So, you want to sell your house and move elsewhere? Cool, cool. We are here to help with this transition. However, there are going to be things you are not a fan of when it comes to selling. I know, you’re now wondering, “What could I possibly loathe about selling my home and moving somewhere new?!” Well, friend, we are here to tell you the ten things you’re gonna HATE about selling your house.
#1: House Prep
Honestly, this might be one of the most challenging aspects of selling your home. We don’t just take photos and throw your house on the market. (Well, some people get to do that… but that’s not most home sellers!)
You need to purge, paint, and make repairs. When it came to selling my own home, I spent weeks preparing to put it on the market. Some of our clients spend MONTHS getting ready. So, if you’re considering selling your home, have your agent come take a look sooner rather than later so you have time to get it all done!
House prep requires time and money. It can be expensive to get market-ready – but it’s usually worth it!
#2: Keeping Your House “Show Ready”
One thing most sellers have told us they hated about selling their home was having to keep it clean and “show-ready” at all times. This is usually because they have kids and pets, and it can be difficult to keep things tidy when it’s not just you. But, even our single people house sellers complain about this portion of selling. They say it’s because they just don’t live like this normally, or their house feels empty.
We get it. But you want your house to sell. And homebuyers hate walking through homes that are overly cluttered or dirty. Trust us, the effort you put into staying show-ready will pay off.
#3: No/Late/Early Showings
We can’t even lie to you. Many times, other real estate agents don’t communicate very well. Not all of us are created equal.
There will be times when you have a scheduled showing and you’ve cleaned and lit candles and got excited at the prospect of someone loving your house. The time comes, and the agent doesn’t even show up. This can be incredibly deflating. Unfortunately, we can’t control agents not showing up.
On the flip side of this, some of these showings may come to your house an hour early or thirty minutes late. Often, these showing agents fail to communicate that they need to show your home earlier or are running late. Trust us – we would tell you if they did.
This is one of those things we cannot control, and there isn’t anything we can do about it except complain to the agents afterwards. We apologize in advance, as this is likely to happen at least once.
#4: Lack of Feedback
Think the worst part is the lack of consideration when they show or don’t show up at your house. NOPE. After your house is shown, we request feedback from the agent who showed your home. We will call, text, and email them. And then it’s…. CRICKETS.
That’s right. No thought is given that you have gotten your hopes up that this showing could be the one.
Again, we apologize in advance because this is what happens after most showings. We wish it were better.
#5: Feedback That Angers You
Conversely, there will be times when you do get feedback about your house, and it may anger you.
I say this as a person who has experienced this firsthand with feedback while selling their own home. On two separate occasions, I received feedback on my home saying that there was no dining room, so the buyer decided to pass on my house. However, there is a floor plan of my home, and they saw the photos before coming here. All of this would show there is no dining room – so, why is this a surprise to anyone? This type of feedback riled me up because I didn’t think it was fair.
We have had other sellers get angry when people have commented on their neighborhood, decor, or the condition of their home. We can’t control why someone doesn’t like your home enough to buy it. But, I am here to tell you – let it go! Focus your energy on any constructive feedback, not on things that are beyond your control – such as location or the lack of a dining room.
#6: Moving Pets For Showings
Look. We LOVE animals. We are huge fans of your cats and dogs. Despite that, not everyone will be a fan. You cannot leave your dog unattended in the house for showings. Which means you will need to make a pet plan for moving Fido when there is a showing. There are a few options, and most of our clients choose doggy day care or putting them in their car for the duration of the showing.
True story: We once had a seller lock her dog in a closet for a showing. YUP. She did that. It was NOT ok, and we pulled her house off the market after that.
#7: YOUR AGENT!
yeeeeeeeahhhhh…. you’re gonna hate us. LOL. Not really… but maybe sometimes, a little bit.
Sellers have a tendency to blame their agent when their home isn’t being shown or isn’t getting any offers. They take their anger out on us when, in truth, it’s the market. (or your pricing.)
If you feel that your agent isn’t doing enough, have a conversation with them about the things you would like to see. Maybe they feel like they’ve done everything they can, and you have a fresh idea. We always welcome new marketing ideas!
Home sellers also often dislike their agent because we are the bearer of bad feedback or remind them of all the things they need to do to make their house more appealing to a potential buyer.
#8: Contract Negotiations
WHOOHOO! You finally got an offer on your house! Now, you’ve become a full-blown crazy person and act like you have the Taj Mahal!
There is something that happens in the minds of sellers when they finally receive an offer that makes them instantly insulted by whatever the offer is. It could be a perfectly reasonable offer, but we see this all the time. Home sellers start getting fussy!
As your Realtors, we are here to tell you to take a breath. An offer is the start of a conversation. We will “reply” to this convo with a counteroffer if you don’t like what’s presented to you. But you need to remember that you’re trying to sell this house. We also want you to get the most money you can from your sale. Before getting into a pissing match with a home buyer, consider whether you need to sell this property because you have another house to buy, or you can’t afford the holding costs of this home. Whatever your motivation for selling is, we will take all of this into consideration when making our counteroffer to the buyer.
We are on your team and will get you through this!
#9: Inspection Negotiations
Welp. We made it through the contract negotiation. Next up is inspections, and that entails a whole other round of talks!
After the buyer for your home has conducted inspections, they will come back and request repairs or credits. Regularly, our home sellers become insulted by this and find themselves pretty peeved. Don’t be! This is normal! Some of these requests are substantial and will cause heart palpitations.
If this is going to stress you out, we advise getting a pre-listing home inspection so you can make any necessary repairs ahead of time.
#10: Moving
All the business is done, and you’re officially moving out of your home and moving SUUUUUUCKS. That’s just the truth of the matter. Packing, purging, getting movers, and praying they don’t break anything.
There are so many moving pieces and parts. If you need to sell your house to move into your new space, you may be living in this house until the closing day. This can be a challenge for anyone. Don’t worry – we can help you navigate this and offer advice on how best to handle this!
We wish this list weren’t as accurate as it is… but c’est le vie! All you have to do is hire real estate agents who will have your back along the way – it can help soothe the sting when you get that feedback that you think is nonsense!
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I’ll Just Rent My House Instead