1. Don’t take offense when your listing agent says your house ‘needs work’
Your listing agent might actually recommend that you make some preliminary fixes or tweaks before you even list the house. Don’t be offended by this advice—your agent isn’t trying to criticize you as a homeowner or a human being; he’s just trying to help you achieve your shared goal of selling the house quickly and for as much profit as possible.
2. Don’t view lowball offers as insults
If someone makes an offer on your home that you think is so low you feel insulted, you might be tempted to ignore the person altogether—but doing so would be a mistake. Someone who makes a lowball offer might be testing the waters or trying to establish room to negotiate. Or it could be a novice at home buying who doesn’t realize the offer is insulting. At least keep the door open to further negotiations.
3. Do respond quickly to offers
No matter how you decide to respond to an offer—be it to accept, counter, or even decline—do so as quickly as you can. Most offers come with a deadline, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until that deadline to reply. Remember, your potential buyers are just as eager to find their next home as you were when you bought your house. It’s frustrating, from a buyer’s perspective, to have to wait on a response, so be courteous and answer as quickly as you’re able to.
4. Don’t tag along during the home inspection
Once you’ve accepted an offer, the buyer will likely hire a home inspector to check out your house for any problems. Of course you want to follow along. Who wouldn’t? Not only is there a strong curiosity factor at play, but any major problems that are uncovered could put you back into negotiations or give the buyer a reason to back out of the deal. But following along on the inspection is a bad idea for several reasons.
First, any criticisms made during the inspection will likely feel personal. Second, having the homeowner lurking around during the process puts the inspector (and buyer, if present) on edge. Resist the urge, and make yourself scarce.
5. Do agree to reasonable requests for repairs
After the home inspection, there’s a good chance you will be hit with requests for repairs. The buyer has a right to request repairs, or a deduction from the selling price. While you don’t want to get nickel-and-dimed with requests for every little thing, it’s also not in your best interest to reply with a flat no to reasonable requests that are turned up by the inspection.
Why? Because once the issue is revealed through the inspection, you can’t just ignore it. If it’s a costly issue, the buyer can (and seriously might) back out of the deal altogether if you don’t make a concession. And if that happens, you’ll now be required to disclose that issue to future potential buyers. All in all, don’t let a few repairs keep you from the closing table, because going back and relisting your house won’t be any better the second time around.
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