When Selling Your Home, Get Your Mind Right

It’s often said that real estate agents wear many hats. While our main objective is to represent our client, there are many ways in which we do so. One of the more unusual tasks we sometimes take on is that of psychotherapist. The buying and selling process can be wrought with emotion and while we do strive to lighten the drama load, sometimes that requires a bit of extra finesse. We are in fact therapists in every sense of the word when a buyer or seller allows their emotions to overtake their logic.

There are many reasons emotions are allowed to cloud an otherwise sane person’s judgment. Probably the most frequent example of emotional warfare we encounter is from sellers that refuse to mentally accept they are in fact selling their home. It could be that the seller simply thinks they have the best home on the market, and while that might be true, a property is only valuable if someone else is willing to purchase it. Other situations could be a death in the family that has spurred the sale of the property. Whether unexpected or not, it’s often difficult to part with physical property that reminds a seller of a loved one. Sometimes we begin to sound like eastern monks chanting the same mantra repeatedly, “This is no longer your home, it’s a house and at this point an expensive liability.”

No matter the reason for selling a property, it’s so important for your mental and financial health to separate yourself from the property. One very effective way to do this is to start packing. Our rule of thumb is if you haven’t used it, worn it, played with it or seen it in six months, you don’t need it. Make it a family event and get the kids involved. This type of activity is also a good way to help ease the transition for them just as much as it will help you make the separation. Go through each room in the house and sort your items into the following categories—Keep, Donate and Sell. That last category is a great way to make some extra spending money for your new home or whatever great adventure was the catalyst for your decision to move.

Another benefit of packing is to rid the property of unnecessary clutter so prospective buyers can actually see the home and the possibilities it holds for their new life there. If the closets are filled with kid’s toys and your oldest child just entered college, it’s time to purge.

Chant with us, “This is no longer a home, it’s a liability.”

iDeal Real Estate Professionals LLC is owned and operated by Brandon Bramlett and C. Mark Willix and is affiliated with Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta. For personalized service, visit us at www.idealrealestateprofessionals.com. You can also email us at info@idealrealestateprofessionals.com.