A lot of homeowners get the idea that selling their home will be easy as pie despite the circumstances of the local market or their property’s condition, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. To help you avoid some of the biggest pitfalls facing the average prospective home seller, let’s look at the top 3 mistakes Atlanta homeowners make when selling a house in Atlanta.
Failing to Research the Market
Right off the bat, homeowners looking to sell their property do themselves a disservice by overlooking the importance of thoroughly researching and understanding their local market. And that just makes selling a house more difficult.
The reason this is so critical to the goal of selling a house is knowing where to price your home when it first hits the listings. You can sidestep this by taking some time to look through the listings of homes similar to yours in your neighborhood. Make notes of the features that are highlighted in the listings, their asking prices, and especially the final sale prices of any homes that have sold in the past year. These price points help establish a realistic spectrum when selling a house in Atlanta so that you can get the most for your property while remaining competitive.
Some homeowners won’t quite know how to set the boundaries of their pricing spectrum even after pulling all of this data, and we recommend bringing in an agent to assist you.
Experienced and qualified real estate agents know how important it is to price your home appropriately, and they will take all of the nitty gritty research and math off your plate and then bring you a number that they believe is reasonable for your home. Pricing a home too high will immediately limit your buyer pool, while pricing too low can make buyers paranoid that you’re trying to cut and run from a busted fixer-upper.
Not Preparing the Property
Prior to putting your home on the market, you absolutely must deep clean every square foot of your home if you’re wanting buyers to fall in love with it.
Sellers who think their home can sell itself without their help will quickly find themselves buried by the more pristine and well-kept competition. Scrubbing in every nook and cranny is all well and good, but you also need to declutter every room and storage space so that buyers won’t feel confined or that the home cannot suit their needs.
With the interior of your home taken care of, it’s time to shift focus to your home’s exterior. Keep your lawn cut short and ensure all landscaping is trimmed back and tidy. To help put the impressive finishing touches to your home’s exterior, use a pressure washer to clean up the windows, siding, gutters, downspouts, and walkways.
All of this attention to detail, both inside and outside of your home, adds up to creating an amazing first impression for any interested buyer, which goes a long way toward helping you sell a house quickly and at a better price.
Taking Things Personally
Once buyers start looking through your home and making offers, you absolutely must keep a cool head.
Chances are buyers will nitpick here or there in order to try creating leverage for their offers – especially in a strong sellers’ market where they need any footing they can get. As negotiations progress, you have to take everything a buyer has to say in stride and keep things professional. When providing a counter-offer make sure to provide solid reasoning and do not lean on your sentimental value in the property. Remember that your sentimental value is worth absolutely nothing out on the open market.
Always do your best to present reasonable arguments and be willing to reject an offer if you feel it isn’t worthwhile.
Your Team for Selling a House in Atlanta
Selling a house in Atlanta can be easy with the right team. Contact us today at (404) 977-5054!