Home selling. It can be a chore. Sometimes the problem isn’t the market, the agent or the buyers. Sometimes the problem is you, the homeowner. Most don’t try and be a problem, but there are several things that homeowners do, or don’t do, that basically shoot themselves in the foot when selling their homes.

When selling your home, your asking price is too high. If you don’t price at market value, you won’t sell, period. The days of getting well over asking are behind us, and while some markets are seeing it creep back, overpriced homes won’t sell.

Deferred maintenance is another issue. Leaving annoying little things for the buyer to do is obvious. It means buyers will go find another seller who is a little more considerate. Make sure you complete projects and do inexpensive fixes like new paint and caulking the bath or kitchen. That includes damage from old, but fixed problems too.

If there are big things to fix, don’t expect top dollar for your home. So if you want top dollar, make the fixes. By big we mean serious systematic issues (heat, plumbing or electrical), roof, holes in the walls, or foundation issues. If you don’t want to, or can’t make them, make sure you price the home accordingly.

As homeowners selling their homes if they refuse to stage their homes they can’t expect the best price or for people to see past their things and clutter.

Buyers won’t be able to picture themselves in your home because it looks like YOUR home. As your realtor probably told you, box up your stuff and get it out. Make your home look bigger and less messy. If you did stage it, keep it that way. Do not expect that staged or not, you can leave a mess and have people look past it.

Don’t be a difficult seller. Your realtor will be ok with working around some scheduling things, but be open and able to show your home almost at any time. Requiring 24 hours notice to show the home is another bugaboo. People don’t want to be put off. If they have the time to see your home now, they might not be able to the next day. Be a flexible homeowner and be willing to bend when selling your home.