Remember the expression, loose lips sink ships? It holds true for selling your home as well.
Sure, there are things you must disclose to buyers, but there’s plenty more you might volunteer when you would be better off keeping your mouth strategically shut
“Our House is in Perfect Condition” – yes your house is your castle and in your eyes it may seem perfect, BUT the home inspection may reveal otherwise and you don’t want to end up with the proverbial foot in mouth. There is simply no such thing as perfect condition. Every house whether brand new or resale has something that needs to be fixed, adjusted, replaced or improved upon.
“We’ve been trying to sell for……… Never discuss how long your home has been on the market with a prospective buyer. While this info is often available online or on the information sheet, bringing it up, especially if it’s been a while, can send Buyers the wrong message. No one wants to buy a white elephant. If they do, they want to buy at a rock bottom price.
“We always wanted to fix / renovate that or We always thought about knocking down that wall between the Kitchen and Family Room, or We thought about renovating the bathrooms but ran out of cash. Mum’s the word when it comes to fixes you intended to do. The Buyer may have been perfectly happy with the house the way it is and never thought about any of those renovations, but now they are!
‘We spent a ton of money on……..” Just because you love the Brazilian Koa wood flooring you installed throughout, doesn’t mean prospective buyers will be willing to pay more. The buyer doesn’t care what you spent on that cool flooring or on your new kitchen, they will only offer what they feel the home is worth in relation to the comparable sales.You risk sounding like you’re trying too hard to justify your price.
‘I’m not taking less than ……” You want top dollar of course, but it’s important to be realistic and open to offers within a reasonable range.
“If you send a message that you are inflexible or not open to negotiating, you’re telling the Buyer to not even try with an offer. They hear the message that you’re impossible to negotiate with.