Avoid these common mistakes when trying to sell your home

Don't get in the way of the sale of your own property - work with your agent, not against them. Read this article to avoid these mistakes and ensure your home sells.

When putting your home on the market for sale, your estate agent will prepare photographs, floorplans, and maybe even a video to promote it to potential buyers. But it is not all on the agents. As the seller, you are also responsible for many factors and countless decisions you must make. Some sellers can hinder their sales and unintentionally work against their agent's efforts. And no seller who truly wants to sell their home wants to dampen the interest and do things that will cause them to receive lower offers, do they?

So, what should you, as the homeowner, be doing to work with the efforts of your estate agent to ensure lots of interest from potential buyers and good offers that you can negotiate with, resulting in a great sale price?

• Not taking care of the first impressions - most viewers will do a recce before a viewing appointment, and many sellers report people driving past their property when they put it on the market. If you haven't taken care of the first impressions, you could put them off before they've even seen inside. Keep your garden tidy and your front door looking good. Don't leave piles of rubbish down the drive that you've been meaning to take to the tip.
• Put your best foot forward - showcase the best bits of your home in the marketing. It is not enough for some photographs of the property to be posted online and for you to hope that a buyer will notice that your home has these features. The market is noisy and distracting for a buyer, and you need to shout from the rooftops about your best bits so buyers can see and hear them. This will ensure that your property attracts buyers who care about the features that your property offers them, resulting in more effective viewing appointments and serious offers.
• Overpricing - it is human nature to want your home to be worth a lot. We like our homes, so it makes sense that, in our opinion, our home is better than the one around the corner that sold last month. But being sensible and taking your agent's advice is essential. You are biased towards your home, whether you've fallen out of love with it or not. Still, your agent will provide a non-biased, considered figure for which they know they can sell your property. Over-pricing a property is very damaging to the marketing. It will ultimately result in a lower-end price because of the time spent on the market and the impact of price reductions that will be needed if the initial marketing price is too high.

While the agent handles the photography, for-sale boards, and advertising of your property, as the seller, your decisions can significantly impact their work. Remember, it's a team effort. Work closely with your agent to sell your home for the highest possible price in the shortest possible time. Why the shortest possible time? The longer a property stays on the market, the lower the interest, leading to price reductions. By collaborating effectively, you can avoid these pitfalls and achieve a successful sale.

It is far better to develop a competitive strategy with your agent to hit the market hard with your property, launch with impact and get interest and offers quickly for a solid price. Overpricing will negatively impact the marketing. Leaving your property looking lacklustre on the outside will put people off before they've even made an appointment to view the inside. It is your job (and your estate agent's) to show off your property's best features so a buyer can see them clearly and quickly. Otherwise, you are doing yourself, your property and your sale a disservice.

To work closely with an agent who understands property marketing in the modern world and can advise appropriately so that you have a clear structure and strategy for selling your home, get in touch with our team of experts today.