Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
You have worked tirelessly in an effort to sell your house, but unfortunately the offers are coming in slower than molasses. If your house has been on the market for a while with no offers, there's probably a good reason. Here are six reasons why your house may not be selling.
The price isn't right
The most common reason that a home doesn't sell is that the price is too high. If your house has been for sale for months with no offers or with only offers that are considerably below your asking price that might be a good sign that you are asking too much.
It needs updating
Most people don't want to spend money and put work into their home right before they put it up for sale, but most buyers want a move-in ready home. If your home isn't selling, it might be because it needs updating. Some fairly inexpensive things you can do to update your home are to paint in neutral colors, replace light fixtures and change the window treatments.
It needs major work
A house with a major problem such as a furnace on its last legs or a roof that needs replaced, is likely to turn off potential buyers. Very few people want to spend six figures on a house and then have to spend five figures on repairs. If you have a big item that needs fixed or replaced, it's better to just bite the bullet and take care of it. For example, if your Canadian Comfort windows need to be replaced, you should go ahead and replace them.
Your curb appeal is unappealing
It's hard to get buyers to go inside your house if the outside is uninviting. Overgrown grass and bushes, cracked concrete, shingles peeling off, junk in the yard -- these are all things you need to take care of if you expect buyers to walk in your door.
You haven't divorced yourself from the house
A house that's full of pictures of your kids or your parents or your long-dead great-grandpa can turn off buyers. People want to be able to picture themselves in your home, and if they can't, they aren't likely to make an offer.
The timing isn't right
Putting your home on the market at the wrong time could make it hard to sell. Listing it after school has started for the year, for instance, could mean few if any offers.
These are just a few of the reasons why your house might not be selling. Ultimately, a home sale is about finding the right fit.
Your article is spot on about the reasons a home might not sell. I stage homes to appeal to buyers and 4 of the 6 reasons you mentioned above are considered in the staging process. I believe the hardest part for a homeowner is "divorcing themselves from the house". It's important they view the house as a product and let it go. After that, it's easier for them to see the value in the other three points.