What NOT to Do When Selling Your Brookhaven Home

It’s always a good idea to emphasize the positive when selling your home. That’s true whether you’re selling Brookhaven real estate or a home elsewhere. But it’s also important to be realistic. Many luxury real estate sellers experience the same pitfalls year after year.

The fact is, there are certain things all sellers should avoid. With a little practice, you can learn how to navigate the market more effectively and reach a successful conclusion to your selling journey. Come along with us as we detail everything you need to know.

In most cases, potential buyers will likely view the exterior of your home first. Whether through online photos showcasing your home’s facade and landscaping or in person during an open house, the exterior plays an important role in creating a good first impression. So while it may not seem obvious to spend time rehabbing your curb appeal before you start welcoming visitors inside the house, it’s actually a vital part of the selling process.

A well-manicured yard, garden, and entry show that the homeowner cares about all aspects of the property. Devote a portion of your schedule to fertilizing your front lawn, trimming overgrown trees, and power washing your drive. Repaint your front door and place a few decorative planters with greenery nearby to create a frame for the house.

As of 2022, the National Association of Realtors revealed that 97% of interested buyers relied on the internet at some point to find their next house. That figure tells us everything we need to know about the importance of marketing your home online. The best way to ensure you optimize the number of buyers seeing your property is by investing time and energy into professional listing photos and videos.

Talk with your realtor about the best way to connect with expert photographers. Unless you have experience with high-definition photography, it’s always a good idea to hire help for this step. Be sure to make 360-degree video tours, if possible, to increase engagement. Consider hiring a drone operator to take detailed videos of the surrounding lot.

If you neglect to disclose any potential issues that might arise in the construction of the home, you’re only setting yourself up for future problems. This is true whether you do so knowingly or not. It may be tempting to hide minor flaws in the property, but it’s always preferable to be open and honest with buyers about the need for repairs. Speak with your agent about the amount of information you want to disclose. You may attract even more buyers than you expected if you’re completely transparent with your buyers. They’ll certainly appreciate your honesty in the long run.

On the flip side of the above point, you should also take the opportunity to make home repairs yourself if you have the time. The best way to ensure you’re properly prepared to make repairs is to keep a rigorous schedule of what you want to accomplish each week before you list the home and start showing it. Distinguish between large-scale repairs that will take several weeks to complete and those you can do by yourself in a few days or so.

DIY repairs like repainting rooms, swapping out old light fixtures and hardware with new elements, and cleaning windows are all relatively low effort. Stay in contact with a home appraiser to learn about any need for more comprehensive home improvement projects. There are also a lot of renovations you can do before the home sale that will boost its property value, such as a porch addition or entry door replacement. Pay special attention to these, as they could seriously improve the marketability of the house.

It’s the responsibility of your realtor to step up during your open house and showings and act as your professional advocate. In most cases, potential buyers prefer not to engage with the homeowners. Making your presence known in these situations makes it much harder for buyers to visualize what their life will look like in the home. It’s best to let your real estate agent take the lead when selling Brookhaven homes. Their professional expertise is what you want to be on display in high-pressure moments.

As a homeowner there are a good amount of tasks you can complete on your own prior to listing your property. You don’t want to neglect cleaning, decluttering, and depersonalizing your house’s interior. Buyers can easily distinguish between homeowners who took the extra time to shine up their tables and cabinets and those that didn’t. At the end of the day, doing so could be the difference between fielding an offer from your ideal buyer and missing out completely.

Decluttering should involve clearing all surfaces of errant paperwork, photos, artwork, children’s toys, and any objects that catch the eye. Polish metallic hardware on cabinets, clean hard water stains from sink faucets, and wipe down all tile surfaces in the bathroom. Simplify your entertainment center and reduce the number of books and trinkets on displays and shelving. Be sure to dust off all light fixtures and the corners of your floors.

Depersonalizing your space is slightly different than decluttering. Essentially, this task includes paring down the number of family mementos, personal photos and artwork, and polarizing religious or political imagery in the house. Depersonalization makes it easier for buyers to imagine themselves living in the home without being distracted by your personal effects.

There you have it: a complete guide of what not to do when selling your home. If you have any questions or want to learn more about selling Brookhaven real estate, reach out today! Contact Jimmy Hutchinson for more information.