Selling your home is a process with its own set of “normal” challenges, including those emergency issues that pop up, affecting your time and budget. What are some of the more common things that can come up unexpectedly – and can be scary at first – but can be resolved with a little pre-planning by you and your experiences selling agent?


Here’s a closer look at five:

You have to spend money (and time) fixing something.

You may not have noticed the cabinet or drawer that never closed correctly or the red statement wall in your bedroom. Still, potential homebuyers will, and your agent may make a list of problems like this to fix before listing so that you can get the most money for your home. Your listing agent knows what will sell your home faster, and because it’s a strong seller’s market, these fixes won’t require anything major.

You have to stage (or restage) your home.

You will have to get past being offended if told your furniture or décor is outdated or too cluttered. Or if you’re told to store away your ceramic doll collection or family photos before home showings begin. It’s not about judging. It’s because staging is such a powerful tool that allows home buyers to visualize the true potential of the living spaces of your home instead of seeing all of your “stuff” that can make rooms seem smaller.

You have to fix any hazards on your property.

For added protection before interested buyers tour your home and property during showings, it’s a good idea to make sure any potential hazards on your property are taken care of, such as placing non-slip pads under your area rugs, fencing off your pool, and boarding your dogs or other pets.

The buyer’s inspector has a list of problems with your home.

Never fear; if you’ve already fixed the minor and major problems your listing agent suggested, and the inspector still has a list of problems, it may be the inspector. The inspector may be stricter when eyeing all wear-and-tear issues, but this is common. A potential buyer will use this inspection report to negotiate the selling price through closing. Your listing agent can guide you through which problems and requests to fix them are reasonable and those that are not.

The buyer falls through.

Even if the sale process was smooth, you received a bunch of offers, found just the right buyer, who signed the contract, the contingency period still means anything can happen. The buyer’s financing could fall through; the buyer couple could decide to get divorced, anything. If your home is suddenly back on the market, consider those backup offers you turned away – and make sure they have been pre-approved for financing!

Every sale is different, but one thing you can count on is Paige Bird, the #1 South Carolina RE/MAX agent for the last eight years. In 2021 she: negotiated the sales price for her clients to get 1.27% more than the area’s MLS; sold 115 homes for a total of $33.9 million; sold 68 of those above sales price, with an average list to sales price of 99.08%; and sold listings ranging from $8500 to $1.495 million.

Contact Paige Bird today so she can sit down with you to start the home selling process at 843-450-4773.