“Why isn’t my house selling?” is a common question Realtors are asked. This article will give the top reasons why your home isn’t selling; some may come as a surprise! You need to know what your options are if your house won’t sell.
If your house is not selling in a hot market is could be a particular issue. If your house isn’t getting showings, it could be a different issue. You don’t want to feel stuck with a house you can’t sell! There are a lot of reasons why houses don’t sell. When we have our home on the market, every day counts. The longer our home sits on the market, the less likely it is to sell. So let’s talk about the why and get you some solutions to selling your home.
Number one is that you overvalued your property. Your agent probably gave you a price range for your home and you picked what was best. The problem is that you picked what was best at the time. We have to take into account changes in the market every two to three weeks though. As the market shifts, so should your price. If you price slightly under the market it can help you by generating multiple offers. That leads to being better able to negotiate your price higher.
Check your Listing
The second reason your house isn’t selling is that the listing itself is not good. The 
listing is all about marketing. If your house isn’t getting showings it’s very likely due to the listing. You want your listing to have beautifully done professional photography of every room. Also, pictures of the outside, including the property, should be on there. The more photos the better! The description should be very well written and shall I say… Dazzling. The listing is the first thing a buyer will see and you want to wow them right off the bat.
When you do get a showing, are you present? A lot of sellers like to be there during showings, which is fine. But you don’t want to be a bother. The last thing a buyer wants is to be hounded while they’re trying to make a decision. There was one client I had to pull aside because they were following the buyer around. And every time the buyers (husband and wife) tried to talk to one another… My seller would pipe in with their opinion; telling them what to do with the space. Let your buyer enjoy the experience of shopping and deciding what they want to do with it. Or on the flip side, Some sellers are so nervous they start acting weird. Like, not wanting to say the wrong thing and just making it awkward. Be present and friendly but allow space for your buyer to enjoy this.
Are You Too Attached?
The fourth reason is that you’re just too attached to the property. This normally goes in line with somebody that sets a price too high. And when they get realistic offer on the house, they start feeling insulted. If that’s the case, you need to seriously consider if it’s the right time for you to sell your home. This can be a big reason houses don’t sell. Perhaps the reason you decided to sell isn’t that important. And if it’s not, take your home off the market. Maybe you’re not stuck with a house you can’t sell… Maybe you just don’t want to sell!
Also, you need to get your home professionally cleaned. If you don’t want to invest the money, do it yourself but be thorough. It’s extremely important to make sure that you get this right before you ever go on the market. A clean house speaks volumes to a prospective buyer. They should be able to walk in to a showing saying, “WOW.” Besides having the house super clean, windows and all… Make sure that your home doesn’t smell bad. This is something a lot of people overlook or just do wrong. First off, you don’t want a stuffy smell – get those windows open to air it out. Secondly, whatever smell you choose should be fresh, clean, or go with the season. Don’t use anything too strong and don’t choose a food smell. Fresh baked cookies smell great, but it’ll encourage a buyer to rush out to get something to eat.
The sixth thing is that your home is not staged. If your home isn’t staged, it at least needs to be decluttered and depersonalized. If you can’t afford traditional staging, do virtual staging for the photos. This is where having a super clean house comes in to play. The space will have to be clean and clear, even with virtual staging.
The seventh reason why your home isn’t selling is that you decorated it. This is not as
harsh as it sounds, I promise. You obviously like your own taste in styling, right? But you are probably not a professional interior designer. You should most likely not be staging your own house. Get your stuff out of there. Don’t pick up knick knacks or artwork for the “sale of the house”. Remove your all your personal décor. Either clear the house out entirely or hire a professional to style it. The house needs to take on the style of the new owner.
Next is that your home improvements are too personalized. From the paint on the walls to the switchplates; you don’t want it to dissuade someone from choosing your house. If you’ve made your own improvements you may consider replacing them to generic options. Re-paint the walls “off white”. Replace any fixtures that are not “hip”. Don’t leave the house looking odd because you liked it like that. It’s not yours anymore…
Landscape the Yard
The ninth point is that your yard is landscaped. Now, you don’t have to spend five thousand dollars making it perfect. Just make sure the lawn is mowed. Is it tidy? If there’s patches of grass missing, invest ten bucks to smooth it out. Plant a few flowers in the flower bed. Really you want to make sure that when a buyer steps out of their car they’re already impressed. The walk up should be really nice and eye catching.
The tenth reason your house is not selling in a hot market is that it needs too many repairs. Now, this is where the wisdom of getting a home pre-inspection comes into play. You want to have this done prior to getting on the market. If a buyer likes the house but feels like they have a fixer upper… It will not bode well for your sale. You may still sell it but will have to strip down the price. And you’ll probably have to deal with a lot of negotiation. Get all the maintenance done that you can before the house goes on the market. It will save you time and money in the long run.
The eleventh reason your home isn’t selling is simply that you chose the wrong agent. It’s extremely important to make sure that you’re verifying agent’s ratings and reviews. Look in to their past sales performance. This information is all available here at USDRE. USDRE has the most comprehensive information for real estate agents and companies. It’s extremely important to make sure you have the right dynamic between you two. The right person or team working for you will make all the difference.
Worst home-selling mistakes >>
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