Avoid These Mistakes When Selling Your House

Honest Mistakes

Selling a house is a big process that can take a long time and be very complicated. However, there are things you can do to reduce associated complication and expand the level of profit you’re able to achieve. In this writing we’ll briefly cover several common mistakes home sellers make, and what you can do to avoid them.

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Listing Too Soon, Or Out Of SeasonA home that’s going to be sold shouldn’t simply be listed the moment you decide to sell it—not unless you’re perfectly satisfied with leaving as much as $50,000 on the table. Some people don’t have a problem with that—this is often the case when there’s a contentious divorce. Whoever has executive power in the previous house generally wants to get rid of it.

However, unless you’re in the midst of some situation like that, or you’re looking to flog off an as-is property, you don’t want to list until the time is right. When will the time be right? Well, when you’ve got landscaping of the property at its best, when you’ve fixed all the little issues that you’ve been procrastinating, and when any appropriate remodel has been finished.

Repair windows and tiles on the roof. Replace lightbulbs. Is the basement unfinished? Finish it. Paint the outside, paint the inside. If the lawn’s a terror, rip it out and install wood chips, cement, sod, or something else for the new homeowner—whatever is most salable in your region. Sometimes an addition as simple as a solar array can triple associated investment.

If you install a DIY 3.1 to 5.0 kWh solar array, you can get the job done for around $5k to $10k by yourself, and it will bring between $10k and $30k to your property, depending on your state, and perhaps a tax break. This is a weekend (two weeks, maximum) job that can take a serious dent out of the realtor commission. Lastly, list in season—generally, that’s springtime.

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Not Working With Home-Selling Agencies

Home selling agencies know the value of your property in reference to the community it is a part of. They know the trends of real estate in the municipality you’re local to. They know what sort of repairs or augmentations can maximize your listing. They also know little things like where tax issues lie. For example, in New York, properties are taxed higher when they’re over $500k.

This means if you list it at just under $500k, you can get the lower tax-rate. For properties on the line, if you choose to go lower, you may be able to skip out on associated taxes perfectly legally. Getting help from the right agencies can be key in seeing such savings. Also, agencies can help you move a property faster.

There are specific options out there for those who need to sell a home quickly, such as House Heroes down in Miami. Sometimes there just isn’t all that much to be done prior listing because you’ve maintained the premises well to begin with. Whatever your case, consultation from professionals can definitely inform your selling tactics, and perhaps provide better profit.

Remember, real estate agents operate at a commission. So if you can legitimately expand the pricing on your home and sell it, they stand to benefit as well. However, they’ll know when such a listing isn’t realistic as well. Still, it can be worthwhile to seek consultation from family and friends who have been down this road and aren’t professional realtors.

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Failing To Factor In Closing Costs

Closing costs on your property will be between 1% and 20%, depending on how fast you sell, and what resources you use. If you’re extremely savvy and rurally located, you might see little closing costs outside associated taxes.

If you use realty groups for an as-is property, then closing costs directly and indirectly can be quite high. Factor these in so you’re not surprised. Generally, if you do the job right, you can expect closing costs to be in the 5% to 8% range.

Here are some examples of closing costs that you should take into account outside your property’s price: 

  • Title search: USD$75 to USD$100

  • Title insurance policy: USD$800 to USD$900

  • Appraisal fees: USD$300 to USD$500

  • Loan origination fees: 0.5% to 1% of loan amount 

  • Deed recording fees: USD$12 to USD$15 (may differ extensively)

  • Taxes: 1% to 5% 

  • Surveys: US national average of USD$512

  • Discount points: 1% of the mortgage amount for each discount point 

  • Credit report charges: USD$25 to USD$125

Before closing the deal, both parties, the home seller and buyer, must be aware of the exact amount of these closing costs. 

Closing costs are also different from one state to another. For instance, the northeastern part of the United States has the highest closing costs, even higher than the national average of USD$5,749 because of higher average prices in their market.

Spending On Extensive Repairs

Every property seller would want to obtain the highest ROI possible from a home sale. But when your house you want to sell requires a lot of repairs, you may want to think twice about the cost it entails. First of all, your house doesn’t have to be in perfect condition before you could sell it. Second, spending on repairs isn’t always practical nowadays, especially if you have a tight budget. Major repairs, such as roof repairs, plumbing and electrical repairs can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Moreover, spending on repairs won’t guarantee a higher property value. While it may help you find potential buyers faster, there are other ways you can sell quickly without spending a dime. For example, if you’re in Burlington, VT, you can look for Burlington cash house buyers that will buy your house as-is. 

‘As-is’ cash buyers are usually real estate investment companies that buy homes as they are, even if there are damages. They earn decent ROI by buying and selling properties. Here are the advantages of dealing with cash house buyers:

  • Repairs are not needed at all

  • No need to pay any closing fee

  • Get fast cash

  • Stress-free home sale transactions

  • No need to hire agents and pay commissions

  • You can skip staging 

So, if you don’t want to spend on repairs or are in a hurry to close the sale, you can find home buying companies online to sell your house as-is. If you’re in Gainesville, Florida, check out the Sell Your Gainesville Home Today website, and find out how you can speed up your home selling process. After submitting your property’s information, you can immediately start the assessment and negotiation process, receive a fair cash offer, and close the sale within two weeks.

Maximizing Profit On Your Property

When you factor in closing costs, work with professional agencies, and prime your property for value prior listing, you’re ideally situated for the outcome you’re trying to achieve. Selling a home is complicated, and it’s easy to make mistakes. But if you do your homework, get consultation, and take your time, you can avoid leaving money on the table.

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