0
0
Some houses sell very quickly. Others seem to attract no serious buyers, even in a seller’s market where more people want to buy a home than there are homes for sale.
If you are having trouble selling your house, you might wonder if you are doing something wrong or if there is something wrong with your house. What stops a house from selling, and can you do something about it?
Here are seven reasons why your house might be difficult or impossible to sell.
1. The house needs repairs or upgrades
Some buyers love a fixer-upper. Others will stay away from houses that need repairs or upgrades.
If there are visible cracks in your walls, your house will probably not sell. Same thing if your water heater and your air conditioning system are broken, if your roof is leaking, or if there is mould in your basement.
An ugly carpet or overwhelming wall colours might also stop a house from selling. Sometimes, all you need to do to attract buyers is make a few necessary repairs, replace your outdated carpet with wood flooring, or repaint your walls with neutral colours.
2. The house is not staged properly
Even if your house is not ugly, it might be difficult to sell if it’s not well-staged. Of course, you can hire a professional to stage it for you, but you can also take care of it independently.
You also need to make sure your house is clean and that it’s not cluttered. No one will be interested in buying a messy house, even if they know the current owner will take all their junk with them when they leave.
So get rid of the clutter, keep everything clean, and stage your home to make it appealing to potential buyers. If you’d like professional help, contact companies that buy houses for cash and they’ll provide assistance.
3. The listing pictures and descriptions are unflattering
An unprofessional listing can also stop a house from selling. Remember that your listing is your first and sometimes your only chance to make a good impression on potential buyers.
So be sure you have great photos of your house. If necessary, hire a professional photographer to take these photos for you. You don’t want them to be blurry or dark. You want them to make potential buyers want to visit your house.
Same thing with the description. You need a property description that will showcase the best aspects of your house and make people want to learn more.
4. The house is overpriced
If your house is overpriced, it will be difficult for you to find interested buyers.
It may not be a good idea to ask for what you think your house is worth. It will always have more value to you than to someone who has never lived in it. Instead, ask a reliable real estate agent to help you find a fair, competitive price for your house before you put it on the market.
And if a potential buyer wants to negotiate with you, refusing to negotiate with them could make them want to look for another house.
5. The owner picked the wrong real estate agent
Unfortunately, not every real estate agent delivers what they promise to deliver. If your house is not selling despite being in great condition and being priced competitively, maybe the problem is that you picked the wrong real estate agent.
It’s not too late to change your mind and work with someone else. And if you’re not working with an agent yet, be sure to choose wisely.
If you don’t want to pay a commission to a real estate agent, you can sell your house yourself. But be sure you know what you are doing and that you will be able to market your house properly.
You don’t want to end up being the reason why your house is not selling.
6. The neighbourhood is not inviting
A bad neighbourhood can also be what stops a house from selling. If your house looks great but is in an uninviting neighbourhood, it could be difficult to find potential buyers.
The problem could also be that your neighbours are noisy. Any potential buyer who came to a showing could have heard them and decided they did not want to have this type of neighbour.
7. The owner interferes with showings
Finally, your house could be difficult to sell because you interfere with showings.
Are you limiting showing times or always having a good reason to cancel a scheduled showing? Or perhaps you can’t keep yourself from hovering over the real estate agent whenever they show your home to a potential buyer.
Let your real estate agent do their job, and allow buyers to see your house. But only after it has been decluttered and staged, of course!
