If you ever have had your home up for sale, you understand the stress it can cause. Especially if you have been in your home a long time and are now downsizing. (I speak from personal experience!)
There are so many challenges to face both physically and emotionally. There is the uncertainty on pricing; the decluttering and depersonalizing your home to attract the right purchaser who will hopefully offer a fair price; the continued upkeep and hours of cleaning your home before ‘showings‘ that last 15 – 60min. (I recommend that you are not home during showings as people will be looking at your house with critical eyes and not have the same happy memories that your home has provided for your family over the years.)
Here are a 8 ways to alleviate the stress:
- Know why you are really selling. IE: downsizing, upgrading, relocating etc.
- Do research online to understand the pricing of other homes both in your area and the area you want to live in.
- Select the style of home you want to live in and story board images of the exterior and interior on places like Pinterest and Houzz.
- Walk thru your home and look at it from a purchaser’s eyes. If this is difficult, have a home stager come in and offer an unbiased 3rd party opinion.
- Declutter and depersonalize your home to make it appear larger and more appealing to a new owner. (It is hard to view a home as your own when you see family photos, very personalized art pieces and/or religious artifacts.)
- If you aren’t in a pressure situation, have a bottom dollar amount in mind so that emotions can stay out of the purchase process.
- Keep positive and understand that this ‘for sale‘ process will last for only a short time (relatively speaking – even if it feels like years!)
- When an offer comes in, deep breathe, and remember why you are selling and envision your new home as a new exciting chapter in your life.
Written by Jan Addams
(DAT Girl) Designer, Author, Trainer