Selling your home - especially if you've never done it before - can be surprisingly time-consuming and emotionally challenging. Strangers will come into your home and poke around in your closets and cabinets. They will criticize a place that has probably become more than just four walls and a roof to you, and then, to top it all off, they will offer you less money than you think your home is worth. It's easy for first-time home sellers to make lots of mistakes, but with a little know-how, many of these pitfalls can be avoided altogether.
1 - Getting Emotionally Involved
2 - Not Hiring an Agent
3 - Assuming You Must Hire an Agent
4 - Setting an Unrealistic Price
5 - Expecting To Get Your Asking Price
6 - Selling in Winter (When You Have the Option Not To)
7 - Skimping on Listing Photos.
8 - Not Being Properly Insured
9 - Trying to Hide Significant Problems
10 - Not Preparing Your Home for Sale
11 - Not Accommodating Potential Buyers
12 - Signing a Purchase Contract with an Unqualified Buyer
Even if you do all of these things when selling your home, it's best to prepare mentally and financially for less-than-ideal scenarios. The house may sit on the market for far longer than you expect, especially in a declining market. If you can't find a buyer in time, you may end up trying to pay two mortgages, having to rent your home out until you can find a buyer, or in dire situations, in foreclosure. However, if you avoid the costly mistakes listed here, it will go a long way toward helping you put your best foot forward and achieving that seamless, lucrative sale every home seller hopes for.