In the current property market, selling a house isn’t an easy task. With only a small number of people looking to invest in new homes, it’s an extremely competitive market. If you’re struggling to sell your home there could be a number of factors holding you back from selling, aside from the current flat market. If your “For Sale” sign’s starting to become an ornamental garden feature, yet you’re bewildered as to why your beloved home isn’t selling, it’s time to delve deeper.
Your Home needs Airbrushing
In the competitive real estate market, potential buyers can afford to be incredibly picky. If your home has even the slightest of imperfections it can be an instant put-off for viewers. Some of the most off-putting minor flaws of a home include:
- Poor insulation – with energy bills currently being a large expenditure for homeowners, poor insulation can be a rather strong deterrent.
- Lack of attention – tatty paintwork, worn carpets and an even layer of dust throughout the home create the impression of neglect for potential buyers. If such minor aspects have been ignored, who knows the extent of hidden disrepairs?
- Too tasteful – a little personality in the home creates homeliness, too much can be viewed as distasteful for some viewers. Keep the color scheme as neutral as possible when selling so as not to single out a certain group of people.
Your home needs to presentable, attention needs to be clearly evident and the atmosphere of a happy home needs to be created. As much as you may despise the lack of personality, your home needs to mimic a show home. They generally adopt a neutral, universal appearance that allows viewers to see how they can personalize the home rather than stepping into someone else’s personal space.
Over Pricing
Overpricing can be more problematic than you’d ever assume. If your asking price is too high you’re immediately creating an unattractive deal for your viewers. Be reasonable when choosing an asking price, what price are other homes in your area of a similar description successfully selling for? You must be willing to negotiate too, many potential buyers are willing to haggle and as long as the price suits you both you should be willing to compromise.
The property market will also affect how high or low your asking price should be, currently asking prices are relatively low as competition is high and buyers are scarce. You need to be aware of the current market and its fluctuations, keeping afloat by reading property newspapers and magazines can help to keep you in the loop – which is a necessity when selling the home.
Your Marketing Strategies are Inadequate
Online marketing is a modern day essential within the property market. A decent estate agent will be comfortable with the internet and know the best places to list and market your home. Using the internet to sell your home can help to increase the rate in which your home is sold. If you know anyone who has recently sold their home and has been happy with the service their estate agent provided, then it may be wise to consider listening to their recommendation.
Homes which are on the market for too long can be extremely difficult to sell; this is due to potential buyers questioning why your home’s been on the market for so long. They may start to presume your house has severe underlying issues and that’s why it’s struggling to sell, when really you just have an estate agent who associates a mouse primarily with cheese rather than a computer.
The current property market is incredibly competitive so having your home in pristine condition is a necessity. But you also need to be aware that it may not be your home that’s the problem, more the way it’s being sold. Keeping up to date with real estate news can help you to understand the ins and outs of selling the home much better, thus giving you the power to sell your home much quicker.
This post was written by Stephanie Staszko on behalf of Tapshop321 kitchen taps you can catch Steph on Twitter @StephStaz for more home improvement, interior design and DIY musings!