If you’re thinking about selling your house and making a move this year, it’s normal to be excited about the future and then also have some sentimental feelings about your current home.

You’ll need to get a handle on your emotions and feel confident about your decision. So just follow these three tips to help keep you on track when you’re ready to sell.

1. Price Your Home Right

What happened in 2023? The housing market shifted, mortgage rates went up, and home prices started to normalize again. So if you’re thinking about selling your house, it’s important to set the right price for todays market. Hannah Jones, the Economic Research Analyst for Realtor.com, explains:

“Sellers need to become familiar with their local market and work closely with a local agent to make sure their listing is attractive to buyers. Buyers feeling the pressure of affordability are likely to be pickier, so a well-priced, well-maintained home is the ticket to drumming up big demand.”

If you go too high, you might scare off potential buyers, but if you go too low, then you’ll be leaving money on the table. That’s why you need an experienced real estate agent. They’ll help you not only sell your house fast, but also get you top dollar.

2. Keep Your Emotions in Check

People used to move more often, but nowadays homeowners are staying in their homes longer. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) found that since 1985, the average time someone owns their home has gone up from 6 to 10 years. Check out the graph below:

When you stay in one home for a while, you get attached to it emotionally. If it’s your first home or the place where your loved ones grew up, it becomes extra special to you. Every room has memories, and trying to let go of that sentimental feeling is not easy.

For some people who own a house, it gets pretty tricky to figure out what it’s really worth versus how much it means to them emotionally. That’s where having a real estate expert comes in handy. They’ll help you through the whole process and make sure you’re getting the best deal.

3. Stage Your Home Properly

While you may love the way your home is setup and all the personal touches you’ve added over the years, but not all buyers will feel the same way. That’s why it’s crucial to make that first impression count. Make your place appealing to as many potential buyers as you can.

When people are looking to buy a house, they really want to picture themselves living there. It’s all about imagining their own furniture and personal things in the space, not someone else’s pictures and decorations. Jessica Lautz, who’s the Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at NAR, puts it this way:

“Buyers want to easily envision themselves within a new home and home staging is a way to showcase the property in its best light.”

A real estate professional can help you with expertise on getting your house ready to sell.

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about selling your house, reach out to a local real estate professional today. They’ll help you navigate through the important to-dos and the whole house selling process.