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The Biggest Stressors When Selling? Time and Money

Understandably, there’s a lot of stress involved in selling a home. From staging it to appeal to the biggest pool of buyers, to taking care of necessary repairs, to keeping it clean for last-minute showings, sellers are juggling a lot of responsibilities. But the two biggest stressors? Uncertainty about timing and price.

According to the 2019 Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trend Report, a survey of U.S. homebuyers, sellers, owners and renters, while 95 percent of home sellers find some part of selling a home stressful, the largest percentage—56 percent—say the most stressful aspect of the process is not knowing whether or not the home will sell within the timeframe they need it to. The second largest source of stress, according to 53 percent of sellers, is concern over not being able to sell their home for the desired price, followed by 52 percent who stress about an offer falling through.

Why are timing and price the most stress-inducing aspects of a home sale? Because the vast majority of home sellers (64 percent) are also homebuyers. According to the report, 51 percent of home sellers found it stressful to time the sale of their current home with the purchase of a new one.

"The two most stressful questions when selling a home—what price it will sell for, and how long it will take—are top of mind from the very beginning of the home-selling process and can have a big financial impact," said Skylar Olson, director of economic research at Zillow. "Those outcomes could ultimately be the difference between retiring now or six months later, or having to pay a new mortgage and rent in a temporary home."

Of course, the other factors involved in selling a home continue to cause their fair share of stress, as well. Not surprisingly, more than half (52 percent) of home sellers worry about making improvements to get a home ready to sell, and 43 percent find maintaining a “market-ready” home stressful. And 39 percent do indeed stress about having to vacate the premises for tours and open houses.

To help alleviate the stressors involved in home selling, working with a professional real estate agent with deep, local expertise is key. An experienced agent will understand the market on a hyperlocal level, and, therefore, be able to advise you on the best price to list your home for, thereby helping you ensure your home sells for the maximum price in the shortest amount of time.