My flip isn't selling

Buying & Selling Real Estate
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My flip isn't selling

Amanda Fulmer
Demorest, GA · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 2 votes

Hey everyone! I desperately need some help!! Last September my husband, my brother-in-law, and myself partnered and bought a our first flip project. We bought the property for 122,0000. After a complete rehab, two contractor changes and several months of learning the hard way, we are finished with the home. We listed it in March and we still have had no offers. It's completely remodeled with a large kitchen and some acerage. We have had a few agents look at the property and tell us that we are priced well for the market at 275,000. Can anyone give some advice? Maybe others have done creative ideas of what to do!?

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Jason Turgeon
Realtor · Boston, MA · Member since 2019 · 244 posts · 275 votes
7y

OK, I'm going to give you some tough love. I'm sorry if it hurts. 

This place reeks of cut corners.

Pull it off the market for a few weeks. During that time:

* Hire a professional real estate agent, not a flat fee service. You're in business now. Professionals don't try to cut other professionals out of the business, they see the value in paying for experience. Almost every buyer will be working with an agent, and as an agent I can tell you I would never show this place to a client. Listen to your agent when they tell you what to change and what to price it at. 

* Try to make up for the corner you cut by not hiring a designer. Repaint at least a couple of rooms with more modern colors. Upgrade the cheap lighting fixtures and make sure all the bulbs work. Install modern, stylish cabinet and drawer pulls. Next time, hire a designer to help you avoid these mistakes. 

* Get the property staged by a professional staging company. They'll help you hide some of the shortcuts you took (like the acres of LVP) and help buyers visualize themselves in the house. 

* Address any landscaping issues and exterior touches. You can do it yourself, but make sure it looks like you hired a pro. The landscaping looks OK but the exterior pictures are pretty blah, especially the side with the back door and the crooked siding. Do what you can to pretty it up. 

* After you've done all this, and only after, get professional photos taken and relist it at the price your agent suggests. It may be significantly lower than you're asking. 

Edit: 

Where's the fridge? Are they supposed to provide their own? 

Kitchens and baths sell homes. For next time, read up on functional kitchen design. The kitchen and master bath layouts are so unfortunate, and it's unfixable without serious money. 

The island is set up so that the stools face the kitchen sink. The island blocks the path from the sink to the stove. The stove is on an interior wall so that you can't install a proper exhaust fan to vent smoke. Again, there's NO FRIDGE. And then there's the little stuff, like the missing pulls, sink that's undersized for the space, upper cabinets that could have reached the ceiling but don't, weird dead space in front of the breaker panel, oddly hung light over the island, etc. I can see the buyers turning around and leaving now. 

And that's before they get to that master bathroom with the toilet smack in front of the double vanities, the mirrors that are out of proportion for the wall, the stickers still on the shower doors, and the roll of toilet paper with no home. 

There's no fixing these layouts, so again do what you can with staging and pricing. 

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  • Renay Reese
    Property Manager · San Antonio Texas · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 29 votes
    7y

    its not priced correctly. 

    2Reply
  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    7y

    Whats the address? We can maybe take a look to see if anything sticks out, like if the marketing is bad or there is an obvious detractor.

    [email protected]301-893-4635Podcast Guest on Show #192
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    0Reply
  • Amanda Fulmer
    OP
    Demorest, GA · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    217 Hilltop Lane Clarkesville ga 30523

    1Reply
  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    7y

    Bad photography, blown out lightbulbs, looks dark and dingy which might be the photos, bad copy, cant visualize the layout from the photos.

    [email protected]301-893-4635Podcast Guest on Show #192
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    4Reply
  • Amanda Fulmer
    OP
    Demorest, GA · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    Ok. I have looked into getting new pics. I will definitely do that. Thank you so much for your advice.

    0Reply
  • Paulie Singleton
    Member since 2018 · 30 posts · 19 votes
    7y

    That yellow lighting and fishbowl lens for the photos isn't doing you any favors. The first photos on zillow are the worst of the bunch, you may want to reorder them. 

