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If you’re like most sellers, you’re keeping a close eye on your bottom line. While market conditions will factor heavily into the final sale price for your home, the choices you make during the selling process will also have an impact on that number. Yep, that’s right. Sellers can actually negatively affect the perceived value and so what are these common selling mistakes that could be hurting your bottom line? Let’s find out.
Pricing Too High
You might assume that pricing your house a little higher than what you hope to sell it for is a smart idea. The truth is that pricing your home too high can actually discourage potential buyers.
Most buyers start their search by setting a specific price range – and often won’t consider homes listed above that range. If you set your listing price too high, you could find yourself competing against properties that offer more value at the same price point.
The better bet is start out at a price range that’s inline with other similar homes in your market. To determine what that range is, you can ask your agent to pull comps or recently sold properties in your area that are comparable to your home.
Skimping on Photos
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. This couldn’t be truer than when applied to selling a home. Photos of your home are key to successfully selling it. They help buyers get a realistic idea of the interior of your home and help them picture eventually living in the home.
Photos of a listed home usually factor heavily into the buyer’s decision to view it or pass on it. Listings with too few photos or poor quality photos often get passed over. Good photos are crucial to drumming up interest from buyers.
Sellers often believe that they can reduce costs by taking their own photos of their home. When it comes to making sure that the best parts of your home are captured properly, it’s best to hire a professional photographer. The small expense is worth the interest great photos of your home can stir.
Not Accommodating Showings
Making your home available for potential buyers to view can be one of the most stressful parts of selling your home. If you’re still occupying the space, you’ve got to juggle work, household responsibilities and social activities while still making the time to show your home. Unfortunately, this is a must as allowing buyers to check out your home increases your odds of getting offers. If buyers feel like viewing your home is too difficult, they may decide to move on to the next option.
With that in mind, it’s best to remain flexible and prepared for viewings while your home is still on the market. An easy way to do this is to create a showing routine. Give everyone in your family a task to do in order to keep your home ready to view.
Forgetting to Clean
Speaking of showings, it’s important to make sure that you’re always presenting your home in the best light. The cleanliness of your home can affect how the buyer perceives its value. Though they may seem like small details, things like unmade beds or dishes in the kitchen sink can make a bad impression. Buyers may subconsciously associate a lack of cleanliness with the overall condition of your home and offer less money because of it.
The obvious solution is to make sure that your home is tidy before every showing. We recommend making it easy by bringing in professionals to do a deep clean as soon as you put your home on the market. Then, all you have to do along the way is pick up any stray clutter on your way out the door.
This article originally appeared on OpenListings.
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