First Time Home Seller - 5 Ideas You Must Think About

Buying your first home is exhilarating and fun but selling that home can bring so many mixed emotions! So, here are five ideas that you need to think about before you finalize your decision.

Meet Multiple Agents

Most first-time sellers think that the best way to sell their home is to go back to the agent who helped them buy their house. While that is a good idea, it could limit you from having more options.

You can call your previous agent and talk to them. Ask about their marketing plan, how will they position your house and how they are going to sell it. But after that, interview other agents to get a sense of how different marketing can be and how different agents work.

Don't tie yourself to just one person because you had a good experience buying your first home with them. There might be someone who is better suited for you in selling your home.

Keep an open mind and interview as many agents as you can to understand the market more. With enough knowledge, you can be confident to get maximum results and enjoy the process of selling the first time.

Staging is Over the Top

If you’re thinking that staging is just over the top or a little too much for you to do, you have to think again!

Based on what we have seen from doing real estate business for almost two decades now, homes sell for 5% - 7% above the asking price when it is staged nicely.

Here's the trick, when you bought your first home, you emotionally fell in love with it. Now that you're selling your home, you're analytically going through the process. There's a big gap between emotions on the right side of your brain and analytical on the left side, and you have to bridge that gap!

What you need to do is use staging as an emotional bridge. The way that you live in your home is completely different than the way that you need to sell your home. It doesn't mean that you have to buy brand new furniture and rent items from a stager, just start the process by booking a staging consult.

Work with a stager to rearrange the stuff that you already have and use them as much as you can. This is a fantastic opportunity to impact the buyer’s emotions and make them fall in love with your house.

Can I Stay Home When Showings Happen?

Wanting to be at home during showings to tell potential buyers about all the features of your house and the renovations you’ve done is not a good idea.

Just imagine if you were the buyer and you have a seller who is just trying to show you everything. What would you feel? That can be very overwhelming and it might even turn off the buyer and make them walk away!

It is like walking into a store and the sales associate starts to tell you too many things about a t-shirt! It might be exhausting being the buyer in that situation. Buyers need a moment to breathe and think while looking at your house to imagine themselves living in it.

They need to be able to see how each room will function to suit their lifestyle. Give buyers breathing space so they can emotionally say, “This is the right one! This is what I want and this is where I want to be.”

Buyers Ask for Some Personal Belongings

As a first-time seller, don’t be surprised when buyers ask for some of your personal belongings. That usually happens and you just have to keep an open mind about it.

Jared Chamberlain shared a personal story when they sold their first house. They bought a new couch for their TV area in the basement and it fit the space perfectly! During the showing, the buyer saw the couch and asked if they could have it.

Jared and his wife refused the request and didn’t let go of the couch. They regret that decision thinking that they could have sold the house with that couch and got more money for it back then. The funny thing is they still have that couch to this day as it never fit perfectly in any other house!

This doesn’t mean you have to sell your couch, but don't be offended if a buyer asks for your stuff because it does happen.

Have a Plan for Last-Minute Showings

Potential buyers may call you or your agent to ask if they can see your house within an hour. You need to have a plan for last-minute showings like this.

The best way to do that is to strategically tidy up every single day. Create a plan with your family and have a quick checklist of what everybody is responsible for cleaning up everyday. That way, when a last-minute showing happens, it won't be disruptive and you won't get anxious about it.

Our team is here to help, and we love helping first-time sellers to get ready and figure out this whole process! If you have any questions for us, just reach out to us at info@chamberlaingroup.ca or give us a call at 587-316-5400, and we'll be able to help you.