Selling your home is a big deal.  It’s probably your biggest asset, so you need to be as prepared and educated as possible.  Oh hey, that’s where I come in!

There’s a LOT of resources out there about how to sell your house, what to do before, what to do during, etc.  But there are some things that might be hard to wrap your mind around.

1. It’s not your home anymore.  It’s just a house. – This is now a business transaction.  All of that baggage (good or bad) does not matter to the buyer of your house.  Real estate is emotional, but it’s business and thus your decisions cannot be made based on emotion and sentiment.
2. Your opinions don’t matter. – The buyer of your house does not care about all of the blood, sweat, and tears you’ve put into the kitchen renovation.  They do not care about your design taste.  They do not care if you think your house is the best one on the market.  All they care about is whether your house will work for them and what they are willing to pay for it.
3. Your stuff is ugly! (maybe) – When you put your house on the market, you should be living in a magazine.  Image matters.. and the more it looks like a magazine, the better a potential buyer can imagine themselves living there.  Best advice: take grandma out of the house.  Anything that’s tired, outdated, or less than pleasant to look at should be taken out of the house.  Donate, sell, or store – doesn’t matter as long as it’s out of sight.  Same goes for personal photos.  It’s a lot harder for a potential buyer to imagine themselves living in your house if you’ve left out your wedding photos, family photos, etc.
4. It’s not about you, boo! – Yes, it’s your house and you own it.  But someone still has to be ready, willing, and able to buy it from you.  There are only so many things you can control.  Price, condition/presentation, and availability are a few.  You cannot force someone to buy your house, control market value, market conditions, your competition, the buyer’s opinion, or the price they’re willing to pay for your house.  You need to be flexible and remember that the ultimate goal is to sell your house for the best possible price in the shortest amount of time.
5. Market value is a moment in time. – Price is here today and changed tomorrow.  Like I mentioned earlier, you cannot control market conditions and trends.  Your neighbor’s house could go on the market tomorrow and affect (positively OR negatively) the value of your house.  It’s my job to stay on top of that and keep you informed, so don’t be surprised if I suggest adjusting your list price based on what’s happening in the market.
6. It takes work. – Yes, selling your house is my job and I handle almost all of it for you.  You still have some responsibilities of your own.  You’re responsible for decluttering, taking care of all of those maintenance things you’ve been putting off, deep cleaning, and getting your house to magazine-level.  Of course, I’m here to guide you and help you figure out what to do and what not to do but market preparation takes effort.

I didn’t scare you did I?  Selling your house doesn’t need to be scary as long as you’re prepared, educated, and working with a professional who’s there to guide you every step of the way.  *insert shameless plug here*

Questions?  Thoughts? Conundrums? Crises?  Contact me directly or post in the comments below!

Written By: Elissa Laderach. A designer, crossfitter, swimmer, biker, triathlete, dog mom, coffee lover, and REALTOR®  currently in Alexandria, VA with the Homes of Alexandria Team powered by Compass.