Avoid Mistakes in Selling at Lake Oconee

As many Lake Oconee Sellers prepare to list their homes in this prime selling season, I want to emphasize several errors that a survey of Realtors (members of the Realtor website Active Rain) voted most likely to hamper a quick sale for the highest price!

1. Overpriced Home

Nothing retards the sale of a home as too high of a price. We Babyboomers expect to realize a profit from the sale of our home, as we always have done. Many want to be reimbursed for every improvement that we have made over the years of ownership. The new real estate reality is that profits are not as easy to come by as they once were. The true sales price should be set according to the local comparable homes that have sold.

2. Showing Availability

There are some justified times when a seller has to decline a showing by a Realtor; illness, entertaining, work being done on the home. Many Lake Oconee homes are occasionally rented by the owners. However, if showings are often avoided, real estate agents will hesitate to show a listed home. Sellers are advised to maintain a showable home, and accept showings by agents as much as possible, even if it is an inconvenience to them.

3. Cluttered Space

Hopefully, the seller has decluttered the home in preparation for selling, but removing clutter is also a daily chore. A seller will be turned off by dirty laundry, dishes in the sink, a collection of mail or newspapers, or a child’s toys! If time is short, have a large basket ready to dump all clutter into, and put it in the trunk of the car.

4. Unpleasant Odors

Do whatever it takes to remove odors from pets, cooking or smoking before and during the time it takes to sell your home. Only fresh paint is helpful in removing smoking odors, carpet cleaning will help remove pet odors, and just forgoing frying that fish is necessary to prevent cooking odors!

5. Unwilling to Negotiate

Like it or not, some products like homes, cars, and antiques do not have a definite price like a piece of equipment or clothing, so it is expected that there will be the “game” of negotiating for the final price. Be prepared for the process, keep an open mind about price, and other factors in a sale like contingencies for repair, and qualification of the buyer.

6. Won’t Make Repairs

Most homeowners sometimes put off repairs, or are unaware of some household problems that are hidden. Prior to listing one’s home, the Seller should make all repairs necessary to present an attractive buy. Often the Seller will want to give an allowance to the buyer for repairs. Buyers purchasing a home at Lake Oconee are often reluctant to buy a home that needs repair as they will not be present before closing to monitor repairs, and not be familiar with local Lake Oconee companies who do such work. Most buyers make a sale contingent on an inspection of the home, then ask for normal maintenance items to be done before the sale closes.