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Selling your home can stir up a range of emotions that you may not have expected. While you may feel excited about the opportunity to move into a new house, you may also experience feelings of sadness or loss as you prepare to sell your home. Hi I’m Michele Irizarry, CEO and Broker of Shore Prime Properties. After decades of helping people to sell their homes, we have seen many sellers go through the highs and lows of the home sale process. Please be sure to like and follow Shore Prime Properties on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. We also have articles just like this in our very own magazine, “Good to Be Home”. Following and subscribing on our social media channels or being added to our mailing list will help keep you up to date on the latest real estate articles, DIY tips and design trends. Use these tips to help overcome the wide range of emotions you may experience when selling your home.
Confirm you’re ready: Whether you’re downsizing your space after retiring or upsizing to accommodate a growing family, you may need to make sure that you’re ready for the home selling process. Remind yourself why you’re selling your home. You can even create a list of reasons to serve as motivation and reassurance. If you’re having trouble preparing your home to sell, remember it’s the people and not the place that makes the memory so special. It’s crucial that you only begin the listing process once you’re ready otherwise you may be looking for reasons not to accept potential offers.
Start staging early: You’ve created countless memories in your home and these experiences can come rushing back as you begin to declutter and make changes to it. One of the first steps of the staging process is depersonalizing your home such as removing photographs or memorabilia so buyers can imagine themselves living in the house. You may also need to change some of the personalized features that you love like painting the walls of the room a neutral color. Not seeing the smiling faces of your loved ones throughout your home or the appearance of a room you’ve grown accustomed to may take some time to get used to however, you may feel a bit of relief by detaching yourself from the house. By starting the staging process early, you give yourself time to work through any emotions that you’ll experience.
Concentrate on the future: An excellent way to overcome feelings that you may experience when selling your home, is to focus on the future instead of the past. If you’re going to be house hunting, get excited about the homes that you get to consider. If you have already bought a new home, start planning projects that you’d like to tackle or how you’d like to decorate your new space.
Set a realistic sale price: While memories you have made in your home are priceless, home buyers are looking to pay strictly for the property. There can be a significant difference between your sentimental value and the fair market value. Avoid insisting on a steep price for your home and work with your agent to decide on a reasonable price based on the current market.
Leave for showings and open houses: You should plan to leave your home during showings to avoid making buyers feel uneasy or pressured. However sticking around in an emotional state could be even worse. Potential buyers may have less than flattering comments about aspects of your home and it could be hard to hear. While it isn’t a personal insult, it can feel that way. These comments can be helpful as any feedback your agent receives can help you address areas of your home that may need to be updated. Plan to go for a drive or visit with friends and family or hold a family bonding activity while potential buyers are inside your home.
Don’t take negotiations personally: Once you find an interested buyer, they may come back with repairs or concerns that they want addressed right before the closing. There’s no reason to take offense, as this is part of the negotiation process. Remain calm and work with your agent to find a middle ground where you and the buyers are happy. Remember that your goal is to sell your home and most home sales have negotiations.
Selling a home is an emotional experience, however by remembering one chapter is ending and another is beginning you can remain excited and hopeful about what lies ahead. If you are considering selling your home reach out to us here at Shore Prime Properties. We can help prepare you emotionally and physically for this exciting change in your life. I’m Michele Irizarry selling prime real estate at the Jersey Shore.
