Are You Sabotaging the Sale of Your Home?


by Kimberly Dolson - Date: 2007-02-15 - Word Count: 666 Share This!

Gone are the days when homes barely lasted a day in the Orlando real estate market before being bid on multiple times and closing at or above the asking price. With the overstock of inventory available today, buyer's have more choices and less pressure in the home buying process. Where does that leave the seller?

Ask any seller whose house has been on the market for 6 months to a year how bad the housing market is, and they'll tell you. But, in fact, home sales for 2006 in Orlando were the second highest ever. So why hasn't your home sold?

In a buyer's market, a motivated seller has an obligation to work towards the sale of his or her home. It would make sense, right? Right. With more and more options available to buyers, you can't afford to not be proactive in getting your home sold. Sadly enough, many sellers don't know that they might be sabotaging the sale of their own home. If you find that you are doing one or more of the activities on this list - well then - we have a problem.

Top 10 No-No's that Sabotage the Sale of Your Home

1. Personal photos scattered throughout the home

When buyers visit your home, you ideally want them to picture their family living there, not yours. We all love Aunt Bessie, but pack those photos away so you can start picturing yourself in your next home.

2. Clutter, clutter, everywhere

The first thing that I always advise sellers to do is grab some boxes or giant Tupperware containers and pack that clutter away. Collectibles, excess kitchen gadgets, loads of books, and pretty much anything else creating clutter, should be store away. No ifs, ands, or buts. Clutter blocks a homebuyer from being able to see a home. Your home is main character on this stage, not your ceramic teapot collection. Pack it up!

3. Overpricing your home

We all want as much money as we can for our home. After all, it's the most important and largest investment that most people in their lives will ever make. Aside from the material, it's also a home, a place where families are raised and memories are made. No value can be placed on that. REMEMBER THAT. No value can be placed on the sentimental. You and I may both agree that we believe your home is worth a million dollars, but a home will only sell for the price that the market will bear. Don't blame your Realtor for discouraging you from wanting to list for a million. It's not your Realtor's fault - blame the buyers. If you just can't part with your home at a realistic price, you probably just aren't and won't sell it anyway.

4. Choosing a professional to sale your home based on the wrong criteria

The sale of your home is a personal matter. When choosing a real estate professional, choose someone you trust to work for you. Don't be scared to interview Realtors and find someone who's going to offer you the best service and work with you to achieve your goals. Review their plans for marketing your home, how and when they will communicate with you, what they'll do to bring you qualified buyers, and how they will work to get your home sold in the least amount of time for the best price.

5. Being present for showings and Open Houses

One last thing - staying home while your home is being viewed by buyers or cruised by potential owners during Open Houses, is not ever - REPEAT AFTER ME - not ever - a good idea. Not ever. Remember Rule #1 - Buyers want to see themselves in their homes - not you. You may know your home better than anyone else, but that's what you hired a professional for. If you've followed #4, then that professional knows everything you do about the house and can be trusted to brag about all of its unique features.

Stop sabotaging the sale of your home today. Get packed, and get ready to move into your new home.


Related Tags: real estate, home, realtor, staging, house for sale, open house, orlando real estate, buy a house

Kimberly Dolson is a licensed Florida Realtor, specializing in property location for investors, negotiations for first-time homebuyers, and additional services for individuals in transition. She offers a home-buyer concierge service to bring pre-qualified buyers to the door and to make the home buying process a painless one for both buyers and sellers. Visit http://www.srgmac.com/kdolson to view homes for sale online or to find out how much your home is worth.

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