    1Reply
  • Lesane T. Johnson
    Portland, OR · Member since 2018 · 30 posts · 8 votes
    7y

    Possibly above the market price for the area. might want to start by changing up your photos, and slicing 20k off that price.

    0Reply
  • Natalie KolodijBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Tax Strategist| National Tax Educator| Accepting New Clients · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7y

    Do a little clean up too- There are paint flecks or such on the floors in bathroom and bedroom, smudges on the bathroom mirror. 

    Staging may help with this house too. It looks big, but very plain. 

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    0Reply
  • Amanda Fulmer
    OP
    Demorest, GA · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    Thank all of you for your suggestions. I really appreciate it. I am definitely getting new pics!!

    1Reply
  • Justin VanDervort
    Apalachin, NY · Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 3 votes
    7y

    I like the location! Just saw your unit on Zillow. I will agree with the general consensus here that the photos need work to really showcase. This is a marketing issue first and foremost. 

    1Reply
  • Zach Jones
    Real Estate Agent · Northwest Arkansas · Member since 2019 · 15 posts · 8 votes
    7y

     @Amanda Fulmer, I am sorry you are having troubles with selling your flip. 

    My advice is that if its already listed at FMV and with a good realtor, i would suggest paying for professional photography. $120 investment in pictures could very well go a long way.

    Hope you are able to sell it! 

    0Reply
  • Don Gouge
    Johnson City, TN · Member since 2017 · 209 posts · 367 votes
    7y

    I am going to be direct but you need to know. Your house is bland and ugly. Zero pop. I couldn't tell the front from the back of the house. The solid row of white kitchen cabinets dies against the beige walls. Beige has been dead for a while. Spend some money and hire a decorator.

    1Reply
  • Nate Fanara
    Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2019 · 33 posts · 12 votes
    7y

    Photos, especially of the exterior make it hard to tell what i am looking at. Also noticed that some lights have an amber (yellow) glow while others are white (daylight). Id address that, the old style ceiling fans and maybe even the fireplace (if needed).

    0Reply
  • Amanda Fulmer
    OP
    Demorest, GA · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    Got it. I have found a photographer for $130 and he has a great gallery online (Kmpics.com). I will definitely address lightbulb and lighting issues. That seems to keep coming up. Also, thank u Justin vandervort! I think the location is great too. Close to two state parks and the main highway yet secluded from neighbors and traffic. Honestly, I think it would be a great air bnb location but I can't afford to put any more money into to furnish it, etc. 

    Thank  you all for your feedback and suggestions. It's a great help to know how it looks to others. 

    0Reply
  • Anthony Rosa
    Rental Property Investor · New York City · Member since 2019 · 703 posts · 538 votes
    7y

    Very nice job! Better quality photos may help. There are lots of views and saves so people are looking.

    Maybe remove the pictures of the barn and carport/workshop because viewers may expect it to look as nice as the home and the surrounding natural landscaping. 

    0Reply
  • Amanda Fulmer
    OP
    Demorest, GA · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    Ok. Good suggestion. Thank you Anthony Rosa

    0Reply
  • Jason Turgeon
    Realtor · Boston, MA · Member since 2019 · 244 posts · 275 votes
    7y

    OK, I'm going to give you some tough love. I'm sorry if it hurts. 

    This place reeks of cut corners.

    Pull it off the market for a few weeks. During that time:

    * Hire a professional real estate agent, not a flat fee service. You're in business now. Professionals don't try to cut other professionals out of the business, they see the value in paying for experience. Almost every buyer will be working with an agent, and as an agent I can tell you I would never show this place to a client. Listen to your agent when they tell you what to change and what to price it at. 

    * Try to make up for the corner you cut by not hiring a designer. Repaint at least a couple of rooms with more modern colors. Upgrade the cheap lighting fixtures and make sure all the bulbs work. Install modern, stylish cabinet and drawer pulls. Next time, hire a designer to help you avoid these mistakes. 

