7 Common Mistakes Sellers Make

Your real estate agent will be there with you through every step of your transaction, but check out these seven common mistakes that many sellers make so you can avoid them.

When you’re selling a home, it requires a lot of work on your part. it’s normal for sellers to make mistakes – after all, people don’t sell homes every day. However, check out these most common seller mistakes so you can avoid them:

Skipping curb appeal
Forgetting to deep-clean
Neglecting cabinets, drawers and pantries
Leaving clutter out
Overstuffing closets
Failing to stage
Leaving valuables behind

Scroll down for a closer look at each.

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Common Seller Mistake #1: Skipping curb appeal

prospective buyers begin forming an impression of your home before they even walk through the front door. As buyers pull up on your street, they’re evaluating your homes curb appeal. That means you need to make a special effort to ensure your home is as attractive as possible from the outside – including Cleaning up your landscaping, power washing your driveway and sidewalk, trimming hedges and bushes, and possibly even investing in new house numbers or a new mailbox. You should ask your real estate agent what else you can do to improve curb appeal before you list your home for sale.

Common Seller Mistake #2: Forgetting to deep-clean

Deep-cleaning your home is very important when it’s for sale. That’s because buyers associate clean homes with well-maintained homes. For many people, the best solution is to hire a professional cleaner – but if that’s not in the cards for you, that’s okay; just keep thinking about the benefits of having a spotless home as you’re scrubbing the baseboards.

Related: How to use plants in home staging

Common Seller Mistake #3: Neglecting cabinets, drawers and pantries

Buyers can, and often do, open cabinets, drawers, pantries, closets and medicine cabinets. That means it’s in your best interest to ensure that they are neat, clean, and well-organized. Remember, everything buyers see in your home, including what’s tucked away in your cabinets, contributes to the way buyers feel about the space. If you want them to leave with a good impression, you’ll make sure everything behind closed doors is neat as a pin.

Common Seller Mistake #4: Leaving clutter out

Clutter distracts buyers from seeing your home’s best features, so it’s imperative that you clear it all out before you list your home for sale. You don’t want anything on countertops or other surfaces, and you don’t want furniture to get in the way of clear walking paths. A good rule of thumb is to remove everything from your home that you haven’t used in the past six months. You don’t have to get rid of these items, but you should at least keep them in storage until you move into your next home.

Common Seller Mistake #5: Overstuffing closets

Closets are a major selling point in many homes, which means yours needs to be on point. The best way to showcase your closets is to remove at least a third, and possibly even half, of your clothing. Start with seasonal clothes, which you won’t miss while your home is on the market. Then, remove whatever else you can and put it in storage. That way, prospective buyers will understand that they’ll have plenty of closet space if they purchase your home.

Common Seller Mistake #6: Failing to stage

Staging is the art of making your home as appealing as possible to prospective buyers. It’s an absolutely essential part of the home selling process. Some people choose to hire professional stagers, but that’s not always necessary. To stage your home yourself, you should remove personalized decor and replace it with more neutral pieces. Take down anything that can be considered controversial or risqué, or that’s personalized to you, such as family photos and special collections.

Common Seller Mistake #7: Leaving valuables behind

When you leave the home for showings, take all your valuables with you. That includes important documents, costly items and even prescription medications. And because we’re talking about things that are valuable, make sure you always bring your pets with you when you leave, too.

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7 Common Mistakes Sellers Make