Traditional home-buyers working through a realtor are looking for a move-in-ready home. They shy away from conditions they must fix, and look for a house that will be attractive to their friends and family as well -Sell Your Home Fast for cash.
Here are some details on the top 3 mistakes sellers make when they want to sell a house fast, through a realtor, but with little preparation or investment:
– The house is not current on upkeep and has important repair and maintenance issues.
Most buyers working through a realtor expect to be able to move in without taking on fix-it projects themselves.
But the reality of what is needed to bring a house to the realtor-marketing condition can involve far more than the current owner anticipated.
A cost estimate for bringing the house up to realtor marketing standards can be a shock to the owner.
It isn’t unusual to see an estimate for thousands, even well over $10,000, to correct deficiencies that have developed over time. But these issues can stop the chances of reasonable offers from traditional home-buyers.
– The house is not well-staged with neutral colors and décor and is stuffed with too much furniture.
They are comparing your house to others that are un-cluttered and reasonably free of the owner’s personal imprint. Even family photos can detract from the sense of readiness for their own occupancy.
Creative color schemes and furniture arrangements may not match the taste of home-buyers in the market.
Clutter and mess look like “trash” to a stranger. Shoppers and even other realtors tend to assume that clutter means lack of maintenance and cleanliness, and can definitely affect an offer price.
– The house is not priced in line with the market for similar houses, in similar condition, in the general location.
It is easy for the current owner to get a false idea of what their property is worth.
If they do some research on their own, but fail to take into account the house’s repair condition, or what buyers are seeing in the other houses they are viewing, they can choose a price that will not bring the right buyer segment or the offers they were expecting.
Another serious error in choosing a price is deciding based on what is owed on the mortgage, perhaps including a second mortgage or other debts the owner hopes to cover from the proceeds.
The buyer’s market will pay only what they perceive the property is worth to them. They are not concerned with the seller’s financial condition.
Selling quickly through a realtor often means making a significant cash investment to bring your house up to its best, in the market of other choices homebuyers can select from. It’s easy for homeowners to believe their property will bring top-dollar as-is, only to find how unrealistic this is as the house sits without offers.
