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Posted about 9 years ago

5 Reasons Your House Isn´t Selling & What You Can Do to Change That

So you're all set to sell your house and have made the necessary plans for this including making it look presentable and even posting it on various web listings. 

However, it´s been a while now since you placed the advertisement and yet no one has shown any real interest in the property.

What could be wrong? 

Why are you having trouble attracting a buyer? 

Here are 5 common obstacles home owners face when trying to sell a property and how you can overcome them.

1. Your Listing Price is Comparatively Higher

This is perhaps one of the most likely reasons your house is yet to sell. Typically, most buyers today have the luxury of conducting price comparisons before making a purchase, thanks to the convenience of numerous online listings at their disposal. 

This, therefore, means that if your price is relatively higher compared to other homes in your house´s category, then you can be sure buyers will be tempted away by the cheaper options available to them.

It´s natural to have an emotional attachment to your home. However, it is also important to understand that this may influence the price you would like to sell your house at. If this sounds familiar to you, then it may be time to consider being a little more flexible and acknowledge that settling on a lower and more realistic valuation will go a long way in increasing the competitiveness of your property in the market. 

Make sure to speak with your realtor on a recommended price adjustment you will feel comfortable with.

2. The House Appears Neglected 

Today´s home buyers are typically busy people and thus will not prefer to purchase a house that demands them more time for repairs and renovations. 

Your house may appear to be ´´okay´´ to you, but remember that the slightest evidence of fault such as a leaky roof, chipped paint on walls, uncleanly rooms/bathrooms may be more than enough to discourage and push away any potential buyers.

However, this does not mean that you should spend thousands of dollars trying to make an overhaul of the house. Rather, making a few simple changes and a good deep cleaning can go a long way that will be sufficient to increase its chances of attracting a buyer.

3. There´s Too Much ´´You´´ in the House

This is a common mistake with sellers whereby they fail to understand that their taste may not necessarily tally with that of potential buyers. 

For example, your house may have very personalized items or anything else out of ordinary that you´ve accumulated over the years while living there. 

This might include wall charts, unique paintings and other items you love and which define you. However, this may send wrong signals and reduce the desirability of your house to a potential buyer, especially if the environment created does not match their taste. 

For this reason, you may want to consider going neutral in the sense that everything from its paint color and anything visible creates a neutral setting and tone.

The idea is to keep your house presentable in a way that allows potential buyers to be able to imagine themselves living in your home. 

Think about the way model homes are presented. If you can present your home in a similar fashion your home will have a better chance of successfully selling.

4. Poor Advertisement (Bad Photos)

When it comes to listing your house, always remember that homes with the most striking and visually appealing photos attracts the highest number of potential buyers. 

Buyers may question your advertisement if you´ve only provided a few photos in the listing, and may not be good for your house´s ability to sell.

Ensure that your photos are bright and of good quality as this increases the visibility of your advert in the listing. 

You could also consider seeking the services of a professional photographer to assist you in taking the best shots. It is imperative that you focus more on the best features and other details that might interest and draw in potential buyers.

5. Unattractive Location

This is another possible reason your house may not be selling despite having all the interesting features that are deemed attractive to buyers. 

Perhaps you are located near an airport or on a busy street or highway which are all areas that many people will not find desirable for residential purposes. 

Unfortunately, you don't really have a good option regarding this aspect except to make a few changes to the house in a bid to reduce its setting disadvantages. This may include adding some insulated windows and setting up a high fence among other changes.

Selling to an Investor

However, if you are in a rush to sell your house or do not have the money to initiate these upgrades or changes, you can sell the property to a real estate investor instead of relying on the services of a traditional realtor.

Real estate investors will buy your home regardless of its condition and thus buy it "as-is". 

The process of buying a home when using an investor generally takes less than 10 days to complete, meaning that you won´t have to wait weeks or months on end, especially if your case is urgent.

It´s a no-brainer that selling a home can be one of the most daunting tasks for anyone trying to sell a home, especially through traditional channels. 

However, selling your home to a real estate investor is certainly a wise and convenient option for anyone who needs to sell their home fast, that is definitely worth considering.


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