10 Unspoken Rules Sellers Need to Know


This is the first of my two-part series in which I’ll share with you 10 unspoken rules every home seller needs to know.
There are a variety of opportunities in the Central Pennsylvania real estate market for both buyers and sellers.
If you're a prospective buyer click here for a full home search, or if you're considering placing your home on the market, get a free home value report, right here.


Welcome to the first part of my two-part series on the 10 unspoken rules that every home seller should know. 1. Not everything needs upgraded. Door hinges, venting covers, cabinet knobs, and light fixtures are great places to spend money because they’re small fixes that make a big difference in appearance. Think about other small, easy upgrades that you can make. If you’re not sure about where to put your money, stick to kitchens and bathrooms. Do not hide your house behind old, overgrown bushes. Fix the siding, give it a fresh coat of paint, seal the driveway, and power wash. Make a good first impression, because you’ll never sell your home if you can’t get the buyer through the front door. 2. The appraiser won’t save you. If you think you can haggle with the appraiser, you’re in for a surprise. Most appraisers won’t even listen to my opinion! The appraiser won’t budge from their final assessment and risk losing their license for being anything but impartial. Do what you can to increase the value of your home, but don’t get hung up on it. Appraisers are like buyers—if your home looks good, it will have a greater impact.
Do what you can to increase the value of your home, but don’t get hung up on it.
3. Home staging does matter. If you can’t completely move out, you need to declutter. It’s difficult to imagine yourself in a home that’s made up for someone else. It might be your ideal style, but it might be far away from the buyer’s taste. Focus on keeping the staging as clean and as simple as possible. Vacant homes are harder to sell, so if you do move out, you don’t need to take major pieces of furniture with you. They’re important!

4. Your window of opportunity is smaller than you think. If you think you’re all caught up, you’re probably still behind. You need to have a time frame for the sale. Put it on the market at the right time, price it right, have it cleaned and staged, and your property is guaranteed to sell fast. 

5. Planning needs to be done early—and stick to it! Organize and prioritize the things you need to sell your home and get them done. You should also stay focused on the bottom line. Do what you need to do to sell your home for the most profit in the least amount of time. It’s hard to keep a house looking good for months and months.

In my next installment, I’ll discuss the five remaining unspoken rules that sellers should know. If you have any questions, just give us a call at (717) 695-3177 or send us an email at Info@JoyDaniels.com. We would be happy to help you!