When it comes to selling your house, everyone is an expert.

There are a lot of property myths out there, and it can sometimes be difficult separating the fact from the fiction; we’ve been in real estate for nearly 50 years, so we’ve seen a few.

Here, our experienced ‘myth busting’ sales team have debunked six common home-selling myths.

Myth #1: Over pricing gives room for negotiation and will lead to better offers

When buyers look for a property, they search within their price range. If your property is over-priced, your property will be competing against other properties that appear to be better value for money.

Furthermore, the over-priced property won’t be appearing the price bracket it should be in, so people who could afford your property won’t see it.

So, inflating a property’s price could potentially cause it sit on the market for longer, and you may have to reduce the price anyway. Some buyers see a reduced price as there is ‘something wrong’ with the property, and may look to actually negotiate you down further.

Generally, if a property is priced fairly, it attracts more realistic offers and the property is sold quickly. What’s more, in today’s market, we’ve found interested buyers actually competing upwards for a property, rather than trying to knock the seller down on price.

Myth #2: Refuse the first offer, a better one will come if you wait

We’ve heard this so many times. Some argue that if the first offer is a brilliant one, then surely there is likely to be a whole queue of buyers with better ones behind it.

But remember, serious buyers are constantly monitoring the market for your type of property, and many set up notifications so they know a suitable property is listed. Genuine buyers will often put in a good offer to try to secure it, before other buyers see it.

These buyers don’t hang about either; if their offer isn’t accepted, they are off looking for another property. We’ve seen a few times the first offer as the best offer, and, when that offer wasn’t accepted, the optimistic vendor was left taking a lower offer later down the track.

Myth #3: Spring is the best time to sell

Many people believe spring is the best time to sell a property; gardens are looking great and buyers are often keen to get the property purchased quickly so they can be moved in and settled in time for Christmas.

But the downside is, because it’s the traditionally seen as the best time to sell, there are more properties on the market, and this can increase competition.

In autumn, weather is still generally good, the garden is still looking presentable, and while the sun is dropping a bit lower in the sky, the plus is you may get more sunlight into your property, and your property is being viewed in a better light, literally!

The truth is, there is no right or wrong time to sell, the most important thing is to have the right strategy. Read our team’s tips on getting the right strategy here.

Myth #4: It’s not worth fixing your house up

A well-maintained property is appealing to buyers and can give your property the edge over others; it is worth making minor repairs and fixing bits of your house, such as mending broken fences, fixing dripping taps, replacing broken windows and painting tired rooms.

But it’s probably not worth doing major renovations, such as installing a new bathroom and kitchen; you often won’t get your return of investment in terms of financial or time.

If you want to know what renovations you shouldn’t do, take a look at our ‘5 fixes which won’t add value’ blog here.

Myth #5: Online valuations are accurate

While there are some great online tools around now, we believe online valuations must only be seen as a guidance on price, and should not be taken literally.

Online tools are simply using an algorithm, comparing other similar sized and types of properties in your area as a guideline. They don’t know the condition of your property, or what its unique selling points are, such as location, or additions you may have made.

The best way to get your property valued is always to contact an experienced, local estate agent such as ourselves, to come in person, and look at your property.

Myth #6: Selling your house without an agent is easy

Selling your house without an agent can be done, but it isn’t easy as easy as it sounds.

Do you know your legalities? Do you really know the best way to market your property to ensure it reaches the right audience? Have you a database of people looking for your type of property? How are your negotiating skills? Do you know what needs to be done when, and in which order?

We help you every step of the way. It’s our job and we’ve got the experience. We pride ourselves on our powerful marketing strategies, and giving our customers maximum return on investment. Take a look at what our sales team has been achieving and download our January sales report here.

Furthermore, we have a database of people looking for a particular type of property they can market too. We’ve sold properties simply by sending a property out to our database which has saved the seller marketing costs.

If you’re thinking of selling, or would just like a to know what your house could get in today’s market, contact us for a free, realistic, independent and non-obligatory quote. Our experienced team will also give you genuine tips and ideas so you can get the best from your property.

We’d love to see you in our Cardiff office or you can give us a call on 02 4954 8833. Or send us an email to: mail@apnewcastle.com.au.

If you’re looking for more handy tips on selling your property, or what to look for when buying or selling a property check out our Facebook page.