Things to avoid when selling your home

Selling your home can be an exciting yet daunting process but spending the time and effort to show off the best version of your house and reach your ultimate selling price may not be the only way to achieve your desired result.

Instead why not consider the following when selling your home…

1. Avoid selling without an agent

It’s tempting isn’t it? Because you might be worried about the fees. But if you decide to sell without an agent, you will need to do extensive research for each stage of the sales process. This can be difficult for someone unfamiliar with the process. There are risks and if you don’t know the processes and you may miss out on a big pool of qualified buyers.

Valuing your property – you will need to know a lot about the current market trends to decide on the right sale price, then how to market it and how to attract a buyer pool. You’ll also need to be versed in how to exchange contracts and settling the property without guidance from an expert. You will still need to hire a solicitor to draw up contracts once you have sold the property.

2. Choosing the right agent

Research – Start with an agency. Stalk their website and social media pages. Get a feel for their style, promotion and selling techniques. Sign up for their newsletters and see which one you feel suits you better.

Local – make sure an agent is very familiar with your local area. Drive around your suburb and see if their name or company is well represented in your area. Make sure the agent you choose knows a lot about other properties in your suburb too. These may be competition to your sale and not knowing enough about your suburb may hinder your end price.

Visit open houses – a good way to get a feel for an agent is to attend their current open houses. Get to know how they talk to people, potential buyers, their demeanour. Did they follow up with you after the open house?

Discussion – do you feel comfortable discussing your needs and wants with the agent? After all, it’s your precious money and you need to be on the same page. Make sure your communication feels open and honest. You need to have the confidence to be able to negotiate price without feeling stressed.

Results – Look at the agent’s previous results. Seek out their recently sold properties and ask them for a list of sale prices and time on market.

3. Make sure your agent doesn’t under-quote

Your agent must include an estimated selling price of your home in the agency agreement. This can be either a price range or a single figure. You may also tell your agent to not reveal the estimated price of your home to any genuine buyers. Additionally, make sure you revise the estimated price, if your agent has not provided reasonable evidence of their estimation. It’s important to see precious (and current) sales of homes around your area.

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Good luck!