Five Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your House

Selling your home is a stressful, emotional process.

Whether it’s your first home, your childhood home or a home you’ve just lived in for a few years. You’ve created memories there so even though you’ve made the decision to sell, it doesn’t mean it’s easy to just walk away. As a homeowner who spent her whole life moving and a realtor who’s worked with many good friends where I was a part of those memories, I understand that part of it 100%.

And then there’s the stress of the home buying process itself. Whether it’s your first house or you’ve bought and sold many over the years, it’s a stressful process. Not to mention, the real estate market in Fort Worth has gotten incredibly competitive.

The good news is that when you find the right real estate agent, they can help relieve much of this angst.

As someone who has been in the real estate market in Fort Worth for more than 21 years, I’ve seen my fair share of mistakes throughout the selling process that could have been avoided.

Mistakes that led to deals falling through and having to put the house back on the market: two things anyone selling their home wants to avoid.

So, let’s talk about how we can avoid those mistakes, if you choose to work with me as your realtor:

1. Not being realistic about your asking price

Of course you want top dollar for your home but you have to pay attention to the market and ultimately, your real estate agent’s guidance. That’s why you hire us, right? As a realtor, we eat, sleep and breathe the various trends going on in the market.

Leaving a home on the market with minimal showings or interest slows the process, typically leads to price reductions and just prolongs the overall process.

2. Keeping too much of “your style” in your home

While you may absolutely love colored accent walls, brightly patterned wallpaper and all of your children’s artwork you’ve framed over the years, most potential home buyers want to see a blank slate. While they may share your style, they want to visualize how their life will fit into your home. This is typically why most homes on the market will be fairly neutral with minimal decor.

3. “Saving” money on home improvements

Depending on your budget and the state of your home, it may require a lot of updates (more to be discussed on the pros and cons of that later) or minimal updates that could generate a slightly higher selling price. Those small updates are the ones to focus on.

For example, a good decluttering and deep clean for the whole house, touching up walls that have obvious stains or marks, cleaning and painting baseboards and then just making all of the spaces look as simple as possible can make all the difference in the world.

4. Waiting for the perfect time to sell your house

Think about other aspects of your life. Has there ever been that perfect time to look for a new job, move to a new city or have another child? More than likely, no. The same goes for selling a house.

The good news right now is that the Fort Worth real estate market is HOT and it is definitely a sellers market right now. Even if things change, there’s no exact right time to sell. Interest rates fluctuate, other “life” issues come up and each season brings a different excuse.

If there truly is a BAD time to sell, your real estate will tell you. That’s why you hire us. It’s our job to provide you with the best possible advice, strategy and marketing tactics to get you the most money for your home.

5. Being a high-maintenance seller

If you really want to sell your house, it’s going to require flexibility. Whether it's declining a potential buyer's request to tour the house on a Tuesday evening when you don’t feel like getting out or or refusing to negotiate an offer that includes you covering closing costs, you can only hurt yourself by giving a firm no.

Compromise is a large part of selling your home and again, this is where your real estate agent will come in and advise you as to whether the buyers are being unreasonable or not.

We want what’s best for you. And in the end, that’s a smooth process from beginning to end where you get the best possible asking price for your home.

Looking for a real estate agent to help you buy your next home or sell your current home? I'd love to work with you!

Contact me at corrine@williamstrew.com or 817-996-6207

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