Avoid These 8 Common Home Selling Mistakes

Selling a home isn’t always as easy as you expect it to be. Markets—and buyers—can be finicky, and sometimes it feels like luck just isn’t on your side. It’s not uncommon for sellers to excitedly list their home only to lose all enthusiasm as their property sits for weeks, months, or longer with little or no activity. Fortunately though, luck is part of it, but it’s not all of it. There are plenty of actionable steps you can take to make your home more appealing, and more likely to sell quickly and for the right price.

The most common mistakes that home sellers make usually cost them in both time on the market and ultimate sale price. The median time houses sit on the market is generally between three weeks and five weeks, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2023 Generational Trends Report. If you’ve gone through the process yourself, however, you know that those few weeks can seem like an eternity, and extending beyond the median selling period can make it seem like you’ll never sell. But if you’re doing everything right, there’s nothing to worry about aside from getting the right buyer through the door.

An efficient home selling process starts with avoidance of the most common home selling mistakes. Read through them below and make sure that you’re not accidentally sabotaging your chances of a quick and painless home sale.

You’re not working with the right agent

You’re pricing it too high

You’re neglecting necessary repairs

You’re listing at the wrong time of year

Your home isn’t depersonalized

You haven’t decluttered

Your home isn’t staged to sell

Your listing pictures aren’t great

If you’re serious about selling, you don’t want to jeopardize the process by failing to optimize your home for a quick and easy sale. Failing to avoid the home selling mistakes outlined above will cost you big in time, money, and stress. Make it easier on yourself by putting in the effort to do things right and you’ll be signing those closing papers in no time.