Most sellers want to sell fast and for the most money possible.
But that’s easier said than done.
Some of the things you think will help sell your home can actually work against you.
For example, spending thousands on improvements doesn’t mean buyers will pay more.
And pricing your home high to leave room for negotiations can end up driving buyers away.
Even after you receive an offer, there are decisions that can cost you time and money.
After more than 15 years in real estate, I’ve seen sellers make these mistakes without realizing it.
Here are 13 home selling tips to help you sell faster and for more money.
1. Make sure your listing agent has the right qualifications
You might not realize you’ve hired the wrong listing agent until your home is already on the market.
Maybe you’re getting very few showings, your agent has stopped communicating with you, or buyers are interested but nobody is making an offer.
Those problems can make selling your home feel like you’re stuck with no idea what to do next.
Making sure your agent has the right qualifications can prevent those situations from happening to you.
They should have a history of selling homes like yours in your area and past clients who can vouch for their work.
But I’d dig a little deeper.
When you compile your list of questions, include one about a home the agent had trouble selling.
Most experienced agents have had at least one.
Pay attention to how they explain what went wrong and what they did about it.
Can they pinpoint the problem and explain why they chose to handle it the way they did?
Or do they blame the market without explaining what they did to turn things around?
The time to find out how an agent deals with problems is before those problems are yours.
2. Don’t let your agent represent the buyer
Your listing agent is supposed to negotiate in your best interests.
But what happens if they also represent the person trying to buy your home?
That situation is called dual agency.
And it puts your agent in the middle of two people who want different things.
You want the highest price.
The buyer wants to pay as little as possible.
Imagine the buyer asks for a repair credit after their inspection or wants a price reduction.
How can your agent negotiate exclusively for you when they’re also representing the buyer?
They can’t.
There’s also a financial incentive.
Your agent can earn more commission by representing both sides of the transaction.
I wouldn’t wait until your agent brings you an interested buyer to address this.
Tell them upfront that you don’t want them representing the buyer, and make sure that restriction is in writing before signing the listing agreement.
If they hesitate, walk.
Pro tip: Be cautious if your agent recommends marketing your home privately, keeping it off the MLS, or delaying its appearance on public listing sites. That can limit the number of buyers who see your home while giving the agent more opportunities to also represent the buyer. Unless you have a specific reason to keep your sale private, your home’s exposure shouldn’t be limited.
3. Have your home inspected
Your home can be completely remodeled, but buyers still won’t know what’s “under the hood.”
And what they don’t know can become a problem after you’ve accepted an offer.
Let’s say your buyer’s inspection reveals several plumbing and electrical issues.
They ask for a $15,000 credit, even though the repairs would cost much less.
You’re left deciding whether to agree, negotiate a smaller credit, or risk having them walk away.
But the buyer could have accounted for the repairs in their offer if they had known about those problems beforehand.
That’s why I recommend having your home inspected before listing and making the report available to interested buyers before they submit an offer.
Does that mean you have to fix everything the inspection uncovers?
No.
The key is that you’re being transparent and providing buyers with important information upfront.
And that information lets them decide how much they’re willing to pay for the home in its current condition.
Buyers can still conduct their own inspections.
But you’re better off having them account for known problems upfront than renegotiating over those same problems after you’re under contract.
4. Avoid spending too much on improvements
An improvement can increase your home’s sale price and still leave you with less money.
Spend $30,000 on renovations that add $20,000 to the selling price, and you’ll walk away with $10,000 less than if you’d skipped the work.
That’s why I’d be careful about taking on major kitchen remodels, gutting bathrooms that are still functional, or adding square footage just before selling.
Buyers don’t reimburse you for what you spent.
And some would rather choose their own finishes than pay extra for yours.
So before committing to a renovation, ask your agent to estimate what your home could sell for with and without the improvement.
Compare the potential difference in sale price with what the project would cost you.
Improvements can also cost more than expected and postpone your planned listing date.
Necessary repairs are different.
Fixing a leak isn’t the same as updating something just because it looks outdated.
Sometimes you’re better off pricing your home to reflect its current condition and letting the buyer make the improvements.
5. Make inexpensive updates buyers will notice
You can make a room look newer without replacing anything major.
The trick is knowing which details are making it look outdated.
Here are a few inexpensive updates that can give you a lot of bang for your buck:
- Kitchen: Replace old cabinet knobs and pulls with more modern hardware. If your cabinets are in good condition but the finish looks worn, repainting them can be much cheaper than replacing them.
