Common Costly Mistakes Home Sellers Make when Selling their Homes

By Chris Hammond

Professionally staged home by Beau Property Home Staging. Show bedroom featuring decorative lighting, mirrors, staged bed & dressing table

Selling your home is a big undertaking. You may be eager to move onto the next chapter in your life, but you also want to make sure you get the best possible price for your home. It’s natural to want to save money where you can, but there are some areas where cutting corners is a mistake. Here are a few costly mistakes home sellers often make when putting their home on the market.

One of the most common mistakes home sellers make is not hiring an estate agent. Many people think they can save money by handling the sale themselves, but that’s usually not the case. A good estate agent will not only help you price your home competitively, but they’ll also help you market it effectively and negotiate with potential buyers. In most cases, the commission you’ll pay to your agent will be more than made up for in the final sales price of your home.

By law, you’re required to disclose any known material defects with the property. Not doing so could result in legal action being taken against you down the road. So make sure you have your electricians and plumbers come round to sign off your plumbing and electrics as this will put buyers minds at ease.

Staging doesn’t just apply to homes that are being shown; it also applies to homes that are being photographed for marketing purposes. YOU HAVE LESS THAN 10 SECONDS TO CAPTURE SOMEONES ATTENTION. Many buyers start their search online, so it’s important that your listing photos make a good impression. This means removing clutter, rearranging furniture, and generally making your home look its best. If necessary, you may even want to hire a professional stager or photographer to ensure that your listing photos are top-notch.

While giving buyer incentives can help attract attention to your listing and entice potential buyers to make an offer, offering too much can actually end up costing you money in the long run. For example, if you offer to pay all of the buyer’s legal costs, you’re essentially eating into your own profits from the sale of the house. Instead of offering excessive buyer incentives, try to price your home correctly from the start. 

Selling a home can be a long and complicated process, but if you avoid these four costly mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to success.