Photo Credit Tamaki Sono
When it’s time to sell your house—even for all the right reasons—you may be surprised by the emotional connection you’ve made over the years. Maybe it’s where you welcomed your babies home, hosted countless dinner parties and created lasting holiday traditions. Or, where you carefully selected plants in the garden, tiles in the bathroom and colours in each room.
If you’ve made your house a home, keep these tips in mind to make sure your emotional attachment doesn’t sabotage the sale:
1. Take a Step Back From Your Home Sale
When you’re emotionally attached, it can be hard to see where a little home editing is needed. Your real estate agent can help you take an unbiased look at where to focus your energy. This may mean some simple re-painting and repair work, re-purposing of rooms, taking down family photos or investing in professional staging services.
You don’t want your home to become impersonal and cold, but it must appeal to a broad range of tastes.
2. Don’t Overprice Your Home
It’s common for sellers to overprice their homes, especially when there’s an emotional attachment involved. Make sure price is based on the market and comparable properties, not the value YOU place on your home.
Properties get the most attention in the first couple of days after being listed, so an incorrect valuation can leave your home sitting on the market and that much more undesirable to buyers.
Emotions can also cause you to get offended by offers that don’t meet your expectations and make you unwilling to negotiate. Take low-ball offers seriously because someone liked your house enough to bid on it. Don’t let your emotions prevent you from working toward a price you’re happy with.
3. Stay Out of The Sales Process
Sellers that are attached to their homes often want to attend showings so they can highlight the best features.
Instead, this makes buyers uncomfortable and can prevent an open discussion of likes and dislikes. Also, if you’re already feeling emotional, you may find it hurtful to hear negative things about your home.
The best advice is to give buyers space. Agents will protect you from the process, keep you updated when it matters and only connect you with potential buyers when they’re serious about a sale.
4. Keep an Open Mind About The Buyer
When you go into the selling process emotionally, you probably envision a buyer who'll appreciate the property as much as you do. The “right” family or person will fall in love with your home and be willing to pay top price.
If you catch yourself being hesitant to accept an offer from a buyer that doesn’t fit your vision, you need to reevaluate. An open mind and practical decision making will help you reach your ultimate goal of selling your home. The perfect buyer, or not.
Although these tips won’t make you forget years of hard work, wonderful memories and the strong ties you've formed, they will help you emotionally detach while selling your home so you can make the best decision for you and your family.