- Bathrooms: Swap out an outdated mirror, vanity light, or faucet. Even replacing discolored caulking around the tub or shower can make a noticeable difference.
- Lighting: Replace dated light fixtures in the main living areas. And pay attention to the bulbs. Mixing warm yellow lighting with bright white lighting in the same room can make it look inconsistent.
- Finishing touches: Yellowed light switch plates, scratched door handles, and worn outlet covers are relatively inexpensive to replace. These little details can make a home look older than it is.
Worn or stained carpet is another thing to consider.
Sometimes a professional cleaning is enough.
Other times, replacing the carpet in a few rooms makes more sense than installing new flooring throughout the house.
And pay attention to how the updates look together.
A new faucet or cabinet handle won’t have the same effect if it clashes with everything around it.
You don’t need to update every fixture in your home.
But the changes you make should look like they belong together.
6. Don’t overlook your home’s curb appeal
Buyers start forming an opinion about your home before they even walk through the front door.
An unattractive exterior can make them less excited about what they’re going to see inside.
But a house that catches their attention from the street can have the opposite effect.
You don’t need to spend thousands on landscaping to make that happen.
I’d add color where buyers will notice it most.
A freshly painted front door in a color that complements your exterior can make the entrance stand out.
And instead of scattering flowers throughout your yard, try grouping a few colorful potted plants near the walkway or front steps.
Here’s another trick most sellers don’t know about.
If your lawn has turned brown because it’s dormant, you can use a turf colorant made specifically for grass to give it a greener appearance without replacing the sod.
It won’t repair dead grass or fill in bare patches, but it can make a dormant lawn look much more appealing.
And don’t forget about the entrance itself.
Buyers typically spend time standing at the front door while their agent unlocks it.
That’s when they’ll notice things like peeling paint around the door frame, dirty hardware, or a worn-out doormat.
And if they’re interested in your home, buyers will usually spend even more time in the front yard afterward, talking with their agent about the property.
That’s why I’d pay attention to how your home’s exterior looks both from the street and up close.
You want buyers to like what they see when they arrive and still feel that way when they leave.
7. Don’t let staging work against you
The furniture you choose and how you arrange it can change how buyers perceive the size and usefulness of a room.
Take a 10-by-10-foot bedroom.
You might be able to fit a queen-size bed in it, but add a couple of nightstands and suddenly there’s very little room to move around.
A full-size bed, or even a twin, could make the room feel more spacious without changing anything about its actual size.
How you present each room’s purpose matters, too.
Let’s say you’re selling a three-bedroom home.
Staging one of the bedrooms as an office might seem like a good idea.
But buyers who need three bedrooms may have a harder time picturing that space as a bedroom.
Now consider a condo with a small alcove that doesn’t have an obvious purpose.
Adding a compact desk and chair could help buyers recognize a useful workspace they might otherwise overlook.
Don’t let your staging make buyers think a room is smaller or less functional than it really is.
8. Don’t let listing photos highlight your home’s flaws
Before your listing goes live, look through the photos and ask yourself one question.
What’s the first thing my eye goes to in each picture?
Maybe it’s the toilet front and center in a bathroom photo rather than the rest of the room.
Or a large electrical transformer behind the property instead of the house itself.
Even a beautiful exterior can look less appealing when power lines or an unattractive neighboring property dominate the background.
A different camera angle can keep those features from dominating the photo without misrepresenting the property.
And don’t assume every photo the photographer takes should be included in your listing.
Four nearly identical photos of an outdated bathroom can draw attention to its age without showing buyers anything new.
Pay particular attention to the main listing photo because that’s the first image buyers see when browsing properties online.
If a photo makes your home look less appealing than it really is, have it retaken from a better angle or leave it out if it doesn’t add anything useful.
You don’t want buyers ruling out your home because of a photograph that didn’t do it justice.
9. Don’t overprice your home
Some sellers think listing their home above market value gives them more room to negotiate.
They figure they can always lower the price if buyers don’t respond.
But when you list too high, buyers start comparing your home with larger or more updated properties at the same price.
They may end up touring those competing properties instead of yours.
And lowering the price a few weeks later doesn’t mean they’ll come back.
Some may have already purchased another property.
Others may wonder why your home hasn’t sold and assume you’re becoming more motivated to sell.
Now you have fewer interested buyers, and the ones who remain may feel they have more leverage to negotiate.
So before finalizing your asking price, consider what else buyers could purchase for the same amount.
