Selling your home is one of the biggest and most complicated transactions you will make in your lifetime.
Mistakes can be expensive. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid when you sell your Historic Home.
Missing your spotlight
Once your listing has been active for a few weeks, your home will no longer be perceived as the new thing. Buyers will move on and chase down the latest shiny object.
The first week or two after your home comes on the market, there will be a lot of interest. This is your spotlight. Even if we don’t find the buyer right away, we need to use this time to attract as much attention as possible.
This means that your historic home must be ready and looking its best.
We understand that our clients don’t always know what to do or where to start. Prepping a home for sale takes organization.
For an example of how we guide you through this process, please click here to download a copy of our Prepping Your Home For Sale Checklist.
If you really want to get the full advantage of your spotlight, it takes about a month to prep a historic home, but it can and sometimes should take longer.
Remember we are here to help.
Here’s what we typically do to get your historic home prepared.
Selling before you’re ready
It’s OK if you feel hesitant to sell your historic home. It is a big life change.
Some of the most stressful events of our lives also happen in conjunction with the sale of a home. It’s important to acknowledge and address our feelings.
In addition to the emotional challenges, we know you have logistical questions. Like how to buy a replacement home or time a move out of state.
We are committed to your success. We know you need answers and we are ready to help. We want you to sleep well at night.
To help you through this difficult time, we have created a Guide to a Stress-Free Home Sale.
Hiring the wrong Realtor
Nearly every Realtor offers the same basic services to sell homes.
Vallejo Historic Homes specializes in dealing with the unique challenges and opportunities of historic properties.
There are marketing techniques that only work with historic homes. Because of their rare characteristics, historic homes offer potential for us to find or create value.
A standard listing focusing on the square footage, bedrooms, and bathrooms ignores the benefits historic home buyers want.
Every situation is different, and the Realtor who is a good fit for one deal may not be a good fit for listing your historic home.
We have 3 unique guarantees to give you insight into whether we are a good fit for you.
- Our Step-By-Step Communication Guarantee is designed to reduce your stress by making sure you understand what is happening and what it means at all times.
- We created our Historic Home Marketing Plan to ensure that your historic home receives marketing designed to highlight its unique value.
- Best Marketing in Vallejo Guarantee. The homes we sell are historic, but we sell them using cutting-edge technology.
These guarantees are more than promises. They are business systems we have created to help homeowners like you succeed.
If you want to discuss how these business systems sell your home and reduce your stress, please schedule a Zoom call.
Incorrect pricing
Many factors go into the price of a home.
One of the most common mistakes sellers make is getting the price wrong.
It is important that your home sells well. It is important that you succeed.
We have a “boots on the ground” approach to what historic home buyers are looking for in the Vallejo market.
We know what the Vallejo historic home market is doing.
We go to great lengths to find the right price for our sellers.
If you want a better understanding of what is happening in the Vallejo historic homes market, check out our monthly Just Sold Report. This is one of the easiest ways to get a sense of your home’s value.
Failing to be realistic about inspections
There’s a chance an inspection will turn up something a buyer doesn’t like. We can’t prevent this, but knowing about issues with your home ahead of time makes your negotiating position stronger.
We want to put you in a better position. This is why we may want to do a pest inspection before we list a home. It is inexpensive, and it can save money by letting us fix issues before you are in contract.
There are different strategies around whether to do the building, roof or foundation inspections. Those choices mostly depend on the property itself. We believe it is best to decide on a case-by-case basis.
Knowing what is wrong and disclosing it before getting into contract can prevent a deal from derailing. When buyers find problems on their own, they can seem bigger than they really are.
If some type of seller concession becomes necessary, we want to be prepared. This brings us to the final mistake that sellers make.
Being inflexible
There will always be issues that can jeopardize your deal. Our solution is to be prepared, creative and flexible.
We find there’s usually an option that will please both parties, or at least be acceptable.
With transactions this complex, there is almost always something easy for you to offer which is tempting to the other side.
We look for ways to negotiate contract changes that are beneficial to all parties. Negotiation solves what is wrong, and can make your deal better.
This is the reason we start our transactions with a list of our clients’ desires and wishes.
You want to give the buyer what they need, but we focus on your needs, too.
Imagine you don’t have enough time to organize your move. We could negotiate with the buyer to rent your home for two weeks after the sale, giving you more time and reducing your stress.
We find creative ways to negotiate as we go. We’re committed to getting you across the finish line.
Selling your historic home is complex, but it doesn’t have to be frustrating or stressful.
If you would like to know more, we recommend the Guide to a Stress Free Historic Home Sale.
You can see the entire listing process with the Seller Road Map Infographic.
This step-by-step infographic illustrates the sales process from prepping your house to accepting an offer.
Feel confident. Print this infographic to know what to do and when at a glance.
Action Steps
How much you will make after the sale? Download our worksheet Estimate of Seller Proceeds.
If you’re ready to list your home, Download the Prepping Your Home for Sale Checklist.
If you would like to discuss the specific details of your situation, schedule a Zoom meeting.
