Selling a house isn’t as easy as it looks on the Home and Garden channel. Unless you’ve got a stylish and modern villa on the beach, or you’re living in an area with a super hot market, you probably won’t have potential buyers lining up to buy what you’re selling.

There are ways to make the experience easier though. Knowing how to avoid some house-selling mistakes is a great place to start. We’re here to help you out.

Keep reading how to learn how to sell a house by learning how not to sell a house. Here are the mistakes you want to avoid.

1. Doing It Alone

Selling a house is a lot of work. While there are exceptions to this advice (we’ll get to them later on) it’s always good to hire a real estate agent to help you out.

Your agent knows the area. They know what price you can expect to sell for. They know how to attract potential buyers. They even know how to negotiate so that you get a better payout. 

Knowing how to find the right realtor can be the trick here. Make sure to read reviews online before making your decision and ask them questions about their methods and experience. Some people just want your money and will jump on any sale to get it. They’ll make unrealistic promises and they may resist your suggestions. Avoid those types.

2. Mis-Pricing Your Home

If you offer a high listing price you should be able to back it up. Look online to see what kind of prices that houses that are similar to yours are going for in your neighborhood. This is a good starting point.

Take into consideration the age of the house, whether or not it has historic value, any new or special appliances, curb appeal, and more. If you price too high you might not get any buyers. 

You also don’t want to price too low. You’ll get buyers lining up but you’ll miss out on a lot of money. 

3. Forgetting the Hidden Cost of Selling a House

Selling a house doesn’t mean that you get all of the profits of the sale. There are costs that people forget.

If you hire a real estate agent you’re going to have to pay them. If you choose to sell on your own as either a “for sale by homeowner” situation this isn’t a factor. You can also look into “selling my property as is” to sell directly and also avoid any fixing-up costs. 

The cost of moving can be extensive as well as the cost of staging if you choose to do that (and you should unless you’re design-savvy). 

4. Using Bad Photos

Bad photos make selling a home harder. Why would anyone take a look if they don’t see the appeal of the house online? 

People are scrolling through their phones to find houses. You need your photos to stand out.

A good photo comes from a staged home and a good photographer. You can do this yourself if you’ve got good decor and an eye for photographs, but if you don’t want to risk it you should hire these tasks out. 

Selling a House? Don’t Sweat It

Your house will sell if you avoid the mistakes listed above. If what you’re doing isn’t working, take a step back to see if you’re making a mistake without realizing it. 

Are your prices too high? Are your photos too drab? Assess the issue and fix it and you’ll be well on your way to house-selling success.

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