You have decided that it is time to sell your Northern Virginia home.  You've cleared up the clutter, made the necessary repairs and have contacted a fantastic Virginia REALTOR® to help you out.  Before you get that home listed, read these tips on how to avoid common seller mistakes.  They'll help you have a more successful sale.

DON'T

Price Your Home Only Based on Neighborhood Comps - While it is important to consider what homes in your neighborhood have recently sold for, you don't want to only focus on this aspect to price your Northern Virginia or South Carolina home effectively for sale.  Also look at homes currently for sale in your area to compare what your home has to offer that they may not.  Are you in an award-winning school district?  What is your community's Walkability Score?  Is it convenient to retail establishments, restaurants, entertainment and freeways (for work)?  These are things many of today's buyers consider when purchasing their homes.

Price Your Home Based on What You Originally Paid/Still Owe - Until the last few years, homeowners had been trained to expect that a property will only go up in value.  Unfortunately, we have seen that this has not always been the case over the last few years.  Yes, Northern Virginia and South Carolina home values are coming up but what you can sell your home for now and what you paid for it when you bought it may vary considerably.  If you bought at the height of the housing market, you may have paid thousands more than what it is worth today.  If you bought when prices were low, you can be sitting in the cat bird's seat.  Additionally, if you focus on selling your home for what you still owe on it, you may still be setting your price too high.  Talk to your trusted real estate professional to help you decide what the correct sales price should be for a successful and speedy sale.

Forget About Web Appeal - While curb appeal is important for those buyers who are physically at your home, studies show that more and more people are beginning their home search online.  That's why you need to focus on taking pictures that highlight the very best your home has to offer.  Clean up the area, add soft lighting and pay attention to the camera angles before you snap those photos to post to the web.  Your real estate professional can help you with this as well. 

DO

Talk About Upgrades/Improvements - You've added a tankless water heater, upgraded your appliances to new Energy Star models, added Low-E coatings to your windows and replaced the toilets with low-flow models in an effort to be more energy-efficient.  You've upgraded the carpet in the bedrooms and added a pergola to the backyard for a more inviting outdoor space.  Make sure these all get added to your listing.  Talk to your real estate agent about creating a nice flyer that lists everything you believe a buyer should know about your Northern Virginia or South Carolina home so they can leave them out at your open house. 

If you keep these things in mind before you put your Northern Virginia or South Carolina home up for sale, you will be able to avoid some common seller mistakes and have a much more successful sale.  Contact me for all your real estate needs in Northern Virginia, South Carolina or Washington DC.

Gene Mock, your Northern Virginia, South Carolina and Washington DC real estate specialist