In this competitive housing market Sellers need to put themselves in the Buyers shoes. Here is a list of  3 things some Sellers do that drive Buyers crazy-and how they can be corrected

1) The Velcro Seller: The Buyers and their Real Estate Agent arrive a thet property, they are greeted by the Seller…so far so good-but alas, the Seller attaches himself to the potential purchaser like glue! Hovering,talking,interjecting, interupting and pointing out every minute “improvement” done since 1977. It becomes a foot race to the front door!

Solution: Greet the Buyers and the Real Estate Agent at the front door….then disappear! Give them privacy. Buyers need to explore at their own pace. They need to speak freely with their Real Estate Agent and each other. Buyers need to be able to see themselves as the “owners” not the “intruders”. The best advice….don’t be at home when there is a showing.

2) The Taj Mahal Syndrome: The Seller has an unrealistic expectation of what his/her home is worth. Price sells everything- if you are not competitively priced, don’t expect to have a SOLD sign on your front lawn. Buyers are market savy-they are comparing your house to all of the other active listings and recent sales in your neighborhood. If the price is out of line it won’t make the cut.

Solution:Hire a Real Estate Professional who is an expert in your area (and take his/her advice).A house is no longer worth what a Buyer is willing to pay but what the Bank Appraiser appraises it for.  If the perspective Buyer is going to mortgage the property, the Bank Appraiser must follow strict market value guidelines. If the house doesn’t appraise for the full contract price chances are the Buyer will not make up the difference and “over pay”.

3) Presentation-Did you not know someone put a For Sale sign on your lawn? If Buyers have to use too much imagination, don’t expect them to rush in with an offer (and if they do it certainly won’t be for top dollar). They don’t only use their sense of sight but their sense of smell. As Barb Schwarz of http://www.Stagedhomes.com says: “If you can smell it, you can’t sell it”!

Solution: De-clutter and de-personalize. Pack it up and move it out! Say good bye to the wall of family portraits, the jam packed closets, the avacado green shag carpet and flocked wallpaper from 1973 (it’s not retro its hideous). Buyers want a neutral pallet so they can envision their own “things” in the space. Think Pottery Barn not Brady Bunch. Enlist the help of a Home Stager…And above all clean, clean,clean!!! Q-Tip Clean! You want your house to be the house that all the Buyers must have.    

 You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression