The time has come! You’ve decided to sell your home and have weighed up all the pros and cons. Now, all you need to do is get your home ready to hit the market. In order to get top dollar, you’ll want to avoid making some very common and unfortunate mistakes that many a seller before you has made. After working with many sellers just like you, we want to share the top six mistakes you can learn from before you even get started. Let’s dig in!

1. Not depersonalising

The reason we put up framed photos and paint the walls is that we want the home to feel like it’s ours. However, when a potential buyer walks through your open house, you want them to feel like the home could be theirs — not yours! This means they shouldn’t be distracted by your Fijian vacation or the pets and children that are usually running through your home.

In order to help them visualise themselves in the space remove extra photos, magnets from the refrigerator, revert the walls back to a neutral colour, and pack away leftover birthday cards. 

If you can’t detach yourself from the process or find it too overwhelming, employ the help of an experienced property stylist. They will give your home the perfect makeover to entice the right buyer.

2. Not decluttering

You might be able to forgive your friend’s cluttered home, but when trying to sell your home, personal belongings scattered about and falling from drawers is much less acceptable! Not only will buyers be distracted by the mess, but it’s also more difficult to gauge how large (or small) a room is when the corners are filled with trinkets.

Packing away children’s toys, exercise equipment, and even any unnecessary décor or furniture that might make your home feel like it’s overstuffed is always a good idea. Keep it light-filled, clean and airy instead.

3. Taking your own marketing photos

Selling a property comes with a number of expenses that stack up rather too quickly. Taking your own photos may seem like a total “no-brainer” when it comes to trimming the fat, but what some sellers fail to realise is the importance of pictures in a good sales campaign. Viewing a listing is a potential buyer’s first step before walking through the home. It’s the hook!

If photos are of low quality or don’t showcase the best aspects of the property, a purchaser may wonder what the seller is hiding or why they haven’t invested in their own sale process. This creates two undesirable scenarios:

  • They decide not to bother showing up to the open house, even though the home could be stunning.
  • The value of the home is lowered in their opinion.

Allowing a professional photographer to accentuate your home’s features with the best lighting and angles will save you a world of time and stress in the end.

4. Not making minor fixes

When you first put an unintentional dent in the wall, or the dog chewed the skirting board you were understandably upset. But as time went on, you most likely forgot about it and stopped noticing the blemishes. However, these are small issues that a buyer will undoubtedly see. The problem with neglecting to replace damaged or broken items is that each ding will show up as dollar signs — and that may be reflected in the offers you receive.

Most of us wouldn’t buy a car with dents, scratches, and leaks. Logically, we also want to avoid buying our future home in this condition. Ensure visible holes are patched up, damaged tiles are replaced, and fix anything that could be viewed as a safety hazard. A fresh lick of paint on the walls and ceilings won’t go astray either.

5. Not choosing the right agent

By doing some research and enlisting the help of a professional, you will save yourself time, money, and stress. When selecting your agent, consider their local market knowledge, as well as how they make you feel about selling your property. Don’t be afraid to discuss your options with several agencies and ask questions, such as whether they have a current list of people who may be interested in your home.

A good agent will differ from individual to individual, but in general, the right one for you will know how to price your property, give you a clear picture of their process and marketing, and will be able to appeal to the demographic who may be interested in purchasing your home. Chances are, if you feel comfortable selling with them, a potential buyer will feel at ease buying from them. 

The most expensive agent or the one quoting you the highest price for your home isn’t necessarily the best fit. If your agent is doing a great job for you, then naturally a good result should follow.

6. Not accepting market value

With the ups and downs of the property market, it’s not hard to believe that a home can sell at a significantly higher or lower price from year to year. However, it isn’t uncommon for a seller to have unrealistic expectations about what their home is worth and put their home on the market for the amount they think it’s worth, rather than accepting that the market value is less than they hoped.

It pays to remain optimistic about your sale, but it’s beneficial to speak to your agent and understand where the market is at when you’re ready to list your property for sale. 

Reviewing a list of comparable sales in your area should help with this, which you can get from your agent. Because your agent deals with offers and sales daily, you should trust their opinion on any offers from buyers and negotiation on your side. 

If you don’t trust your agent, you may have picked the wrong one! Always follow your instincts. While most agents are very good, as with any industry there are always exceptions to the rule. If you feel your agent is guiding you down to a level below the price you’re happy to sell at, you can always consider taking your property off the market if you don’t need to sell urgently. You will have lost your marketing fees, but this may be better than feeling disappointed with your sale price. 

You can eliminate the risk of an unsatisfactory outcome when selling your home by first getting a Market Price Guarantee from Brickfloor. It’s a committed offer to buy your home for a competitive price before you even list your home on the market. If your home doesn’t sell during your sales campaign for an equivalent or higher price, then you can fall back on your Market Price Guarantee and sell to Brickfloor for the agreed amount.