Realtor.com wants sellers to know what they shouldn’t say to buyers.
Here are some things that agents recommend to never say :
“Our house is in perfect condition” – Your home is your castle, and in your eyes it may seem perfect, but don’t make claims that aren’t true. The home inspection may reveal otherwise, and as a seller, you don’t want to say something that could get you in trouble later. There is simply no such thing as perfect condition. Every house, whether it’s brand new or a resale, has something that needs to be fixed, adjusted, replaced, or improved on.
“It’s been on the market for…” – Never discuss how long the home has been on the market with prospective buyers. This information is listed and available on the home’s information sheet but bringing it up can send sellers the wrong message. No one wants to buy a white elephant and if they do, they probably think they will be getting it at a cheap price.
“We’ve never had a problem with…” – If you’re hoping to move quickly, you may be tempted to tell a few little white lies. Realtors agree that your mistruths, however insignificant they may be, could come back to you in the wrong way. You are setting yourself up for potential liability. You may not even be aware of the problem at first, but it could translate into an embarrassing moment upon inspection. So come clean with what you know and admit what you don’t.
“We always wanted to fix or renovate that, but…” – Mum’s the word when it comes to fixes you intended to address. Nobody cares about good intentions. When sellers point things they might change, this only alerts the buyer of more upcoming costs for them. Who knows? Your buyers may not even want to knock down that wall or redo the bathroom. So why plant those ideas, along with those dollar signs?
“We spent a lot of money on…” – Just because you love your expensive wood flooring you installed throughout the first floor, that doesn’t mean prospective buyers will be willing to shell out money for it. The buyer doesn’t care if you spent $10,000 or $100,000 on your parts of your home. They are only going to offer what they feel the home is worth in relation to area comparable sales. So save your breath, or else you’ll risk sounding like you’re trying too hard to justify your price.
“I’m not taking less than … for my home” – When it comes time to sell, it makes sense that you want top dollar. We get it! But at the same time, it’s important to be realistic and open to offers within a reasonable range. If you send a message that you aren’t open to negotiating, it may not invite buyers to even try to work out an acceptable price and terms as they will feel defeated from the start. Word may spread that you have a certain sentiment as a seller, and people may start to avoid the house.
