It’s been 3 years since my last personal sale and for some reason this one was the toughest. I guess the further up the property ladder you climb each step get’s tougher and tougher. Tougher to let go of the amazing place you have and even tougher to find that next step up. Sometimes taking a few steps down and resetting is the right thing to do.
1. The Winter Market Is On Fire
This Winter Market is more intense than last Spring. There’s nothing out there for Buyers so if your home is presentable and liveable, it will get offers. I sold in 3 days with 3 offers when I expected to be on the market for much longer. Both my house and this loft sold in record time. I guarantee it would have taken longer and sold for less in a few months when more comparable properties are on the market.
2. Staging & De-Cluttering Is Hard Work
I had a lot more “stuff” than I thought. I tried to re-arrange and redistribute the clutter but it just didn’t look right. I finally did what I tell all of my Seller clients to do and removed 75% of my clutter and stored it and by stored it I mean, tossed it in the trash or donated it. Turns out Selling is a great time to purge that stuff you don’t use…like ever. Luckily my place was decorated nicely thanks to my talented girlfriend so I didn’t need a ton of staging but we won’t list unless fully staged and looking sharp. It’s essential!
3. The Pressure Is Real
Seller clients: I’M SORRY! I had no idea the pressure I put on you was so intense. Although I do all the actual moving, staging, storing and selling YOU have to put up with me all up in your life asking you to leave all the time to accommodate showings. Turns out keeping a place super clean all of time is a giant pain in the butt!
4. It’s Emotional
I will no longer be so direct when I’m helping Sellers come to terms with offers and the selling process. Sure, when you’re emotional it’s difficult to make strong financial decisions and the goal is to remove all emotion from the decision making process eventually. It’s not easy to let go of your home and it IS emotional. I had forgotten that.
5. Seller’s Remorse Is A Thing
No matter how much money you net from the sale the next day when you wake up in a home that’s no longer yours it’s a big deal. Perhaps some people are able to emotionally detach better than I can. The next day I went all around my house and noticed the thinks I absolutely love about the place and wondered if I’d find that in my next home. Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes no but at the end I sold because I wanted to move on and I realize that this is just part of the process. It’s tough but when it’s all said and done my bank account will be happy and a new adventure will begin. Exciting!
Wherever you happen to be on the Real Estate battlefield, you can rest assured that we get it, we get it even more now than ever before. Get in touch if you have any questions or comments about your place. We’d love to surprise you with what it’s worth.
Happy Hump Day!
