sabotaging your own home sale

You want to sell your home, right? Really? Because your behavior says otherwise. Your actions are sabotaging your own home sale. If you’re wondering why your home isn’t selling, read on and see if you fall into one or more of these examples… then STOP IT!

Issues of availability:

It makes sense that the more people that see your home, the more likely one will buy it. So why in the name of all that’s holy are you being so restrictive in your showing hours?

1. If you aren’t making the home available at times when normal people are looking, then it won’t be seen.

2. And for goodness sake, use a lockbox for a house key so other Realtors besides your listing agent can show the home!

3. If you don’t want it to be obvious for security reasons, put it on a door that is out of sight, but use one!

Pets and pet smells:

4. That “adorable” yet huge dog of yours, you know, the one that you swear “doesn’t bite” and is a huge sweetheart? Yeah, even the nicest dog can be territorial about strangers in their home. When you leave for the showing, take Fido with you.

5. And that cat smell? Total turn off. Find a place for Fluffy to stay while the house is for sale so you can dispense with the litter box.

6. Same goes for snakes, lizards, rodents and other small pets. Even if they don’t smell, they can scare or turn off buyers. That person who fell in love with the rest of your home but is terrified of snakes will NOT buy because you have one, trust me.

House condition:

7. We get it, you have to live in your home while you try to sell it, but when it’s going to be shown you need to CLEAN IT! That means pick up toys and clutter, clean bathrooms and kitchen counters, leave on some lights (as discussed with you when the home was staged) and…

8. DON’T SMOKE ANYWHERE! Yes, that means even no smoking in the garage since it‘s attached to the house.