The most important points at a glance
The biggest problems in a home sale usually arise right at the start: in planning, price and marketing. If you prepare documents, accessibility, selling duration and your own presentation of the property carefully, you significantly reduce the risk of expensive mistakes. Above all, it is important to stay realistic and not treat the sale as a hasty decision.
From our experience at Immo10 AG, it repeatedly becomes clear: especially in a house sale, not only the market but also the preparation decides. A poor start can often only be corrected with difficulty later. That’s why it pays to know the typical stumbling blocks early.
What mistakes occur most often when selling a house?
The greatest risks lie, according to this article, in six areas: inadequate planning, overly flowery descriptions, an incorrect price assessment, missing documents, poor accessibility, and an unrealistic assessment of the selling duration. The text makes clear that these mistakes not only slow down the process but can also reduce the sale price and weaken the negotiation position.
- Inadequate planning
- Raising false hopes
- Incorrect price assessment
- Missing documents
- Poor accessibility
- Underestimating the selling duration
How to better plan your house sale from the start
Private sellers often think too little about the actual sales process before putting their house on the market. This is delicate because a real estate sale involves large financial implications. If you plan the sale in a structured way from the start, you create the basis for price, communication and handover.
- By when should the sale be completed?
- How do I set the asking price?
- Which advertising media should I use when and how?
- How do I ensure my accessibility?
- When should the property be handed over?
- When should the purchase price be paid?
Why neutral wording works better in a house sale
Many owners describe their property with a lot of heart and in very positive words. That’s where the risk arises: if interested parties see something different later than what they expected, they feel poorly informed. This is often not even an objective flaw, but it can still complicate the closing.
Practical tip
Describe your property as neutrally as possible. Avoid superlatives and subjective assessments, because what is beautiful to one person may not convince another.
How to sensibly set the asking price for the house sale
The price assessment is one of the most important points in preparing the house sale. The text emphasizes that the achievable price for existing homes depends solely on demand in the market. This demand can vary greatly depending on location, property type and sale timing.
If the price is set too low, you give money away. If the expectation is too high, you lose potential buyers. In my view, it is precisely here that sober examination is crucial, because it concerns a large part of your own wealth.
Price question with consequences
If you’re unsure how much money you can demand for your house, consult a professional. The central question is: would you pay the asking price yourself?
What documents should be available for the house sale
A prospective buyer wants to be well informed before deciding. Therefore, at the start of the sale the documents should be fully available so that no information is owed and no one has to wait days or weeks.
| Document | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| Current land register excerpt | Proof of ownership relations |
| Cadastral map | Orientation about the property |
| Official appraisal | Classification of value |
| GVA policy | Proof of insurance |
| Last 3 years’ minutes in owners association | Access to management |
| Last 3 years’ balance sheet and income statement in owners association | Financial assessment |
| Floor plans | Spatial assessment |
Why accessibility in a house sale is so important
The real estate market offers depending on region a large or small selection. If you are not reachable, you quickly lose interested parties to other providers. The text states that no one will try ten times to reach a seller if the answering machine is always on.
Plan enough time for viewings, especially in the evenings and on weekends. Holidays and longer absences are not helpful during the sale process. A house sale requires presence, otherwise it loses pace.
How to realistically estimate the selling duration
The necessary time for a real estate sale is often underestimated or overestimated. Either can be costly. If you budget four weeks, you quickly put pressure on yourself when a buyer has not yet been found, and pressure regularly worsens the negotiation position.
A too long selling period is also problematic, because a property after half a year or longer can be perceived as a stale item. The article puts it succinctly: the quicker the sale succeeds, the better the price is often, but you should still not plan too tight.
Der Beitrag nennt sechs typische Fehler und beschreibt zwei Zeitfallen besonders deutlich: zu kurze und zu lange Verkaufsfristen. Als Warnsignal dient auch das Beispiel, dass sich Interessenten nicht zehnmal melden, wenn sie keine Antwort erhalten.
Immo10 AG
Frequently asked questions
Should I completely renovate my house before selling?
What should I do if I cannot assess the asking price myself?
How important are viewings in the evening or on weekends?
Which documents should I have ready at the latest at the start of the sale?
If you avoid the typical mistakes in a house sale, you create better conditions for a smooth close. The combination of realistic planning, correct price assessment, complete documents and good accessibility remains crucial. That is where the sale often either proceeds calmly or unnecessarily comes under pressure.
Immo10 AG supports you around sale, marketing, appraisal and consulting in real estate in St. Gallen. If you want to professionally prepare your house sale, now is the right time for the next step.
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Immo10 AG, St. Gallen