The Five Stages!

June 1, 2016

By: Ari Taylor

Experts say that there are Five Stages to the Grieving Process. The same can actually be said for the real estate process. When selling a home, at one point or another, you are likely to hit one or all of those stages (sometimes, more often than once)…

Denial — “My house is actually worth… Wait… What?” Let’s face it, we all want to think that our house is worth a cool million, easy. “All of our memories are there. Are you sure it isn’t worth an additional $5,000 for that dent in the wall that Bobby made when he was playing ball in the house? And what about that beautiful orange backsplash that really brought out the lemon paint in the kitchen?” Market value is based on so much more than just the memories a home holds for us. Think location, neighborhood value, the time of year and even the current trends in home decor. All of these play an active part in dictating the actual value of your home.

Anger — “I’ve had two open houses and three showings, why have I gotten no offers? What is my agent doing wrong? Why is no one interested in my beautiful home?” The process can be very frustrating, and you may hit this stage more than once in the process. Take a deep breath, take a step back and try spending a Sunday going to other open houses. Make a list of what you like and don’t like in the houses you tour, and do so from the perspective of a buyer. Once you do that, apply it to your own home.

Bargaining — Just when you thought you’d never see an offer, here comes one! But, it is twenty-thousand below your asking price. “What? I already priced my home lower than what its worth!” (Here comes that anger again…). Now, it’s time for bargaining. In real estate, we call it negotiation. Go back to that buyer’s list that you made and see if what they are suggesting makes sense for you, then ask yourself, “What do I ultimately want? Is it a quick sale? Or the most money you can get?” Here’s where having an honest agent will help. Go over the options and counter-offer. Get creative with it!

Depression — “When will this all be over? It’s been weeks since we signed the purchase and sale. All of this packing, did I really want to sell? All these memories just being packed into boxes…” You get the idea. The weeks between purchase and sale and closing can seem very long. Additionally, that time can trigger some tender feelings. This is a great time to remember how far you’ve come in the process!
Acceptance — Closing day is finally here! You’ve moved all of your stuff out. You’ve swept the floor one last time, taken photos of those little, sentimental things (like Bobby’s dented wall) and are officially ready to move forward!