Home Not Selling? Common Culprits To Consider

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Home Not Selling? Common Culprits To Consider

25 July 2017
 Categories: Real Estate, Blog


Selling a home requires a balance of good marketing, proper pricing and flexibility. Unfortunately, many homeowners see houses in their neighborhood go under contract rapidly and mistakenly believe that theirs will do the same. This can lead to confusion when their home sits on the market for any one of several reasons. If you're thinking about putting up your home for sale, here are a few common problems that you may have.

Neglecting Necessary Repairs

Very few buyers are going to be willing to invest in a home that needs extensive repair work. Overlooking signs of neglect and poor condition can scare buyers away because they don't want to get into a fixer-upper. Unfortunately, it's easy to overlook some signs of damage when you've been living in the home for many years.

Some of the things that you should look for before you list your home include shingle damage, uneven spots in your floors, cracks in the foundation, and any water spots on the ceilings. The best way to avoid having this kind of problem with selling your home is to contact a home inspector who can do a thorough inspection for you before you list. That way, you'll know all of the potential issues that a buyer would see, as well as any thing that might come up in the home inspection done as part of the sale process.

Not Addressing Odors

The presence of any kind of odd smell or odor in your home is a quick way to turn prospective buyers away. Unfortunately, this can include things that you may not even notice anymore because you've lived with them for so long. Whether it's pet odors, lingering cigarette smoke odor or even musty smells from past water damage, these are all things you'll want to deal with before you list.

If you are worried that you're missing an odor in your home, one of the best ways to find out is to invite some friends or family over at different times. Choose people who don't spend a lot of time in your home. Ask them to take a walk through the house and tell you honestly if they notice any odors. That way, you can call a cleaning company or other specialist to deal with it.

Preparing Poorly For Showings

Whether it's an open house or individual showings, proper preparation is important. If your home doesn't show well, you'll be less likely to convert that showing to an offer. When you are ready to list your home, the first step you should take afterward is to work with a staging company to create a welcoming, neutral and inviting atmosphere. They'll help you minimize clutter, depersonalize everything in the house and make the most of the key features.

Make sure your climate control system works well and keeps your home comfortable no matter the weather. If it's too hot or too cold inside, it's going to leave prospective buyers feeling uncomfortable. Finally, before every open house, bake a tray or two of cookies. That way, your home is filled with the smell of cookies and potential buyers are greeted with home-baked goodies when they enter.