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| LIFE IN SOLERA | JANUARY 2024 | 9 Selling your Solera home is no easy process, in terms of both the actual logistics and the emotional connection you oen have to your home. Here are some common home-selling mistakes you should avoid. 1. Overpricing your home One of the most important steps to selling a house is determining the right price — the price that will let you sell in a reasonable amount of time, for a profit that you're comfortable with. e risk of pricing your home too high When listing your home for sale, one common pitfall is giving in to the temptation of a too-high listing price. Here's why: • It deters qualified buyers in your price range. • It can make your home sit on the market longer. • If your listing goes stale, you might end up selling for less than you would have if you had priced it appropriately from the start. Determining the right listing price ere are few different ways for sellers to determine an accurate listing price. • Get a CMA from an agent who works primarily in Solera. A comparative market analysis (called a CMA for short) is an estimate of your home's value, prepared by a local real estate agent. ey base their analysis on similar recently sold homes. • Don't worry about underpricing. Sellers are oen worried about underpricing, but overpricing is a bigger concern. Underpricing is a strategy agents use in a hot market since a lower asking price can attract multiple buyers and cause a bidding war. You could end up selling for more than the market value, just because of the demand. 2. Selling at the wrong time. e timing of your sale can make all the difference. In Solera, just about any time to list is the right time. ere may be fewer people looking for a home in December, but that doesn't mean you should not list your home that month. 3. Skimping on repairs. Even small defects can turn buyers off. If they walk through your home and find loose doorknobs, leaky faucets or wall dings, they'll wonder if you've been neglecting bigger issues in the home as well. 4. Letting emotions interfere with your home sale. To successfully sell your home, it's important to separate your emotional connection to the home from the details of the transaction. • Emotional mistake: Taking negotiations personally. Do your best to keep a cool head during the entire selling process, especially during important negotiations. Be realistic and assume there will be at least a few issues uncovered during the home inspection. No home is perfect, especially older homes. Don't let the buyer's request for minor repairs derail the whole deal. • Emotional mistake: Failing to accommodate showings. Multiple showings are just part of the home-selling process, even if they're inconvenient. Make sure to vacate the home, bringing pets with you, when buyers are touring the home. Having the seller present can be uncomfortable for buyers. You want buyers to be able to visualize themselves living in the home, and that's hard to do with you looking over their shoulder. 5. Failing to prep and stage. Making the effort to help your home look its best before listing is time and money well-spent. Use the following home-selling tips to clean, prep and stage your home. Clean thoroughly • Vacuum, sweep and mop. • Polish or wipe down appliances and countertops. • Clean bathrooms. • Eliminate odors. • Fold and put away laundry. • Keep closets organized (buyers love storage space). • Repeat this process before every showing. Depersonalize, declutter, and stage As mentioned above, it's important that buyers can picture themselves living in the home. And when your belongings are everywhere, that can be a tall order. Here are some decluttering and staging tips. Go room by room and remove things. e fewer items in a room, the bigger and more spacious it feels. • Donate! Decluttering for a home sale is the perfect time to get rid of things you don't need, reducing storage and moving costs. • Remember that buyers won't necessarily have your style. Keep decor to a minimum and rearrange furniture in a way that's neutral and functional. 6. Skipping curb appeal. When a potential buyer arrives at your home for a showing, the outside is the first thing they see. Make sure bushes are trimmed and the entrance area is neat and clean. It's a good idea to plant some flowers. 7. Not hiring the right agent. Make sure you choose the right agent. e person you choose should be knowledgeable and have experience selling homes in Solera. To find a great agent, read reviews, and get referrals from friends and family members. REAL ESTATE REPORT By Diana Mangan, Realtor and Resident Avoid Home-Selling Mistakes