Is your home prepared to show…are you? 

You would think that people who want to sell their home would steer clear of anything that repels buyers. Yet, sellers unintentionally turn off buyers with all kinds of simple mistakes. Here are some of the biggies.

Mistake #1 – Price your home high to see if you get any bites

Wouldn’t it be great if you asked for $100,000 more than your home is worth and somebody bought it? Sure … so would winning the lottery.

Even if you get an offer at an inflated price, financing problems may pop up. (Lenders don’t like to provide loans for more than what an appraiser thinks a home is worth.)

And if you consider a high asking price a great negotiating tactic, think again. Most buyers will consider you unreasonable and won’t make an offer at all.

Mistake #2 – Neglect the little things

You’re busy. But if you don’t take the the time to keep your home tidy, make minor repairs, and freshen up the landscaping, you will lose some buyers who otherwise might have been interested. Taking care of small details – or not – also can make a difference in how much a buyer offers you.

Mistake #3 – Hover when buyers view your home

Of course buyers want to know the best features of your home and get answers to their questions. But it’s a rare buyer who feels comfortable viewing a property with the current owners looking over their shoulder.Image