Selling Your Home? Here Are 3 Things To Do First
When I tried to sell our family home two years ago, I did not expect it to cause us so many frustrations: the real estate agent showed up unexpectedly together with a potential buyer just when my parents arrived for a visit, we lost our son’s 1978 Luke Skywalker action figure after a viewing, and not to mention that potential buyers gave nasty remarks about our newly-renovated kitchen, our decors, garden, and about anything else in our house.
My parents also have their own horror story when an interested buyer took a look at their lake house. This man insisted that they remove all their things inside before he buys it. When my parents refused, he started to harass them and even went to the lake house by himself during weekends. It is obvious that he badly wants the place, but my parents decided to take the lake house off the market just so the man would stop showing up on their property.
If you are someone who is planning to sell your home, I have probably given you a good scare. Although that is not my primary intention, I take that as a good indication that I got your attention. Selling a home can be stressful if you do not know what to do and expect. That’s what happened to me and my husband because we thought that our real estate agent can handle everything. But even if you got the top-selling real estate agent, it is worth knowing that you have to be prepared to what is going to happen during the process of selling your home.
After going through the unnecessary stress, I found out that I should have done the three things below and we could have been spared from a lot of headaches and worries.
- Find an experienced and reliable real estate agent.
We did not bother to check the credibility of our first real estate agent. It was later on that we found out that she works full-time as an executive assistant and just side hustled in real estate during weekends. Although she is charming and kind, we cannot expect her to be as good as someone who sells homes for more than five years and does the job on a full-time basis.
If the real estate agent has the experience handling many transactions, then you will feel assured that he knows how to handle specific situations. Ask for the real estate agent’s past clients’ contact information or testimonials. You should look for the right experience and proven results so that you can determine if you want the real estate agent to represent you to sell your home to potential buyers.
- Hire a professional home stager.
If you are a savvy home seller, you should consider hiring a home stager. Why? A home stager can increase the value of your home by highlighting your home’s strengths which can create an emotional connection with the buyers.
It was wrong for me to assume that since I am an avid DIYer, I can create a home that is appealing to other people. I was absolutely wrong! I have personalized my home to the extent that people feel that they are intruding in our personal space. Since we are selling our homes, we should create an atmosphere that makes buyers think that it is going to be their next home.
- Set a schedule for viewing
Make it clear to the real estate agent that you do not want them to just pop at your door at any given moment. Scheduling makes it easier for you and your real estate agent to manage both of your time. In this way, you won’t get yourself embarrassed if you have relatives or other people in your home.
Also, set your list of do’s and don’ts. If you are not comfortable that someone will open your drawers and cabinets or if you do not want any children and pets inside your home, then make these clear to the real estate agent. The potential buyer should also be informed about these before the viewing.
Selling your home does not have to be stressful to you and your family. Preparation is the key. If you feel that you are prepared, you feel confident dealing with other issues that may arise during your home’s selling process.