How to keep your emotions out of your Boston, MA home sale

Selling a home is a big deal and can be an emotional process. You probably have a lot of memories attached to the Boston, MA house you want to put up for sale. Maybe you raised children there, or bought the house right after getting married. Now is the time to separate those memories from the physical location. This will help you view the sale as purely a business transaction. The more practical and less emotional you are about the sale, the more smoothly the process will run. Here are tips on keeping your emotions out of your Boston, MA home sale:

Quit calling it your "home"
Sure, you're technically still sleeping there, but this house isn't your home any more. The word "home" has many connotations that "house" does not. It conjures up feelings of comfort and family. "House" is much more neutral and is appropriate for a business transaction. Begin referring to where you are moving as your "home" and your current place as your "house." This will help you adjust to the change and accept the mentality that dealings with your current place are pure business.

Remove items that personalize the space
Framed family photos? Pack them up. The afghan Grandma made by hand that's been sitting over the back of that chair for years? Put it in storage. Your favorite books, CDs, and DVDs? Put them away. Anything that you don't use regularly, such as decorations and media, should be packed away until the move. Not only will this help you sever attachments to this house, it will help will selling, too. Potential buyers want to be able to imagine living in your house. They can do that much more easily if all of your things aren't in it!

Do not attend your open houses
Hire a professional real estate agent and let that person handle the open houses. An open house can be awkward for you and uncomfortable for potential buyers if they realize you're the owner. People openly comment on the house while walking through it. Hearing that they hate the carpeting you just put in last year and would want to tear it up might bother you. Why put yourself through that?

Do not negotiate directly
Price negotiation is another task that can be handled by a professional, saving you trouble. Settle on the lowest price you'll willing to accept, hire someone you trust, and then let that person take care of it. It is too easy for a home owner to become offended by an initial low ball offer, or to take negotiation personally. It's not worth the stress.

Hopefully these tips help as you are beginning to sell your Boston, MA house. If you have any questions about selling, the Boston area, or real estate in general, do not hesitate to contact me.

Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro

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Setting a price for your Boston Home

A couple of weeks ago I blogged tips about what price to offer when buying a Boston home.  This week the topic is figuring out how much to charge when selling your Boston home.  Negotiating a price can be stressful and confusing from the perspectives of both buyer and seller.  Enlisting professional help from a real estate agent and reading up on all the tips you can find should help you feel more confident in knowing that you are getting as much as you possibly can for your Boston home.

Don't over-inflate the price


If the listing price is over-inflated, many buyers will not even bother coming to an open house or making an offer.  Buyers have the same resources you do--professionals, comparable listings and sales prices of nearby houses, and even websites that calculate the market value of a home.  Over-pricing the house can backfire and actually cause you to lose money as your house sits on the market for a longer period of time.  If it sits unsold for too long, some buyers might become suspicious that there is something wrong with it.

Use data to find out the market value


Enlisting a real estate agent is one of the quickest ways to get a good read on how much homes like yours have sold for in the past few months.  Full-time agents familiar with your city and neighborhood will know what you can realistically get for your home.  If you choose not to go with an agent, there are still options.  Professional appraisers are available for hire to come to your house and give you a realistic price range.  There are also many forms available online that take various factors into consideration--including prices of other local homes--and spit out a price.  (These, however, might not be as accurate as a professional.)

Don't go too low


While you want to be realistic, you don't want to go so low that you end up under-pricing yourself.  Most buyers expect to do negotiating and pay less than the listing price.  The number you set as your listing price should not also be the lowest amount you are willing to accept.  Negotiation is part of the process and you want to keep that in mind from the start.

Hopefully these tips help you while pricing your Boston home.  If you have any other questions about selling, or about Boston real estate in general, do not hesitate to contact me.

 Michael Feldman

Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
Check Out My Website
See Boston Homes for Sale or Rent
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Connect with me on LinkedIn