In a recent poll of over 1,000 real estate agents, Active Rain, an online real estate community, found the top mistakes home sellers make while trying to sell their homes.
Top 6 Ways to Sabotage the Sale of Your Bellingham Home
1. The home is overpriced
2. It is difficult to set a showing time
3. The seller is unwilling to depersonalize or declutter the home
4. Unpleasant odors
5. The seller is unwilling to negotiate with buyers
6. The seller refuses to make repairs
These mistakes are just as true in Bellingham as anywhere else. It is our job as agents to educate sellers on these and other aspects of the home selling process that may send potential buyers running from your home. Pet odors can be an especially difficult one to deal with with some sellers who love their pets and don’t even notice a problem and might even be defensive about it.
I wanted to show a home to an out of town buyer last weekend, but the seller didn’t want to show their home on the weekends. Well those buyers will never get a chance to see a home that fit their criteria and they may have considered buying.
I remember a time I was showing homes to a young couple in the Bellingham area . I made an appointment to show the home, yet when I opened the door the seller had not disarmed a load alarm that went off and a loud recording kept repeating over and over that the police were being
notified in English and Spanish. Needless to say, the couple decided to move on to the next home in their search.
Price Your Home Right.
Pricing your home right as soon as it is listed will help get your home sold quickly for top dollar. Starting high with the thought of having negotiating room or “we’ll come down in price if it doesn’t sell in a few months” can cost a buyer time and money.
Let Me Help You Avoid These Mistakes
I wish stories like this weren’t so common, but they are. A good real estate agent spends plenty of time with their sellers before their house ever goes on the market to avoid these expensive mistakes. I always tell my home sellers the truth and educate them about the realities of the market. If you are considering selling your Bellingham home, call me at 360-739-6981. I can help you avoid the most costly mistakes that sellers make.
Data provided by ActiveRain.com.
ActiveRain is an online community of real estate professionals who exchange best practices, write real estate blogs, and get free education from the industry and their peers.