Selling your home can be a lot of work, and you need to find ways to stand out with buyers. First-time buyers can often be more picky than experienced buyers are. If you make a mistake in the process, you could end up driving them to another home on the market. Here are several things you should avoid doing when selling your home to a first-time home buyer.

Refusing to Negotiate

You may have a very specific price in mind when trying to sell your home. Maybe you've said to yourself that you will never accept an offer lower than that price. However, you must realize that negotiations are a part of every home sale. A buyer is going to offer what they feel a home is worth, and your list price may not be accurate of the market at the time. Always be open to negotiations when someone makes an offer. The worst that can happen is that the seller rejects your counteroffer and walks away.

It's also important to look at your overall financial and living situation when accepting a sale price. Every month a home is on the market unsold will cost you money. You still need to pay property taxes, utilities, and insurance on your mortgage (if you still have one). Prepare to be flexible and consider accepting a lower offer price, because being firm on your list price could result in losing more money over the long run if you can't find an immediate buyer.

Not Staging Your Home

If you have already moved out of your home, you'll need to decide whether you want to stage your home. Staging can help a a first time buyer envision what your home could look like once they move in. You do not have to go all out with a full array of furniture, but simple things like a couch, dining room table, and beds can go a long way in making the space look usable.

Consider leaving some furniture behind at your old home for staging purposes, with the intent to move those items after the home has sold. If you have moved far away, this may not be practical, so consider renting furniture for the purpose of staging.

Not Making Repairs

The first time home buyer is going to focus on cosmetic damage to a home right away. You need to take some time to repair cosmetic damage so that the home does not look neglected. After all, if you did not care enough about your home to make repairs to visible areas such as drywall, it can reflect on how you took care of other behind-the-scenes areas like the HVAC system.

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