Selling a house can be time-consuming, challenging, and stressful, especially if you’re doing it for the first time or if you’re trying to do it alone.
In fact, from the listings and marketing materials to staging homes, hosting open houses, negotiating, and beyond, there can be an art to selling a house and walking away from that sale knowing you’ve made a good deal.
So, where do home sellers go wrong?
And what can put them at a disadvantage, dampen interest in their listing, and even cost them money in the sale?
These common mistakes can.
How to Avoid the Most Common & Costly Mistakes Home Sellers Make
When it’s time to put your Texas home on the market, here are some key issues to consider, mistakes to avoid, and prudent steps to take instead.
Knowing all of this upfront, before you try to sell a house, can help you offload it faster while making a better deal in the process.
1. Listing the house at the wrong time
How soon do you need to sell your house?
Do you have some leeway on timing or are you trying to complete the sale by a certain date?
Depending on your needs and objectives, there CAN be better and worse times to put your home on the market. In fact, it’s crucial to know that generally:
- Spring and summer tend to be hot times for the housing market: This is when more sellers list their homes because more buyers are shopping for houses. While you could have more inventory to compete with during these seasons, you may also benefit because there are more buyers in the market.
- Housing sales tend to slow in fall and winter: That doesn’t mean these are “bad” times to list a house. It simply means that you need to be aware of the market, how you price your home, and what to expect during these seasons.
Pro Tip: Think about when you need to move out and how long you can afford to have a house on the market. If you need to unload a home fast, you could be better off timing your listing for the hotter seasons.
2. Overpricing the house
Price points can make or break a listing when it debuts on the market, and overpricing your home can mean that:
- Buyers never even consider your listing: Many buyers start their home shopping journeys online. When they do, they usually have to enter a price range for homes they want to view. If you price your house too high, you can push your listing out of several searches, really limiting interest in the home.
- Buyers won’t reach out for a tour: Even if your listing makes it into online searches, it could still be priced too high for the area or for the home itself. If that happens, buyers may not click on the listing to learn more, passing it up for better-priced homes.
Keep in mind too that home prices shouldn’t just be based on the area, comparable homes, and current market conditions. You also need to factor in the condition of the house and whether you’re selling it as-is. If you don’t, you could be sitting around waiting for offers for a long time.
Pro Tip: Do your research to price the home right. Don’t pull a number out of a hat or throw up a listing without checking out the prices for recent sales in your area.
3. Failing to clean or stage the home
If the house doesn’t look its best when prospective buyers show up to check it out, again, you’re not doing yourself any favors, and you could be killing the sale.
After all, would you want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on something that looks dirty, rundown, dingy, cluttered, or like it’s going to take tons of work?
Probably not if you want a move-in-ready house.
Pro Tip: Get your house professionally cleaned, remove all clutter, and get rid of worn-out furniture that’s an eye sore. Better yet, hire a professional to clean and stage your home, so you can be sure it’s looking its best.
4. Limiting open houses or home tours
How and when can prospective buyers tour your home?
Are you restricting tours to certain days or are you more flexible and accommodating?
Obviously, the more difficult it is to tour your house, the more challenging it can be to generate deeper interest and get viable offers.
Pro Tip: Try to offer “standing” viewing times, as well as appointments, so folks have options. Also, don’t forget that touring houses with sellers can be uncomfortable for buyers. So, you may want to have a Realtor handle the touring and open houses for you.
5. Not working with an experienced Realtor
Ultimately, a lot of curveballs can come up when you’re selling a house — from unexpected buyer requests to surprises on home inspections, tough negotiations, title issues, and more. No matter when or where you decide to list a house in Texas, the truth is that:
- All sorts of mistakes can cost you precious time and money.
- Selling a house is likely one of the biggest transactions of your life.
- An experienced Realtor can help you anticipate and avoid mistakes at every phase of the home selling process.
Pro Tip: Hire pros, like the Realtors® at New Home Gurus, who have deep experience in your area and who will give you cash back at closing.
Get Experienced Help Selling Your Texas Home & Cash Back at Closing
If you’re getting ready to list a home in Texas, getting a little help from a pro upfront can go a long way to setting the sale up for success!
To get experienced help selling your house — and get cash back at closing — work with the 5-star Realtors® at New Home Gurus. We can guide you through the process, helping you with offers, negotiations, and closing. Plus, we’ll split our commission with you at closing!
Home sellers who work with New Home Gurus can get back an average of $4,500 to $12,000 at closing.
How Much Cash Can You Get after Closing?
Call (281) 668-8124 or Contact Us to Find Out Now
We are standing by, ready to answer your questions and explain the details of our commission-sharing program.