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12 reasons My House Doesn’t Sell

Tuesday, April 18, 2023   /   by Alvina Usher

12 reasons My House Doesn’t Sell

1. The price is too high

When it comes to reasons a home isn’t selling, if it’s not condition, it’s always price, and in fact, it’s usually always price.

 

What’s the fix?

In most cases, it’s time for a price drop.

A price cut may sound like the kiss of death for getting the value you’d hoped for. But in reality price reductions are quite common and sometimes necessary to reel buyers in.

 

2. You missed the market’s peak

Real estate isn’t as volatile as the stock market, but it can quietly shift while you aren’t paying attention.

 

What’s the fix?

Keep up with what’s going on in the market and examine a buyer’s options in real time. 

Taking that journey with a professional allows sellers to arrive at a better understanding of how their home stacks up against others and how they can improve its appeal to buyers.

Depending on what the competition looks like, a seller may either choose to bring their house up to standard or reduce the price accordingly.

 

3. You’ve got a specific problem to address

Even if a showing doesn’t provide you with a buyer, it gives you something to important: intel. Showing feedback is extremely important.

 

What’s the fix?

Once you’ve identified that there’s an issue, you can work to mitigate it. If multiple buyers say your house is too dark, you can add lighting, declutter or hire someone to clean the windows.

If buyers are having trouble envisioning something specific — where to hang a TV in a living room full of windows, or how to fit a king-sized bed in a smaller master bedroom — you can update your staging to illustrate a solution.

 

4. You’re working with the wrong buyers

Let’s say your home needs some work. The roof is getting old, the construction materials may contain asbestos and aren’t in the best shape, and there’s a bit of water damage in the basement that you don’t have the savings to fix right now.

Or maybe you listed your home in a rush out of necessity — you need the extra cash, or a loved one is facing a change in health. But things aren’t moving at the speed you need them to.

 

 What’s the fix?

Sell your home to a real estate investor, house-buying company, or iBuyer instead. Some direct real estate buyers are more accepting of homes that require a little TLC. Most pay with all-cash. Here’s how it usually works: You provide a few details about your home, the buyer names their cash price, and then you decide whether you want to accept or decline the offer.

 

5. Your home is unconventional

Unique properties — such as very large, high-end or expensive houses, or homes located in unusual areas or with quirky features and style — aren’t for everybody, so they usually take a little longer to sell.

  

What’s the fix?

First of all, patience. If your home is unconventional, you’re probably going to have to wait for the perfect buyer.

Second, think about what appealed to you when you bought the home. There’s got to be other buyers out there who will feel the same way.

Make sure your marketing and advertising strategy casts the distinctive features in a positive light, so the property resonates with buyers who would appreciate its charms.

Finally, get that information in front of the right people. Besides online real estate sites, consider posting on Facebook groups, Google adds, specialty websites, mailing lists, that target your buyers.

 

6. Your staging isn’t successful — or is non-existent

Showings allow buyers to get a feel for your home and give them a chance to envision the space as their own.

That’s hard to do if they’re tripping over children’s toys in the dining room or overwhelmed by travel tchotchkes bulging out of built-in bookshelves.

Unstaged homes can seem cluttered, cramped, dark, and small.

Typically, a staged home sells for more money, and it does sell in a shorter amount of time.

 

What’s the fix?

Get a jump on your move. Declutter and pack up family photos, other treasures and place them in storage. Now that you can see the floors, walls, shelves and other spaces, you can determine what to paint or repair.

Since you’re leaving, it’s understandable that you don’t want to fix things you’ve ignored for years. But, little upgrades often bring a huge return on investment, as can hiring a professional stager.

The right staging almost always doubles or triples your investment.

If the seller is still living in the house we wouldn’t necessarily recommend staging every single bedroom — just your living areas, kitchen, bathrooms and primary suite.

Remember that less is more. Staging isn’t about scattering potpourri and adding a ton of decor. Good staging focuses on minimizing distractions and maximizing layout and design to highlight a home’s best features.

