You know that when you want your home to sell quickly and for top
dollar, you need to fix-up, declutter, and clean everything until it
sparkles. You may even want to stage the home. But that’s not all
you need to do.
The final step, which is the easiest, is to get out of your Pittsburg
home while it’s being shown.
Many sellers argue that they need to be there to answer questions.
While it’s true that there may be questions, you still need to
leave. If the buyers are truly interested, the questions will come
after the showing.
Meanwhile, staying in the house could cause you to lose a sale,
because buyers can be shy. Many will hesitate to open closet doors or
turn on faucets to check the water pressure. They won’t sit down in
the living room to “see how it feels” or make comments to each other
about the home’s features. They won’t walk through the rooms trying
to decide if their furniture will fit.
When sellers are present, they feel uncomfortable and may not stay
long enough to realize that yes – this could be the perfect house
for them.
The second problem is that sellers who get into conversations with
buyers or their agents can destroy their own bargaining positions.
For instance, the potential buyers or their agent may ask why you’re
moving, and your answer might indicate that you’re in a hurry and
really need to sell. Thus, their offer will be lower than it might
have been.
It really is no one’s their business why you’re moving. It has nothing
at all to do with the value of the house. But if someone asks you a
direct question, you may find it difficult not to answer. If the
buyers are truly interested and have a valid question, their agent
will contact your agent.
Next, you could be drawn into a verbal negotiation that’s not in your
best interests.
Some buyers, rather than being shy, are pushy. These buyers don’t want
to wait to write an offer and have it presented. Instead, they’ll
approach the seller with “Would you take…”
Answering that question without knowing all the details that go into
an offer could clearly be against your best interests. “X dollars”
could turn into “X minus many thousands” in seller concessions by the
time the offer is written.
Lastly, a personality conflict could prevent a sale.
You (or the buyers) could let personal feelings get in the way of a
successful purchase and sale. Sometimes people simply don’t like each
other. There may be a silly reason such as their clothing or hairstyle
or manner of speaking. One of you might remind the other of someone
you don’t like. In today’s climate, a political remark might set one
of you against the other.
There could even be no reason – but the negative feeling is there.
You could decide you don’t want your house to go to those folks. Or
– they could decide they don’t want a house filled with your
“energy.”
All things considered, it’s always in the seller’s best interests to
be out of the house when buyers arrive. So don’t question it – just
do it.