There are various articles and blog posts about what to do, the language to use and even mannerisms to adopt when trying to sell a property. But no one ever puts across what not to do when selling a property. This blog post will take a look at a few things NOT to do when selling a property.
Leave your house in the state in which you live in it.
You want the buyers to immediately begin imagining themselves living in your house, and they'll have a hard time seeing beyond the pictures of your family. Even worse, they might find your taste in furniture and wall coverings tacky and decide they couldn't possibly live in your house. So clear every surface, every side table, every coffee table, the sideboard, the desk and the dining room table. Remove those extra pieces of furniture that make a room livable but add to the sense of clutter -- side tables, foot stools and magazine racks. Why not, place a sofa and flank it with two chairs facing a coffee table in between? This will create visual depth and an inviting vignette.
Fix up.
Everything in your house must be in good working order before you put it on the market. This process can take a couple of months, but you need to fix all broken fixtures, change all burned out light bulbs, repair any flaws in the walls, and refresh any paint that needs it. Apart from the house, make sure your yard is ready to receive visitors. Trim unruly bushes, pull weeds, and keep it mowed. Your yard sets the expectations of the buyer before they've even stepped in your house.
Don’t skimp out on the photography
When you send buyers the listings, they look closely at the photos and then the remarks. A key feature buyers look out for is a picture of the family room. A lot of sellers put up only one exterior photo. But buyers are too busy, they're not going to waste their time when there's only an exterior shot to look at. Bathroom and kitchen photos are a must. Buyers like to see a picture of a kitchen or a bathroom and immediately think that the bathroom and kitchen must not be nice if there aren’t pictures.
Be honest about the gimmicks.
Sellers have an uncanny ability to forget things that are problematic about a house. Please share everything, because sooner or later it's going to be found out. A little problem like an electrical socket or a sewage problem with your neighbor will eventually be found out and cause a lot of unwanted tension and time wasting for the buyers.
Lastly, do not be offended with low ball offers.
With the economy being what it is in recent times, it is normal to get low offers initially but it is a mistake not to respond to those low offers. Have a counter offer ready for the low offers. Playing the game right could get you an offer even better than what you initially expected.