The Higher Standard

Most mistakes I see when selling a home happen before the home ever hits the market, and most of them are avoidable:

• Pricing too high because you want to “leave room to negotiate.”
• Spending money fixing things that buyers don't really care about.
• Not properly preparing the home before photos.
• Waiting until inspections to deal with known issues.

None of these things automatically ruin a sale, but they can make the process a lot harder than it needs to be.

One thing I've learned in real estate is that a successful sale isn't just about putting a home on the MLS and waiting for a buyer. There is a strategy behind it: Preparation, Pricing, Presentation, Marketing, Negotiation, and Timing.

And the best time to figure those things out isn't the week you want your house on the market—it's months before.

That's why I always encourage homeowners who think they might sell in the next 6–12 months to start the conversation early. Not because I'm trying to convince them to sell. Sometimes after looking at everything, waiting is the better decision.

But if you do decide to move, I'd rather have six months to help you make smart decisions than six days to fix expensive ones.

I put together 5 of the most common seller mistakes I see and how I'd approach each one differently.

If you're considering a move sometime in the next year, what's the biggest question or concern holding you back?