As the leaves start to change and a cool wind fills the air, you may find yourself considering a change of scenery. And while selling your home can be an exciting experience, all too quickly your dreams of an easy sale can turn into a nightmare. Below we've detailed some of the scariest mistakes you can make when selling your home and how to avoid them. 

Pricing Nightmares

It's the most common horror story in real estate: The homeowner who priced their home too high. It sat on the market for months with no activity as buyers passed over it for more reasonably priced options. Rumor has it the home still sits unsold to this day. 

You can avoid those nightmares by working with an experienced, local real estate agent to price and list your home. Your agent can look at the current market trends, what similar homes in your neighborhood are selling for, and what buyers may see as potential pitfalls to help you find the right price for your home. 

House of Cobwebs

Before you put your home on the market, you should take time to do a thorough cleaning and decluttering to make your home look its best. Clean the cobwebs off the ceiling and use a little magic (or elbow grease) to make your home shine. 

Preparing your home for the market is also a great time to start picking what you will want to move with you and what you can toss or donate. Decluttering your counters, bookshelves, and other spaces can make a home look more spacious and allow buyers to see themselves in the space. 

The Dark & Cluttered House

"It was a dark and cluttered house. Everywhere you turned, large pieces of furniture blocked your path and made the house feel much smaller than the square footage suggested..."

Don't let your home be a warning to others. Whether you hire a professional stager or take a DIY approach, staging your home can make your house stand out from the rest. Some simple ways to stage the home include storing some larger pieces of furniture to open up space, highlighting natural lighting wherever available, and thoughtfully landscaping outdoor spaces. 

The Tell-Tale Drip

Is your house plagued by little repairs that you've been ignoring? While those broken shutters may look great with your Halloween décor, a buyer will see them as a sign of bigger problems to come. 

To ease those fears, tackle some of the simple repairs that are needed around your home. Replace those flickering light bulbs, fix the leaky faucets, and silence any creaks or squeaks before you go on the market. It will give buyers a better impression of your home during their first visit and may make for an easier home inspection process later. 

Predicting the Wrong Future

Even the most experienced real estate agents don't have a crystal ball to predict what the future market will bring and any number of unexpected events can cause the market to shift quickly. 

Talk to your mortgage lender about what is left to pay off on your loan, if there are any early payoff penalties to be aware of, and whether you need to sell your home before you buy a new one. Answering those questions can help you and your real estate pick a timeline that works for you. 

Keep in mind, real estate markets can vary widely even within the same town or city. Talking with a local agent who understands the seasonal patterns of different neighborhoods, current market conditions, and what changes may be coming to the area to help you make the best decision for your future. 

Many of these mistakes can be avoided by working with an experienced, local real estate agent. At each pre-listing appointment, New Leaf Team will walk through your property to give you advice on repairs to make, staging rooms to attract buyers, and how to price your home so you can have a dreamy experience. Call us at (434) 214-6121 to speak with our agents about your goals and how we can help you reach them.