You may think the most challenging aspects of selling a home is the de-cluttering and the de-personalizing of the property to make it attractive to the broadest base of buyers. For some that’s the case, but I’ve found that disconnecting is the hardest part.
Not true for every seller of a house, but when you still look at it as your home it makes seeing the property as a commodity in a marketplace challenging. From the door jamb that chronicles the dates and heights of your children, to the fireplace that was the backdrop for family photos, the place you loved and decorated as your own may be a hard habit to break.
When selling your home, two things to remember:
“It’s business, nothing personal.” ~ Mario Puzo
“Numbers don’t lie.” ~ A local Florida mortgage lender
What does it all add up to? Reality sells houses.
I don’t mean we should list your home super low and take the first offer that comes along because it is better than the one you got the day before! But sellers should prepare themselves emotionally to look at their home as a property with a discernible value at a given point in time.
1. Some sellers put a property they never inhabited on the market. While it can be listed “As Is” in this case it may be worthwhile to hire a home inspector to do a pre-listing inspection to discover issues lurking. Although you wouldn’t otherwise have had knowledge – the buyer’s inspector will surely report on the unattended water heater and the dry rot and the terminate infestation. You could lose an impatient buyer by not taking a little time and money to strike pre-emptively.
2. If it is your home and you are at all handy (or have a relative who owes you a favor!) do a walkthrough as though you were buying the house. Look beyond your favorite things for those little issues that add up: dripping faucets, missing caulking, old water stains from a previous leak, a color palette from a bygone era, etc. A neglected home will give an impression that larger issues loom. In sales, perception is reality. A little sweat equity will help shine favorable light on the property.
3. If you are moving out of your very first home, or one in which you have made years of memories, you may feel the stomp of strangers passing judgment is disconcerting at the very least. Do yourself a favor:
Don’t be home when people come for showings.
Don’t be insulted by an offer; it’s a starting point for a negotiation.
4. Are you going to look at your next home and offer a full price offer on first look? Probably not. Think like a buyer to keep your emotions in check. I employ professionals like home stagers because they know what buyers want to see.
When you get in the mindset of professional detachment and the understanding of the importance of highlighting what the market considers the property’s best features – only then are you positioning your home for sale.
