The average homeowner sells their home every 6 to 10 years. Which means at some point the average person wonders about what could go wrong when selling a home. Perfectly reasonable and logical things like - do we buy first then sell or do it together? Or what if it all goes haywire and my family ends up without a house? There are a lot of possibilities that people look at and things to consider.

Well, the first thing to know reading this is I do this for a living. And I’m pretty good at it. And I’m gonna give you my advice as a real estate expert.

What Are reasons people sell for

Why is it the average American sells every 6 to 10 years? Well, life happens! Kids are had or move out, parents move in, jobs are relocated, there are a myriad of reasons. But, most people plan to be in their homes for a long while! And then well. . .

Jeff Goldblum GIFfrom Jeff GIFs

If this sounds like you, you’re in the right place.

What if your home isn’t in pristine condition?

I get asked all the time — should I renovate the bathroom, or some other project? And while the answer is definitely a case by case basis, my usual answer is - and this may ruffle some feathers - no. My honest take is that it’s an outdated opinion. Most renovations, if done specifically to sell the home, will increase the sales price, but reduce the net take home of the seller.

Here are two very distinct exceptions to this rule. . .

1. You can do ALL of the work yourself.

2. The item needing to be renovated is in dire need of repair.

To the first, it’s called sweat equity for a reason. Labor these days can very easily go for 100% of the cost of materials. So, if you’re not looking to swing a hammer, then it’s possible the cost of repair doesn’t make sense for the sale. To the second, some items are worth the repair if they’re so far past their usable life that it affects the sale. A roof is one instance. It can drastically affect the sale and may limit your options to just investors - that means you don’t get the best opportunity for maximum value on your home. Now, a roof is obviously a large item and a whole other discussion unto itself. Give me a call if that’s a problem you need to discuss further.

But, like I said, on average, i think most homes can be sold at their max potential with little to low cost improvements. A good clean, utilizing proper lighting skills, and phenomenal marketing, can do a lot more for you then throwing money at the problem. But items that affect the ability for the home to close (like things that are check on a 4PT inspection) are frontrunners for items where throwing money at the problem might make sense.

What if it sits on the market?

A home lingering on the market could be really stressful. Many of today’s sellers (speaking for February 2024) may have purchased during the Covid rush where homes lasted hours, not weeks. But that’s not necessarily the case today. While the best homes still get snapped up, most homes are sitting for longer. If you’re not ready for that, it could be frightening!

If your home sits, make sure you’re having honest conversations with your agent. But it could be normal to sit. So what are some things to consider with a home sitting on the market?

Carrying Costs - It costs money to have a house. Electric, water, even the march of time costs money on prorations for taxes and fees. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to guess how much this costs. If you have a mortgage and electric bill now, just keep paying that. You’re doing great!

Stress - Listen, you wanted to sell your home because you had plans. The longer the home sits, the longer your plans stay on hold; and not all plans can wait. It’s a real fear. You may be trying to get a bigger home for your family or move in a certain timeframe for a job. The answer is as soon as you start having ideas about moving, it’s time to talk to a trusted real estate agent. If they’re any good, and trustworthy, they’ll give you honest feedback about how long things should take you for your home at its current condition. If the human race can figure out how move the Palmetto House across Tampa Bay via barge, we can figure out how to safely sell your home with preparation.

Selling a home can be scary

But it doesn’t have to be. The most important part of selling a home is getting an agent you can trust. But they should be a skilled listing agent. Ask your agent how their list price to sales price ratios look, what the average time on market is and what their sales look like compared to that. You can also ask what they think the best way to sell a home is My opinion: he photos means the most. It’s what garners the most eyeballs, and as such, need to be the most emphasized portion of the sale. The difference between good and bad photos is the difference between having a chance at selling on time and losing thousands to time on market. You can check out some of my photos in my listing portfolio here.