You never fully understand what it takes to sell a home until you actually have to sell one.

It can be a very trying and emotional time, as your home holds memories you may not want to let go of.

However, there are other challenges that will confront you, the home seller. A particularly difficult one is ensuring no additional expense is incurred in selling the house.

Here are others:

1. You refuse to hire a professional

Statistics show that unrepresented properties have a weak presence in the market. They stay unsold for longer, making you second guess your every decision – from pricing the property to revisiting how you treated potential clients.

2. You under- or overprice your home

Mispricing property is one, if not the biggest mistake a home seller can make. Buyers pass on unjustifiably pricey homes. On the other hand, sellers erroneously undervalue their properties because they simply failed to ask for a professional assessment.

3. You don’t stage your home effectively

First impressions last. In real estate, sellers impress potential buyers through listings and open houses. Most industry professionals stage a piece of property before they show it. Staging involves making the house look inviting, and neutral. It has to appeal to the greatest number of buyers. Therefore, keep all personal mementos in storage when you do an open house.

4. You don’t clean your home before you show

No one wants to see grime in the bathroom or a film of dust on tabletops. So bust out the rags and brushes. Sometimes, buyers care more about a clean house more than they do a staged one. But don’t hedge your bets. Double down on both.

5. You consult dubious sources

Everyone has an opinion on how to sell a house, but no one is more reliable than a trained and experienced real estate agent. Sellers who listen to multiple sources are often left confused and conflicted and end up making the wrong decisions.