Would your home stand out, or would the competition look like a better value?
You can’t negotiate with buyers who aren’t interested enough to make an offer.
10. Make it easy for buyers to see your home
You could lose an interested buyer without ever knowing they wanted to see your home.
Here’s how.
Say a buyer’s agent is scheduling five homes to tour on Saturday.
Four sellers approve the appointments.
But your home is only available for showings on weekday afternoons.
Rather than rearranging the entire tour, the agent leaves your home off the list.
And by the time that buyer has another opportunity to see it, they may have already made an offer on another property.
That’s why I’d keep your showing hours as flexible as possible, especially during evenings and weekends.
Avoid requiring more advance notice than necessary, and make sure showing requests are answered promptly.
An electronic lockbox can also make access easier for authorized buyer’s agents without someone having to meet them at the property.
Open houses are another way to accommodate buyers who can’t schedule a private showing.
But don’t rely on them as your only showing option.
You’re already doing the work to attract buyers.
Don’t lose them by making it difficult to get through your front door.
11. Don’t ignore feedback from buyers
Let’s fast-forward to a few weeks after your home goes on the market.
Twelve buyers have toured it, but you haven’t received a single offer.
The feedback from those showings could help you figure out what’s holding buyers back.
For example, six of those buyers mentioned that the noise from a nearby freeway bothered them.
Some buyers might be willing to accept that drawback, just not at your current price.
Reducing the price could attract buyers who are willing to make that trade-off.
But not all negative feedback means you should lower your price.
If several buyers mention that your living room feels dark, adding recessed lighting could be enough to change their impression.
A more serious problem could require a bigger change.
If buyers keep raising concerns about a roof that’s at the end of its life, replacing it might be the best option.
That could mean temporarily taking your home off the market and resuming showings once the new roof is installed.
Here’s the point…
Pay attention to what buyers keep pointing out, fix what you can, and price your home to account for what you can’t.
12. Look at an offer objectively
One of the hardest parts about selling your home is ignoring the number in your head when you receive an offer.
Maybe it’s what a neighbor sold for.
Or maybe it’s the mental “floor” you set months ago.
Your first instinct when an offer comes in below that number might be to assume the buyer is lowballing you.
But a buyer’s opening offer isn’t necessarily the most they’re willing to pay.
Some buyers leave room to negotiate.
And if you reject their offer outright, you may never find out how much higher they’re willing to go.
So consider your alternatives before deciding to walk away.
Do you have other interested buyers?
Has your home been on the market for weeks without another offer?
And what would another month of mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance cost you?
Those answers should influence whether you hold firm or make a counteroffer.
You don’t have to agree to a price that doesn’t make financial sense.
But don’t let a disappointing first offer stop a negotiation that could end with a price you’re happy to accept.
13. Be aware of the buyer’s contingencies
The highest offer isn’t always the best offer.
That’s because contingencies can affect whether the sale closes and how much money you ultimately receive.
Common contingencies include inspection, appraisal, and financing.
They give buyers the right to cancel under certain circumstances without losing their earnest money deposit.
Think about what could happen if you receive two offers.
One is $20,000 higher but includes an inspection contingency.
The other has no contingencies.
You accept the higher offer, but the buyer asks for a $25,000 credit after their inspection.
If you agree, you’re now receiving $5,000 less than you would have with the other offer, assuming everything else is equal.
And if you refuse, the buyer could walk away, leaving you to put your home back on the market.
Does that mean the lower offer was the better choice?
Not necessarily.
But it shows why you need to look beyond the price a buyer offers.
You can also negotiate the contingencies a buyer includes in their offer.
For example, you could counter with a shorter inspection period so the buyer has less time to investigate the property before deciding whether to remove the contingency.
And remember that an offer without contingencies doesn’t guarantee the sale will close.
Before accepting the highest offer, consider what the buyer could renegotiate, when their contingencies must be removed, and what happens if the sale falls through.
The bottom line
Selling your home faster and for more money isn’t always about doing more.
Sometimes it’s knowing which improvements aren’t worth the money, when buyer feedback is telling you something needs to change, or why the highest offer might not be the best one.
You can’t control the market or what every buyer thinks about your home.
But you can control many of the decisions that affect how quickly it sells and how much money you walk away with.
If you haven’t chosen a listing agent yet, SoldNest can help you find up to three vetted local agents who meet our screening standards.
It’s free to sellers, and agents can’t pay to be recommended.
