It’s the dream of most sellers that when the put their home
on the market, it’s for a quick sale. This tends to be especially true for
those who have spent money improving their home over the years and is in an
area or seller’s market. While you
shouldn’t worry if your house doesn’t sell in the first week after you list
your home for sale, you should begin to worry if months are flying by without
any offers. If the latter is you, here
are 11 reasons why your home may not be selling:
- Your home
is overvalued. If your home is listed for too high a price, it’s just not
going to sell. Tacking on the amount of
money you’ve spent on improvements doesn’t necessarily translate to added
value, either. Compare your property to similar homes within your neighborhood
to get a better idea of its current value.
An experienced REALTOR (like us!) can give you an accurate value of your
home. We also watch the market activity
to know if the market is shifting, as the market may change from the time that
you first listed your home to today. - Your
marketing is poor. Unfortunately, we see this one quite a bit. Poor (or not
enough) photography that doesn’t properly showcase your home means that home
buyers are going to skip over your home for the next one. A poorly written description of your home
that doesn’t highlight its unique features can also be an issue. We work with you to create marketing pieces
with professional photography that attracts the attention of target buyers for
your home. - You’re
hanging around for showings. While you may want to greet potential buyers
with a smile and show off your home, this is a no-no. Buyers feel awkward when they feel the seller
is hovering around. The last thing you want to do is make a buyer associate your
home with bad feelings. It’s best to stay away. - You’re
too attached. If you don’t want to negotiate even a penny from your price,
then there’s a chance that you’re too attached to your home. If there’s a part
of you that thinks your house is the best in the world or doesn’t want to sell,
then chances are that you’re going to have difficulty coming to an agreement
with any buyer. - Your home
is not professionally clean. A dirty house is also going to leave buyers
with a bad impression. You may not have to hire a professional, but make sure
that your home is clean to their standards with a good deep clean and stays
that way for showings. - Your home
is not staged. You want your furniture and décor to help buyers feel at
home. If you’ve already moved out, an empty house also shows smaller than it
really is. If you have an awkward space
in your home, use staging to tell potential buyers a story of how it can be
used. - Your personal
décor is up. You don’t want potential buyers to be distracted with your
personal belongings. Family portraits and other mementos tell a buyer how well
you fit in your home, not how they will. Take down your personal décor so they
can have an easier time imagining their belongings in your home. - The
improvements you made are too personalized. Custom murals, hyper-stylized
rooms, and other improvements that stray too far from mainstream design can scare
of buyers who aren’t interested in paying for something that they’re going to
change. You may find a potential buyer who shares your exact same taste, but
then you’re eliminating most potential buyers for your house. You want your home
to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. - There’s
too much clutter. Even if your home is clean, if there’s too much stuff in
there, it can be a problem. A cluttered house
with too much furniture and décor can make your home feel smaller than it is. - Your home
needs a lot of repairs. The more repairs that your home needs, the less
likely buyers will want your home. Most buyers are looking for something move
in ready so that they don’t have to deal with the cost or effort of repair
work, even if the repairs are small. A home that hasn’t been well maintained
also will make buyers think that there are even more expensive repairs hiding
where they can’t see. - You chose
the wrong real estate agent. In our opinion, this is the most important decision
you can make when selling your home. A
great REALTOR will do more than give you an accurate value for your home and do
a great job marketing, they will also come alongside you to give you honest
feedback to make sure that your goals for selling your home are met. They will
know the market and give you reasonable expectations and options so that you
can maximize the value of your home.
All these reasons can be addressed, but the longer your property
sits on the market, the more likely it will be stigmatized by buyers and the
less likely it will sell at your asking price. Choosing a great REALTOR from
the beginning is the best way to avoid making these common mistakes.
If you are thinking of selling your home, give The Gina
McKinley Group at call at 480-355-8645 or email [email protected]
today! We would love to help you navigate the current real estate market and
sell your home for the best price for you.
