The 10 most common mistakes made when selling property

Selling a property isn’t easy and most private sellers make mistakes that could have been avoided. These are the most common mistakes:

• Selling price is unrelated to the market value
  (a professional valuation will provide a market-related price)
• Not all documents have been properly checked
  (you can only conclude a sale if you’re in possession of all the requisite documents: including verification of possible encumbrances, liens, mortgages, etc.)
• Inadequate photographic documentation
  (only professional quality photos do justice to your property)
• No informative and convincing exposé
• Insufficient advertising budget
  (inadequate marketing hampers sales)
• Unavailability for viewers/would-be buyers
  (you need to be available at practically anytime)
• Inadequate verification of prospective buyers’ credibility
  (only by properly evaluating a prospective buyer can you avoid potential problems)
• Difficulties in verifying a buyer’s creditworthiness
  (only by verifying a prospective buyer’s creditworthiness will you be able to distinguish between time-wasters and authentic buyers)
• Unprofessional negotiations
  (by coming across as competent and professional during viewings and subsequent negotiations, you’ll have a better chance of success)
• Registration errors
  (only after following all the necessary procedures leading to a notarised contract of sale, will the deal be fully concluded).