5 Wrong Turns to Avoid When Selling Your Home

Sometimes, it’s helpful to learn from your mistakes. Usually, it’s much better to learn from someone else’s, especially when it comes to something as important as selling your home. Here are some common mistakes you really don't want to make:

1. Trying to sell your home yourself
In this DIY era, the urge to try to sell your home yourself to save money can beckon like the smell of oven-fresh cookies at an open house. Resist. Working with a licensed agent helps ensure you’re not leaving money on the table as a result of an off-target listing price or a mistake in the many steps that lead to a final sale. Sell your sofa yourself online. List your home with a professional.

2. Picking the wrong Realtor
Not all agents are equal. Just because your college buddy dabbles in the industry doesn’t mean he’s the best guy to sell your home. You want experience. You want to work with an agent who has a depth of knowledge. Invite your buddy to the housewarming party. Find an agent who can truly guide you.

3. Pricing your home too high
Sometimes it’s good to aim high. But when you’re setting a price for your home, it’s better to be smart than overly eager. Listing your home at a price beyond the true market value and then letting it drop several times can lead to a lower sale price than you’re hoping for. A savvy agent can help you set the best, most competitive price for your home based on other recent sales and local market trends.

4. Sweating the small stuff
Keep things in perspective. You’re in the process of one of the largest business transactions you’ll ever make. It's easy to get distracted by dollars adding up from pre-sale repairs or post-inspection demands, but don’t let the cost of replacing a closet door, servicing the furnace or fixing a stairway banister derail you. After you reach the finish line on your home sale, you'll focus more on the rewarding outcome and quickly forget about the smaller frustrations.

5. Getting emotional
Yes, your children may have learned to walk on that carpet, but a heartfelt story isn’t going to win the hearts of buyers. With so much personal history tied to your home, emotions can cloud judgment. An agent can help you make smart, strategic decisions.

When you’re ready to sell your home the right way, find a local RE/MAX agent to guide you.

Sellers: Itemize What You're Taking With You

Sellers: Itemize What You’re Taking With You Believe it or not, after months of searching countless homes, finding the perfect one, negotiating price and finally agreeing to a deal, a sale can fall apart over a disagreement about curtains. When striking a deal to sell a home, it’s important that you are perfectly clear about what you are taking with you and what you are leaving behind. The general rule is that if something is attached to the structure or the ground, it is real property and stays with the house. If removing the item would ruin or disfigure the walls, the item generally stays. If you need a tool to remove it, it stays. Legally, these are called fixtures, which include everything permanently attached to the property such as a fence, built-in appliances, ceiling fans, flowerbeds and shrubs. Conversely, if you can disconnect, unhook or detach an item from the home with bare hands, it’s free to leave when you do. This is known as personal property and should never be assumed to be part of the sale. Items that fall into this category are furniture, potted plants, free-standing appliances and an outdoor grill. A good rule of thumb is to not show your home with any fixtures you are planning to take. Replacing them is the better option. Every real estate agent has a story about a deal falling through because of an argument about what a buyer thought was staying. For this reason, you should walk in each room with your agent and make a list of things that you will be taking with you. If you decide to leave the curtains, chandeliers or are open to giving up some of the outdoor furniture, it may just help with a sale. People appreciate the notion of getting something for free, and a savvy agent will hint to a prospective buyer that fixtures and furnishing may be negotiable. Unless the items are really important to you, let them go with the home. Use them to get the price you want and then replace the items in your new home. By itemizing and discussing all the things that stay and go at the outset, there will be no miscommunication on closing day. Prudential Fox & Roach is an independently owned and operated broker member of BRER Affiliates Inc. Prudential, the Prudential logo and the Rock symbol are registered service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Used under license with no other affiliation with Prudential.