expenses that refer to fixing issues before listing your home for sale. You can sell your home as-is, but you will have to expect significantly less offers if there are problems.

What updates should I do before selling my house?

There are many little and big things you can do to help sell your home. For a remodel, you can expect to pay more than $30,000. Minor fixes like grouting, painting, and cleaning are powerful.

Is it worth remodeling a bathroom before selling?

Yes. One of the most viewed rooms alongside the kitchen is the bathroom. Functional spaces always add value, and you can increase the price you are asking for with a bathroom upgrade.

How can I make my house more valuable and sell faster?

There’s no real answer to this. However, there are some powerful changes you can make, such as cleaning and decluttering, making energy-efficient changes, and adding usable space.

Leaving Out Major Disclosures

If you want a smooth sale with no hiccups, then you must be honest. It’s a myth you have to inform buyers about murders in a home! This actually only applies if they ask! But let’s assume you haven’t killed anyone, but there are still some issues! Not disclosing significant problems with the home makes you look dishonest. However, it can also be grounds for legal action against you after you have made a sale. Tell your agent everything so they can work on a plan.

Not Working to Market Conditions

Knowing the right time to sell a home is a skill that even many realtors don’t have. However, for the best sale possible, you must be aware of and work according to market conditions. The housing market is often thought of as relatively stable. But it does go up and down sometimes. Sometimes it’s a buyer’s market, and sometimes it’s a seller’s market. During good economic times, you can often get a better sale. Yet, as with all volatile investments, this isn’t guaranteed.

Emotional Attachment to the Home

Of course, you are attached to your home! This is normal, and it’s actually rare for someone not to get attached to a property. Of course, this is much stronger if you have lived in the house for some time or raised a family. As a flipper, you can still become attached when you put your heart and soul into a renovation. But remaining attached can be a mistake and cause you to be unreasonable. This can result in refusing offers and expecting a higher property valuation.

Keeping Pets Around During Showings

Most people have pets, and almost every buyer probably does too. However, cats and dogs can actually turn buyers off, even if they, too, have pets. First, a pet home has a certain smell. You don’t notice it, but it is there! Additionally, pets can be an annoyance during a showing. They can pester buyers who just want to look around, make a lot of noise, and, well, might just poop! If possible, have someone look after your pets for the duration your home is on the market.

Make a Property Sale with a Deep Clean

Potential buyers love clean homes. Like renovations and repairs, cleaning has a major impact. It can take between 6 weeks and 6 months to sell a home, so keeping it immaculate during this time is no easy feat. However, to increase the chances of a sale, give these a try:

• Begin with a top-to-bottom declutter of all rooms in the home.
• Thoroughly clean grimy areas such as the kitchen and the bathroom.
• Disinfect bacterial areas such as entryway flooring, door handles, and grab rails.
• Rent a carpet cleaner and give the house a good once over with carpet shampoo.
• Brush, wipe, and steam furniture and apply finishes to wooden items.

Keeping a home as clean as possible isn’t easy at the best of times. If you have kids this will be much harder. If possible, keep some areas off limits or give them extra attention. It is also recommended by some agents that you don’t live in the home while it is listed for sale.

Not Enlisting Professional Help

Are you an expert realtor, a home stager, or a professional photographer? If you are, then you have a keen advantage when selling your home. However, since you are reading this, you probably aren’t at least one of these. There are many talented people out there with the experience and capability to help you sell a property. Always use professionals whenever possible, especially for tasks that require an expert touch, or you will wait longer.

Summary

Using low-quality media, such as poor images, is a reason why you might fail to make a property sale. Addressing minor and major issues is a big advantage when your home is listed. And using professionals such as stagers and photographers is always highly recommended.