Selling a house is not something most of us do every day.
It’s not as simple as calling a real estate agent, putting your Kirtland OH home on the market, and waiting for buyers to line up at your door. If that’s the case, selling would be a breeze.
Many people, including well-meaning friends and family, will want to tell you how to sell your house. In addition, the Internet has made much more information available to home sellers, including tips for selling a house. The problem is, not all the information is equal or even accurate. Since there are so many misconceptions about real estate, you need to take everything you hear from others and read on the Internet with a grain of salt.
There are also a number of myths circulating about how real estate actually works. Believing these misconceptions can hurt your chances of selling your Kirtland OH home fast and for the right price.
Don’t fall for these common home selling myths:
MYTH #1: A home doesn’t need to be prepped for a sale.
This home selling myth can cost you thousands of dollars!
Investing time and effort in preparing your home can spell the difference between selling it with the least amount of time or your home languishing on the market and developing a negative stigma.
Make sure you don’t list your home before it’s ready.
Why is it important to prepare your home for a sale? Majority of the buyers today are looking for a home that’s move-in ready. When you take time to prepare your home, you increase the pool of interested buyers and you make your home more presentable to visiting home buyers.
Simple preparations, such as general cleaning, minor paint jobs, and basic staging can all help minimize time on the market while maximizing the sale price.
MYTH #2: Overpricing a home results in higher prices
Some sellers make the mistake of believing that overpricing a home gives potential buyers room to negotiate. What it really does is scare most buyers off.
Buyers will take a thorough look at all the comparable properties in your neighborhood. If it turns out that your home is overpriced versus what else is for sale, your property will not make it to the buyers’ short list.
A lot of studies show that selling an overpriced property will ultimately result in a lower sales price than what the house may have fetched if it were priced correctly from the start. Remember that the price is also the most important consideration for getting your home sold. If you get the price wrong, there’s nothing else you or your agent can do to improve the situation.
MYTH #3: You can do it solo
Some sellers believe that you can save money if you sell your home by yourself.
While it’s not impossible to sell a home on your own, you’ll find that buyers expect a substantial discount when you do. So what you think you will save on an agent’s commission may result in you selling the house at a lower price.
If you try to sell the home without an agent, it is up to you to do everything! Are you prepared to do all of the following:
- Market the property to get maximum exposure
- Screen potential home buyers
- Handle inquiries that come in throughout the working day
- Accompany potential buyers during viewings scheduled throughout the working day
- Negotiate, fill out of the contract, and cover its many contingencies
- Deal with home inspection findings
Selling your own home is a ton of work and making yourself believe that you don’t need someone to assist you is one of the biggest real estate agent myths you should stop believing! Do you really have all the time for what it takes? Going solo can actually be more difficult.
Have you been thinking about selling your home?
I would love the opportunity to share with you what I know about the best way to sell a house and how a top real estate agent such as myself can help you get the best price within a reasonable time frame.
Call me, Christine Pappas, at 216-956-7635 today! We can start talking about your goals and I will give you some wise suggestions on how we can sell your Kirtland OH home fast.