The Do's and Don'ts to Sell Your House

Selling a home is complicated in today’s market. You are in competition with distressed properties such as short sales and bank foreclosures. The key to getting your home noticed is making it stand out from the other homes and pricing it right. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you sell your house:
 
 Do’s
 
 1. Check comparable home prices so you know what to list your home at. A local estate agent can give you the information by performing a comparable market analysis for you.
 
 2. Smart sellers are listing their homes with experienced and knowledgeable estate agents who can market their house to a large pool of buyers. Estate agents have the necessary tools to advertise your home to buyers and other estate agents.
 
 3. Get a home inspection before you sell your house so you can make repairs to items that buyers might object to or offer the buyer concessions.
 
 4. Only repair cosmetic items that bring you a return on your money, such as remodelling kitchens and baths, new flooring and new carpeting, painting and changing lighting fixtures and hardware.
 
 5. Clean your home and get rid of clutter. The object is to make your home desirable to many buyers, and you want it to look spacious.
 
 6. Pay attention to the outside of your home. Paint the exterior if necessary, trim bushes and shrubs, plant flowers and repair any broken fences or gates. Add outdoor lighting.   

7. Find out the buyer’s motivation for buying your home. Are they planning to live in it or rent it out? It will give you an edge in the negotiations.
 
 Don’ts
 
 1. Don’t over price your home. The home will not sell, and you will become frustrated because you are attracting the wrong buyers who will make low offers, if they make any offers at all. Today’s buyers know how much homes are selling for, and they are looking for bargains.
 
 2. Don’t try and sell your home on your own. It’s a buyer’s market, and you need an estate agent professional to market your home to get it sold at the highest price and the shortest amount of time. You are not experienced to do this.
 
 3. Don’t keep valuables and collectibles in your home. Your estate agent cannot watch everyone that comes into your house. Jewellery should be put in a safe deposit box.
 
 4. Don’t allow your pets to run around the house while showing it. Keep them out of the way or locked in a separate room.
 
 5. Don’t over improve.
 
 6. When negotiating with the buyer, don’t be unreasonable and greedy. Negotiations need to be a win win situation for everyone. Sometimes you have to make concessions and move on.
 
 7. When your estate agent is showing the home, don’t be there. Buyers want to speak freely about the home and if you are there, they feel intimidated and uncomfortable. Take a walk or do an errand. 
 
Home selling is a complicated matter. There are many disclosures and forms that need to be completed and property laws that must be followed. For those reasons, you should work with a estate agent who is experienced with selling homes in your area so that your home selling process is a smooth, profitable and enjoyable one.