Are You Sabotaging Your Own Home Sale?

When you’re selling a home in Lakewood or Long Beach, there are plenty of things you can do to make the whole process easier (on you and your real estate agent).

But there are some things you can do that actually make it harder to sell your home, too. Check out this list of big issues that could lead to you sabotaging your own home sale.

Are You Sabotaging Your Own Home Sale?

Here’s a quick list of things you may be doing that are sending buyers running for the door:

• Overstaging

• Leaving funky smells in the home

• Being too rigid when it comes to showing times

Let’s take a closer look at each.

#1. Overstaging

Buyers want to use your decor as a springboard to imagine their own belongings in the home - but if you’re overstaging, you’re taking away their ability to imagine. Make sure everything in your home is neutral, from the paint colors on the walls to the decor you’ve chosen, and don’t overwhelm buyers with one theme. (Nautical bathrooms are okay - but an entire house that looks like it’s an Airbnb on Cape Cod isn’t.)

#2. Leaving funky smells in the home

When buyers come in, they don’t want to smell much of anything - not perfumes, air fresheners, lunch or cat litter. Why? Because things like perfumes and air fresheners can make buyers think you’re covering something up (like lunch or cat litter). And when it comes to lunch and cat litter… just don’t.

#3. Being too rigid when it comes to showing times

When you want to sell your home, it pays to be as flexible as possible with showing times. That doesn’t mean you have to make your home available at all hours of the day and night, but it does mean that you have to be willing to make room in your schedule for buyers who can only come at certain times. Some people can only stop by after work; others are only available on weekend mornings. Talk to your real estate agent about what’s appropriate in your situation, and try to make your house as available as possible for showings.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Lakewood or Long Beach?

If you’re buying or selling a home in Lakewood or Long Beach, we can help. Call us at 562-882-1581 to find out how!