Fear Busters for Sellers

The time will come in everyone’s journey of selling a home when the stress all stacks up, and it seems to be an insurmountable task. This blog is intended to help buyers overcome some of the fears make sellers feel overwhelmed, and offer strategies to help in overcoming those fears.

Fear: I’ll sell my house for too little because I listed it for too little.

Fear buster: The key here is to look at other homes similar to yours and price the house according to other similar homes. Price the house fairly in terms of the condition and make sure that you list any problems that could come up with your house. If you’re unsure of whether an offer is too low, consult your real estate agent.

Fear: There are so many realtors and they all claim that they are great at selling homes. What if my Realtor is not what he/she claims to be?

Fear buster: Properly vet the realtor. If your realtor is not doing what they claimed they would, request an open house or ask about digital marketing. If this doesn't work, tell them that if there are no results soon, you are going to switch to a different realtor.

Fear: People at the open house will go through my personal things and look in my cabinets and closets. Nobody wants anyone rifling through their medicine cabinet!

Fear buster: People will look in your cabinets and closets to see how big they are and how much they can store. The key is to take out or cover anything that you don’t want people to see. If you have any valuables that you want to protect, consider locking them up. This will eliminate any fears that you have of anyone stealing your stuff.

Fear: Now that I've invested so much time and money, I am worried that I will have to sit through many open houses and the house will sit on the market FOREVER.

Fear buster. Make sure that you keep the house clean and always make sure that the house is available for showings. Statistically, the more a house is shown, the better the chance for making a sale. Open houses offer more opportunities for a sale, because you can ensure that the house is properly clean and staged before several potential buyers see it. If you are extremely fortunate, and you get several offers; this could even cause a bidding war, and you may get more than what you originally wanted. On the other hand, if your house isn’t receiving any offers, you may be making other mistakes.

Fear: What if the inspection reveals serious problems? My house is about to close in a week!

Fear buster: Remember that you had your own inspector come by and look the home over before you originally listed it. This gave you the chance to relax for a little bit because if there was anything wrong, it would have come up during the first visit. And, if by chance something is wrong, you may be able to negotiate the deal so the buyer can make the necessary upgrades or repairs. Finally, remember that FEAR is an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real. Make a list of your fears up front and work with your experienced realtor to help you address and overcome these fears. After you address your concerns, you will be surprised at how manageable these common stressors become. The best part is that  if you sell your home, you’re likely going to be purchasing a different one. It helps to know that the shoe that you have been wearing through the selling process will now slip on someone else’s foot. And, Heaven knows, we could all use a new pair of shoes! Contributed by James Link