Selling

5 Valuable Tips for First-Time Home Sellers

Story Highlights
  • #1 - Price your home accurately
  • #2 - Ask about your agent’s commission
  • #3 - Choose the best day for listing
  • #4 - Home staging boosts appeal
  • #5 - Be flexible with home showings

Usually, when you decide to move, it isn’t always your decision to make.

It might be influenced by work-related factors or even personal factors.

This is why a sudden move is something that not a lot of first-time home sellers are prepared for.

Homeowners generally don’t think about moving until it is time to move and by then the pressure is already busy reaching its peak.

Selling a home is different to buying a home as you might soon discover.

Here are some real estate tips for homeowners selling their home for the first time:

#1 – Price your home accurately

In order to do this, you need to enlist the help of a professional.

Don’t rely on someone that your sister’s boyfriend’s cousin’s daughter recommended just because she ‘dabbles’ in real estate. That is a recipe for disaster.

An experienced real estate agent will prepare an estimated selling price by using a comparative market analysis. This means that they can determine the value of your home based on the area and similar houses in the neighborhood.

Remember: the more experienced the real estate agent is, the more accurate the valuation will be.

#2 – Ask about your agent’s commission

Before you become too invested in your local real estate agent, first ask what their standard commission is.

If it is reasonable, consider the benefits before you hire him/her:

– Make an effort to check their history and their previous track records.
– Speak to people that hired them before.
– Don’t expect a discount from your agent: signing the contract is the easy part and they still need to help you sell the home.


The process is not as easy as clicking the computer mouse a few times. A lot of research, planning and preparation has to go into it.

#3 – Choose the best day for listing

Believe it or not, but there are certain days that are better for listing than others.

This will all depend on a variety of factors like your local community, the weather, and the time of the year.

Another important factor to take into account is the state of your present real estate market.

This is not like a film where you can redo things: you only get one chance to make a good impression and to present your home in the best way possible.

Make sure that you put it out there so that people remember it.

#4 – Home staging boosts appeal

Home staging might be a bit of an effort, but it is something that can truly boost appeal and selling power.

Your agent should be able to prepare you for a home staging.

A lot of homes show better with some of the furniture removed and an agent can indicate what should stay and what should go.

If someone walks into the house, they should wonder if anyone actually lives there.

Painting is the most effective change that you can make when selling a home. You can’t let dings and scratches in the walls reflect terrible maintenance.

#5 – Be flexible with home showings

And last but not least: you might feel that home showings are a bit of an imposition, but you have to be flexible around potential buyers.

Go away for the first weekend of your home showing and leave everything to the real estate agent.

It might feel intrusive, but the best way to show your home is by leaving the buyer (and their agent) to view the home on their own.

Leave the house when viewers show up.

Anything you say might be held against you or influence the decision of the buyer – negatively or positively.

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South Africa's fastest-growing, independent property portal, offering affordable solutions for real estate professionals. A hub of info covering topics for #homebuyers, #homesellers, #renters and #lifestyle enthusiasts!

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