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October
19
19
Seller Etiquette: Tips for a Worry-Free House Sale
Everyone wants their home sale to go smoothly, but sometimes that's easier said than done. Our real estate agents have put together five important tips for how you can sail past the rough patches and ensure everything goes well on your end.
- Make Yourself Scarce During Tours
Prospective buyers want to be able to imagine themselves living in your home, so it's important to remove as much of you from the premises as possible. This means more than just leaving during tours of your home, however. It also means getting the pets out of the house, so that agents and their clients don't have to worry about not letting a cat or dog outside that's not supposed to get out, or worse, being ambushed by an unfriendly animal who doesn't understand why there are strangers in the house. And even before that, you'll need to wipe yourself from the clutter and decor. Staging the house means decorating it in a welcoming but fairly impersonal fashion, so that prospective buyers are free to imagine themselves living there. - Make Everything Easy for Prospective Buyers
Don't make buyers work for that tour, or they may choose to leave without seeing your home. Do whatever you can to make it easier and more comfortable for them, whether this means moving your family's cars, so they have a place to park, or providing complimentary bottles of water and snacks. It's also a good idea to leave out any important documents you have to share, such as inspection reports or appraisals, so that a prospective buyer doesn't have to guess or work to find out that information. - Be Professional About Offers and Counter Offers
Once an offer comes down the pipelines, it's time to jump into action. It's vital to respond to any offers quickly, or you may find that your buyer loses patience and moves on. Don't get offended if the offer is lower than you want. Your real estate agent can help you respond with a reasonable counter-offer. If you get a lowball offer and decide to decline it altogether, do so professionally. - Be Willing to Consider Reasonable Repair Requests
It's unlikely that your house is like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way, so it follows that your buyer may have some perfectly reasonable repair requests. Be willing to consider these as part of the cost of selling your home. It's also possible you might be able to offer a discounted price if it's a repair you don't want to mess with. Discuss the terms of the counteroffer with your real estate agent, as their experience will provide valuable guidance as you make your decision. - Don't Take Anything Personally
Finally, it's important to remember that while you have a personal connection to the home you're selling, your prospective buyers don't. Therefore none of their feedback, offers, or counteroffers should be taken personally. For them, this is a business deal, and everyone wants to ensure they're making a good investment in the purchase of a home. Set aside your personal feelings and do business, too, if you want to get your home sold quickly and efficiently.
Selling your home is hard, partly because of that personal connection you have with it, but that's why you depend on the professionals in times like these. Contact us today to speak to one of our real estate agents, and we'll be happy to discuss with you how your home compares to other South Bend homes for sale.
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