 

7. Your curb appeal is no good

Buyers can’t appreciate your awesome interior if they don’t make it through the front door or get out of the car. An overgrown yard or rundown façade stops buyers in their tracks.

It’s hard to believe paint, pressure washing, pine straw, and petunias can translate into thousands of dollars. But, numbers don’t lie.

 

What’s the fix?

Make the local garden club — or at least other sellers in the neighborhood — green with envy.

Without much effort or expense, you can DIY or work with a professional landscaper and contractor to upgrade your landscaping, get your grass a brilliant green, plant a few flowers, and fix anything weathered or broken on your home’s exterior.

And hey, why not paint your door a cute color? The right shade will l help create an inviting entrance.

 

8. Your listing photos aren’t professional quality

After completing all that work on staging and curb appeal, you’ll be excited to show off the house. But, if your listing photos aren’t close to magazine quality, nobody is going to come see it in person.

These days, a few poorly-lit, blurry iPhone shots won’t cut it.

We do professional photos, videography, drone footage and virtual ‘walkable’ layout with every single client,

 

What’s the fix?

Amp up your digital marketing, and replace bad photos with professional ones if you haven’t already. Talk to your agent about adding a video listing or 3-D walkthrough. Most agents contract with local photographers and pay for those services out of their commission.

If media is not included or you’re listing the property yourself, a small investment in professional photography will deliver huge returns.

 

9. Your listing description is to dry

What’s the fix?

Grab a pen and write a love letter to your home. Describe the features that make you love this place and buyers will feel the magic, too.

We’re not selling a house so much as we’re selling lifestyle.

The number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, parking spaces and other data appear in the basic MLS stats.

We don’t have to reiterate that information in the copy, we look at: How can we paint a picture about this house? Who are our buyers? Where’s the opportunity? What can buyers see themselves doing in this home?

 

10. Your marketing needs a makeover

If you’re relying on print ads and yard signs, you may not be generating excitement or reaching the right buyers.

Buyers are most likely to find the house online first and send it to their agent, it’s so important — especially in a COVID world — to be very, very visible on social media and on all of those third-party sites.

More than 38% of today’s  buyers find photos, interactive maps, virtual open houses, virtual tours, and videos helpful. Through use of these digital tools, 51% of today’s buyers find their home on the internet.

 

What’s the fix?

Your best strategy is to engage a top-notch sales agent in your area to evaluate your home as well as to identify opportunities and implement a marketing strategy.

Call to Alvina Usher, Your Trusted Ottawa Realtor to help evaluate and maximize your marketing strategy.

 

11. You’re getting bad advice

Nearly every issue on this list could be avoided by working with me from the beginning of making decision to sell your home.

I will collaborate on pricing, staging, and curb appeal as well as drive the marketing efforts and analyze the need to make changes based on feedback from showings.

 

What’s the fix?

Make sure you’re working with an agent who is an expert in the kind of home you’re trying to sell. Whether it comes from a well-meaning agent friend or relative from across town or on the other side of the country, advice from out-of-area agents or those that specialize in a different property type can be a gamble.

Their pricing can be off by a lot, or they just don’t know how to properly highlight the home features or the neighborhoods.

 

12. You’re a helicopter seller

Sometimes it’s hard to let go. Even if you’re moving to your dream home, your equity in your current home is worth more than money alone. It’s filled with emotional ties and memories.

Some sellers want to control the process. For example, sellers might want themselves or their agent to be present at all showings.

But, the seller’s presence can create problems. That energy from the seller gives the buyers the feeling of being watched and prevents buyers from walking around the house as if it were their home.

 

What’s the fix?

All it takes to stop hovering is a little willpower and a trip to a gourmet coffeehouse or swanky wine bar.

It works the best when the sellers just pass off the keys and let a real estate professional like Alvina Usher, Your Trusted Ottawa Realtor, to guide them through the process. It seems to flow a little bit better for everybody. 

  #realestateagentinottawa, #realestateagenttipshowtosellyourhouse

Details Realty Inc. Brokerage
Alvina Usher
1530 Stittsville Main St.
K2S 1B2, ON
613-796-1449

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