What Not to Say When Selling Your House Right Now

If you’ve committed to selling your home, and you don’t want the coronavirus pandemic to get in the way of your plans or stop you from moving forward, then you likely know there will be a bit of shift in exactly how things are done at this moment in time. In the best of times, selling a house can be an exhausting and stressful undertaking. However, there are some special considerations to make at this time to avoid making it even more stressful. A few pointers on what not to say when selling your house, and a few home selling mistakes to avoid, should prove extremely valuable during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Let Your Agent Do the Talking

Generally speaking, if you have found the right real estate agent to entrust with your home sale, you should be able to put your faith in them to take care of a lot of the communicating throughout the process. Much of the time it can actually be a lot better to let your agent be the point of contact and information giver to buyers. Letting your agent do the talking is a wise tip and will help you avoid some serious no-nos when it comes to what not to say when selling your house. 

Your agent has a lot of experience and a good agent knows what to say and what not to say to buyers. Even the most tactful and reserved among us might not know exactly what is best to say (or not say) to prospective buyers regarding our homes. Thus, leaving all that to the agent is really your best move.

All that said, it is not always possible to let your agent do the talking. From time to time, there may be situations where your agent is not there, and you need to have conversations with the buyer and the buyer’s agent. In these times, you will feel on the spot and thus more prone to make mistakes. Don’t worry, though! A little advance preparation and some advice about home selling mistakes to avoid will have you feeling comfortable and confident in those situations where the pressure is on. 

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - Benjamin Franklin

If you have ever sold anything - a car, a boat, etc. - then you know the buyer is always looking to find an advantage over you and is typically pretty careful about what information they give you. Home buyers are no exception to this. Be prepared to encounter buyers and buyers’ agents who want to get information from you that you’re agent themselves would not necessarily want to bring up. 

Maintain your position as a seller with a firm price who is confident their home will sell with a set amount of time. When you are face-to-face with buyers and buyer’s agents who are looking for that leg up, you will want to be practiced in keeping buyers interested, while avoiding any mistakes on your end. 

So, what are these home selling mistakes to avoid? Well, here are some of the top items to avoid disclosing when you are talking to buyers and buyer’s agents. 

12 Things a Home Seller Should Never Say

1. Avoid telling prospective buyers how many people have viewed the house.
2. Do not disclose any particulars about offers you have received such as how many offers have been made on the house. 
3. Do not let the buyer in on information such as how soon you want to or feel you need to close on the sale.
4. It may be tempting to tell buyers that your home is in perfect condition. You may be so proud of the work that you’ve done that you fully stand behind that statement. Even so, avoid telling buyers as they will be looking closely for faults and the inspection will bring up any problems. 
5. It is polite to share information about local attractions, restaurants, etc., but avoid giving buyers information that details specifics about the neighborhood and your neighbors. For example avoid getting into detail about neighborhood demographics. 
6. It’s always best policy not to come out and say to buyers that you are not at all flexible and have a complete unwillingness to negotiate. 
7. On a similar note, avoid telling buyers you are unwilling to accept a contingent offer. 
8. Explaining the amount of living space in a way that overestimates actual usable space. For example refrain from counting attic space where the ceiling is under five feet as “living space” when speaking with buyers.
9. Often it is also better not to include basement bedrooms in your account of living space, rather you can list it as a bonus.
10. This should go without saying, but telling buyers you won’t be selling unless you are able to buy a new home is a pretty big no-no and will scare away any sensible buyer.
11. Avoid listing appliances as coming with the house. Appliances listed as such are subject to inspection. 
12. Avoid listing any incorrect information about your house to start with to avoid having to back pedal when speaking with prospective buyers. Furthermore, it is always best not to list your house “as is.” If you have listed as is, the focus will be on the problems and not the advantages every time you speak to a potential buyer. 

Perhaps the biggest home selling mistake to avoid is going it alone. Trust Homes & Land for the resources and professional assistance you need to sell successfully.