When you make the decision to put your home on the market, you need to make sure you do so correctly. There are common pitfalls you have to avoid as there can be road blocks to getting the money you want for it, in very little time.

Unrealistic Price Expectations

Spend some time determining the right price for your home based on the market. What are other homes similar in size and quality being sold for? Your neighbourhood location will also influence prices. Don’t let your emotions determine how much you will ask. Likewise, don’t ask too much because the market may overlook your property and you may risk it being on the market longer than you expect. This can give the impression there is something wrong with the place and people won’t come to look at it.

Poor Home Condition

You may be thinking your home is good enough for you so it should be good enough for new buyers. They want appearances outside and inside to be nice and inviting. If you don’t make an effort to really clean and take care of the small details, they aren’t going to be happy with what your home offers.

Not Negotiating

Unless you must have a set dollar amount of money from the sale of your home, such as to pay off the loan on it, you should be willing to negotiate. Don’t assume the first offer you get will be one of many. It may be a long dry spell before you get any other offers. Don’t be offended if someone is offering you less. Talk to your real estate agent to determine if it is a fair offer. You can also give them a counter offer with some middle ground you can both work from.

No Agent

It can be tempting to try to sell your home on your own but that often doesn’t work out well. Without a real estate agent, you may not have the right structures in place. You may not know what to fix or what to stage to get your home ready for sale. You may not have the right methods of advertising in place or have a list of in-the-market buyers. Hiring a real estate agent from the start will save you time but also will look to get you the best price from the beginning.

OUR APPROACH AS REAL ESTATE AGENTS

At Barnett Real Estate, we focus on combining our extensive experience, innovative approaches and specialised knowledge of the Geelong real estate market to achieve the best results for our clients.  If you’re interested in buying, renting or selling a property in the Geelong region, call us today on 03 5222 1488 or contact us online.