Why Isn’t My House Selling? 7 Common Downfalls for Home Sellers
January 14, 2019
It’s a question home sellers have asked since the beginning of time: why isn’t my house selling? Here are the most likely reasons and how to fix them.
Home sales are on the rise in the U.S., with over five million homes being sold every year.
Many people are selling their homes quickly and at great prices. But, if you’re currently in the process of selling your house, you know that these sales don’t always go according to plan.
Are you currently scratching your head and wondering, “Why isn’t my house selling?”
If so, we’re here to help you identify the reason.
Why Isn’t My House Selling?
There are lots of potential issues that could be affecting the sale of your home.
Listed below are seven common mistakes homeowners make that can keep their house on the market longer than they’d like:
1. You Need to Make Some Repairs
If you’ve been trying unsuccessfully to sell your home, it might be because it’s looking a bit worse for the wear.
Sometimes, you need to pay for some home improvements in order to make your house more appealing to potential buyers. Be honest and ask yourself if your house is in a condition that warrants the current asking price.
If it’s not, it might be time to make some changes.
Is your carpeting or flooring worn out or scratched? Are there chips in the paint or cracks in the walls?
All of these issues can cause home buyers to look elsewhere, especially if they can find another house in the same area that has already taken care of these problems.
2. You’re Not Showcasing it Well
Sometimes, the issue isn’t the house itself. Instead, it’s the way you’re showcasing it.
Did you take pictures of the house with an iPhone? Are they poorly lit or blurry? Low-quality photos are a common mistake among sellers, and they can seriously hinder your ability to sell your home.
Consider hiring a professional photographer to come in and take pictures of your home, or at least borrow some professional camera equipment if you insist on taking the pictures yourself.
In addition to taking good pictures, make sure you’re staging your home to sell it.
Get rid of clutter and personal photos, and make sure everything is neat and clean. This helps potential buyers envision themselves living in your home and increases their chances of making an offer.
3. You Haven’t Priced it Properly
Like it or not, there’s a possibility that you might be asking for too much money for your house.
Of course, you don’t want to feel like you’re giving your house away. But, you have to be realistic when setting the price. If people aren’t buying, it might be time to lower the asking price a bit.
Pay attention to what other homes in your area are selling for. Be honest about comparing your house to these homes, too.
Are they larger? Recently updated? Located on a quieter street?
You might have to ask a little less to get your house off the market. But, it will be worth it if you’re able to sell your house and start progressing with your move.
4. You Need to Focus on Curb Appeal
The interior of your home might be in great shape, but does the exterior reflect it? If your yard and the exterior of your house aren’t up to snuff, you could be scaring away potential buyers before they even take a look inside.
Consider painting your front door or cleaning up the front of the house to make it look more inviting. You might need to make repairs to the stucco or siding, too.
Don’t neglect the landscaping, either. Keep your lawn neatly mowed and get rid of weeds in your flower beds. Repair any cracks in the walkway or driveway as well.
5. You Need to Update Your Appliances
This can be a hard pill for home sellers to swallow. After all, what’s the point of buying new appliances if you don’t get to use them for very long?
The reasoning for this is the same as the reasoning for improving the interior of your home. Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices in order to sell your house.
If you don’t want to update your appliances, you might at least want to consider updating the hardware in your kitchen and bathroom. Replacing cabinet and drawer handles and faucets can make a big difference to the overall appearance, and it’s much cheaper than springing for all new appliances.
6. You Need to Improve Your Marketing Tactics
You might have a great house, but if you’re not doing a great job of letting people know that it’s on the market, nobody’s going to want to buy it.
There are lots of things you can do to improve your marketing approach, including the following:
- Print out postcards and flyers and distribute them throughout your neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods
- Hire a videographer to come in and film a tour of your home
- Hold frequent open houses
Make sure you’re using home sales websites and social media appropriately, too. These can be powerful tools for making sure people know your house is on the market.
7. You’re Working with the Wrong Agent
Finally, you might need to consider whether or not you’re working with the right real estate agent. Not all agents are created equal.
And, if you’ve done everything else on this list and your house still isn’t budging, the agent might be the issue.
Think about the amount of communication you have with your agent and ask yourself if he or she is truly doing everything they can to sell your home. If they’re not, have an honest conversation with them and express your concerns.
If nothing changes, you might need to move on and start working with someone else.
Need More Help Selling Your Home?
Do you now have an answer to the question, “Why isn’t my house selling?” Are you guilty of any of these common mistakes?
There’s a solution to your issue, from working with a different agent to changing how the outside of your home looks. If you’re not sure how to go about fixing them, or if you just need more home sales guidance, we can help.
Contact us today to learn more about we can help you sell your home quickly and for a great price.