Why Isn’t My House Selling?

By Kristen Noble

There is no trick to sell your house faster. The houses I’ve listed that I think will go quickly don’t, and the ones I think will sit don’t. People will speculate the real estate market and economy are bad and tax credits are no longer available. Instead of rationalizing why your house isn’t selling, get proactive. If your agent has used various marketing plans, taken great pictures to advertize, and you have followed professional advice regarding the listing price you need to ask yourself an important question. What have you done to sell your house?

There have been 123 new listings put into the multiple listing service, the MLX system, in the past two days in our area. Today, October 1st, 178 listings expired without selling. You have to put forth effort to sell your house.  It is not all up to your agent.

In a majority of cases you are selling your house to buy a new one. Put the shoe on your other foot. When you look for a future home on line what draws you to a property? I assume that when you see clutter, dirty dishes, pet food dishes on a countertop, overflowing garbage cans, a toilet seat up with colorful surprises in it, mouse traps, or crazy colors you immediately pick up the phone and beg your agent to get you a showing as soon as possible, right? Seriously, how does your house look on line? What has the feedback been on showings?

Paint with neutral colors before listing your house. If the photos used to advertise your house are showing distinct decorating styles, it may cause buyers hesitation to set up a showing. A house is an investment. The less work buyers need to do, the more likely you are to sell quickly. Each time a house has the right lay out and square footage, a buyer starts a check list of repairs and cosmetic changes that they want to make. If you have an individual that has never done any home repairs or painted, they are making those changes are more expensive than they actually are.  The higher the cost they calculate for making improvements or changes the lower the price you will be offered. That can of paint and a little elbow grease is a small investment for a faster sale.

Don’t advertise why you’re moving. If you are outgrowing your home don’t have photos of rooms look crammed. How do your online pictures look? Does your house look spacious and move in ready or not? Clean, paint, and de-clutter. By all means, if you have carpeting over hardwood flooring, yank up that rug. Invest in some inexpensive neutral curtain sheers to brighten a room. Buy a new comforter set that is neutral. To make a less expensive change, put a crisp new sheet over the top of your comforter. Add some throw pillows. To save some money, wrap pillows in fabric and use a safety pin to hold on that change. Decorate with mums, pumpkins, and gourds in and outside for a great homey atmosphere. Using plastic containers and place them in a linen closet or under the bathroom sink for all your toiletries. A quick trip to your neighborhood dollar store for clean white towels and dishtowels will help for photographs too.

Hiring a professional home stager is a lot less expensive than a price drop. Give yourself the best opportunity you can to sell quickly. If you don’t use a home stager, your competition may be.

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