If your home isn’t selling, these are the important things to reassess to make it move faster.
Are you selling your home but are finding that it just isn’t moving? Maybe no buyers are coming by, or if they are, you’re not getting any offers. Markets go through slow phases, but even in a downturn, you should be able to sell your home.
So, what’s really going on with your sale? Ask yourself these eight questions to determine what you need to do to make your property more appealing to buyers and sell your home faster.
1. Did I price it too high?
This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you’re asking price is too high, you are eliminating many buyers from the pool. Most people believe their home is worth more than it really is, however the reality is that your home is only worth what someone will pay for it.
If your home is not selling, you may want to consider lowering the price. Work with your real estate agent to determine the best list price for your home. Lowering it now will be better than leaving it on the market for months, and then finding you have to lower it later.
2. Does my home have curb appeal?
Do a drive by of your house and see for yourself if a potential buyer is greeted by an unkempt yard, peeling paint, overgrown weeds, and wilting flowers. Take a hard, objective look at the exterior. Is the lawn nice? Are the hedges cut? Is the paint fresh or vinyl siding clean? Is it well lit at night?
The best way to figure out what to do to increase the curb appeal in your own home is to look at other homes that appeal to you. What do you see? What makes a particular house stand out? Simple upkeep and adding some inexpensive touches like solar lights can make a big difference in the first impression your home makes when potential buyers come to take a look.
3. Is my home clean?
Cleanliness really counts when you home isn’t selling. Is your house really clean? Not just tidy, but has it been deep cleaned recently? Look at the window ledges, baseboards, appliances, corners, and even the ceiling. Everything should look as pristine as possible.
You need to look at your house the way a buyer will. While you would never leave a sink full of dirty dishes or a pile of laundry in the laundry room when you’re showing, buyers are also noticing the cobwebs in the corners, the grease splatters on the stove, and the dust in the cabinets. This makes the house feel old and “used,” and you want to give buyers the impression that this is a new home (it will be to them when they buy it).
4. Did I depersonalize?
Before you show your home, you need to declutter all your spaces. Sure, you love all your trinket collections from your travels over the years, but it’s best to pack them up and keep them out of sight. Limit your shelves and bookcases to a few decorative pieces and hardcover books.
Reassess your furniture as well. All your extra chairs might be functional for guests, but you want a buyer to walk through each room and get a feel for how spacious it is. Trim down your furniture and let the spaces speak for themselves.
Finally, get rid of any personal items. Replace family photos with landscapes, remove anything religious or political, and put away all monogrammed towels and clothing. You want your buyer to feel like the home can be theirs.
5. Is my agent working hard enough to sell my home?
It’s possible that your real estate agent isn’t doing enough to sell your home faster. Some real estate agents simply don’t have the self-starting attitude necessary to sell a house that poses a challenge; they do better with houses that sell themselves. Or perhaps you picked a great agent, but they have so many clients that they simply can’t devote enough time to you.
If you don’t feel your agent is living up to your expectations, talk to them about what you want to see happen. Make sure you stay in constant touch with your Realtor and receive updates about what they are doing to make your home sell. Don’t be afraid to communicate with them that you are not satisfied.
6. Are there critical repairs that need to be done before I sell my home?
No home is without its unique issues. However, most homebuyers are looking to find a home that they can move into without a lot of hassle. If your house has a serious issue like a roof that needs repairs or a leaky pipe, your home is not going to appeal to buyers.
Before listing your home, you should have had a home inspection. Look over that inspection and see if there are any issues you can fix now to help it sell. If you haven’t had a home inspection, now is a great time to have that done.
7. Is my home sale listing attracting buyers?
Does your listing adequately highlight the best features of your house? If not, this could be keeping potential buyers from even considering your home.
The most important part of an attractive listing is professional photos. Even if a home checks all the boxes, many buyers won’t even want to tour a property if the photos are bad. Look at the photos objectively. Are there any glaring mistakes like a reflection in the mirror, bad angles, out-of-focus shots, a toilet lid up, or clutter in the background? If so, then talk to your Realtor about hiring a professional photographer.
Some photo tips:
- Be sure the house is clean.
- Remove cars from the driveway for exterior photos.
- Shoot wide angles.
- Make sure there is plenty of light—preferably natural light. Avoid using flash, which washes out shots.
- Take plenty of pictures, especially of the perks your home offers like a fireplace or new roof.
- Always include photos of your kitchen. If you include a photo of the kitchen table, have it set with modern placemats and cutlery.
- Add descriptions to each photo.
Make sure the description of your home is accurate. The listing must state the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, living space square footage, outdoor square footage, and garage capacity, and school system. Also include features such as a fireplace, central air, hardwood floors, granite countertops, new appliances, and anything recently added or remodeled like updated bathrooms or a new roof.
8. Am I making my home available for tours?
You need to make sure that you are making time for your agent to bring potential buyers for viewings to sell your home. If you have a lot of restrictions about when someone can come by, you may lose potential buyers.
Put a lockbox on your door so they can show it any time. Always leave your home in good condition so that if someone wants to take a look, they don’t find your home in disarray. The best way to do this is to have a list of things to do at the end of each day and before leaving your home, such as picking up toys, loading the dishwasher, and putting away clothes and laundry.
