Unfortunately, a lot of home sellers have fallen victim to not a little false information. There is, for example, no shortage of advice online about selling your house, but not all of it is accurate or correct. And then there’s all the wrong-headed advice you’ll inevitably get from family and friends. Operating on such false information will only make selling your house more difficult and could possibly cost you a substantial amount of money. Let’s take a look, then, at the biggest misconceptions homeowners have about selling your house in Santa Cruz.
Price It at What You Think It’s Worth
Your home is your property, and you know what it is worth. Not really. Actually, you don’t set the price, and your agent doesn’t set the price. Rather, the market sets the price.
So when pricing for selling your house in Santa Cruz, you need to lean on your agent’s market-driven pricing expertise. “Sellers who do not listen to their agent who gives them sound pricing strategy advice are positioning themselves for failure. The agent does a comparative market analysis, and the end results define the value of the property today. The homeowner needs to use that price and not add negotiating room. When the offer comes in, jump on it and thank your agent for doing their job.”
To discover more about how a Santa Cruz agent can help you determine market value and price to sell, just call 831-588-2334.
You Have to Hold an Open House
That you need an open house for effectively selling your house in Santa Cruz is an old notion that just won’t seem to die. On the face of it, it seems like a good idea – letting multiple buyers into your home to see all the great features up close and in person – but it just doesn’t hold up in actual practice.
The fact is most of the people who attend your open house won’t be in a position to buy it or are not serious buyers. Most of them will be mere tire-kickers – curious neighbors and others just killing an afternoon in a pleasant way. In addition, thieves have been known to attend open houses as a way to case a house and see whether it would be an easy and profitable score.
Some agents still push the benefits of open houses. The reality, though, is that the benefit is theirs, not the home seller’s. An open house is a great way for agents to generate leads, but doesn’t do much to sell the home.
You Should Be Present During Inspections and Showings
This is another misconception about selling your house in Santa Cruz that seems like a good idea, but really isn’t. It’s said that your presence will add a personal touch, and you’ll be available to explain the history and charm of the house.
But the truth is that your being present makes most potential buyers feel uncomfortable and pressured. It can actually do more harm than good.
You Need to Fix All the Problems
Certainly, you want your house to look its very best, but you don’t have to fix everything and make every possible repair and upgrade. You should, of course, take care of all the smaller and easier fixes, but you need to think carefully about the major repairs.
What you do needs to promise a good return on the investment when you sell. Yes, touch up paint and work on curb appeal, but you don’t necessarily need to go in for a kitchen renovation or a bathroom remodel. Consult your [market-city] agent at 831-588-2334 to find which repairs will yield the greatest ROI.
Selling Is a Waiting Game
You need to wait for the best offer to come along in order to get the best price for your house. Playing the waiting game in selling your house in Santa Cruz may seem like a good idea, but it can cost you.
Buyers tend to skip over houses the have been on the market very long. They automatically assume they are priced too high or have major problems. Turning down offers and waiting can put you in a position of desperation after a while, and you may end up accepting a low-ball offer.
You Can Do It All Yourself
Finally, one of the biggest misconceptions about selling your house in Santa Cruz is that you don’t need an agent and can do it all yourself. “It is very unfortunate that many homeowners consider themselves market experts because they know how to do a quick Google search. This is definitely not the way to go because nothing can beat a real estate agent’s experience of dealing in a local market for countless years and countless transactions.”
Don’t be taken in by the misconceptions. For selling your house in Santa Cruz in the best way, contact us today at 831-588-2334.