Selling your house should not be a frustrating process. But sometimes - it can take longer than expected to get an offer. Part of my job as your Realtor® is to collect feedback from agents of potential buyers as to why your home wasn’t the right fit for them. This feedback helps me and the sellers strategize and make timely decisions to get your home sold. Below is a list of the common items why your home might not be selling. And while some items are just unavoidable, there are others that can be remedied to help your chances of getting that offer!
1. Outdated kitchens. Unless the homebuyer is handy or ready to take on DIY projects, buyers want to move into a home and not have to start a long list of projects. I always remind sellers that kitchens sell houses. You would also be surprised at how easy it is to give your kitchen an updated look. New hardware, paint the cabinets and put in new appliances. Voila…an aesthetically updated kitchen that will help your resale. If you’re going to make a big investment in updates, always start with the kitchen. They are the heart of the house.
2. Animal smells. I get that you love your pets, they’re a part of your family. But selling a home with animals is tough. It’s a big complaint and can be an instant turn off for buyers. If they are opposed to animal smells, they can rule out your home before they’ve even had the chance to walk around and fall in love.
3. No backyard, busy road, or bad location. These are all traits of your home that you have no control over. But these deal breakers are something buyers know they also can never change in your home. You need to consider what price you need to be at so that potential buyers can not overlook these less than desirable parts of your home.
4. No big-ticket items have been updated. Buyers understand home maintenance will mean they eventually need to invest in large updates such as furnace, a/c, roof, water heater, windows, etc. But when ALL of these need to be done within the next few years it’s a major turn off for buyers.
5. Clutter. I’m not one of those Realtors that thinks you need to have your home staged like it’s out of a magazine...but if you have so much clutter that clients can’t see the space it limits buyer’s ability to imagine how they will use your space.
6. Too much air freshener! I recently showed a home and we could smell the plug-ins and Scentsy warmers from the front porch. The smell was so overpowering it made us wonder what they were hiding!
7. Overpriced! If your home isn’t selling and you’re decluttered, cleaned and shows perfect, the reason is likely because you’re overpriced. Yes, the real estate market is hot right now, but it doesn’t justify an overpriced listing.
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