    * Get the property staged by a professional staging company. They'll help you hide some of the shortcuts you took (like the acres of LVP) and help buyers visualize themselves in the house. 

    * Address any landscaping issues and exterior touches. You can do it yourself, but make sure it looks like you hired a pro. The landscaping looks OK but the exterior pictures are pretty blah, especially the side with the back door and the crooked siding. Do what you can to pretty it up. 

    * After you've done all this, and only after, get professional photos taken and relist it at the price your agent suggests. It may be significantly lower than you're asking. 

    Edit: 

    Where's the fridge? Are they supposed to provide their own? 

    Kitchens and baths sell homes. For next time, read up on functional kitchen design. The kitchen and master bath layouts are so unfortunate, and it's unfixable without serious money. 

    The island is set up so that the stools face the kitchen sink. The island blocks the path from the sink to the stove. The stove is on an interior wall so that you can't install a proper exhaust fan to vent smoke. Again, there's NO FRIDGE. And then there's the little stuff, like the missing pulls, sink that's undersized for the space, upper cabinets that could have reached the ceiling but don't, weird dead space in front of the breaker panel, oddly hung light over the island, etc. I can see the buyers turning around and leaving now. 

    And that's before they get to that master bathroom with the toilet smack in front of the double vanities, the mirrors that are out of proportion for the wall, the stickers still on the shower doors, and the roll of toilet paper with no home. 

    There's no fixing these layouts, so again do what you can with staging and pricing. 

    5Reply
  • Luther A.
    Member since 2019 · 38 posts · 4 votes
    7y

    it sounds like you guys are professionals at this. Would you guys know of another property on Zillow that is staged right? I'd like to see how it is done right.

    0Reply
  • Joe Nizdil
    Rental Property Investor · Downers Grove · Member since 2019 · 6 posts · 4 votes
    7y

    Hello Amanda,

    Congrats on taking the plunge and doing your first deal!   Here are some of the things I would notice as a buyer:  

    It looks big and spacious which is nice, but empty.  I agree with the ideas about staging.

    I'm not sure what's the front but one of the pics of the outside of the house is a little bare.  It could use some shrubs to make it more inviting (pic with the pitched portion of your roof in the right side).

    It appears that the knobs are missing from the cabinets.  If that's the case, you should get some on there, would be an easy update.

    The trim looks incomplete. I can notice gaps from the floor to the bottom of the trim.  I think some quarter round would give it a better finishing touch. 

    The one shed pic with the basketball hoop in front it, isn't doing you any favors to be honest with you.  I cringed when I saw that.  Sorry!  If you tidy it up and get a pic when the sun is overhead, it might not look as dark and scary.  

    I think if you took some of these suggestions, you should be in better shape. The deck looks nice. 

    Wish you the best!

    0Reply
  • Tyler Bushey
    Investor · Biddeford, ME · Member since 2017 · 282 posts · 180 votes
    7y

    I agree about the pics, and have a few other suggestions. I'd recommend having a subway tile backsplash put in the kitchen.  In my area, gray paint is super popular.  I also feel your wall colors are too similar to the floors.

    0Reply
  • Craig Jeppesen
    Rental Property Investor · Chubbuck, ID · Member since 2018 · 532 posts · 466 votes
    7y

    A couple thing I noticed:

    Lack of curb appeal, front needs grass 

    Missing carpet transition between rooms

    Missing interior door knobs

    Missing outlet cover in kitchen

    I would put in kitchen backsplash 

    Burnt out and inconsistent light bulbs

    Painted wood panel looks cheap

    Gold door knob on exterior French door

    No cabinet pulls

    Laundry room is how you get to deck? Can you frame in closet there?

    I would whitewash the ugly stone fireplace.

    Corner trim in laundry looks messed up.

    Needs cleaned

    Looks like vacation area, homes might take longer to sell there?

    Zillow has a lot of recent sales closer to $115 per sf for similar homes. I would fix the little things so buyers see you did a good job and drop the price a little. 

    0Reply
  • Maria D.
    Real Estate Agent · SF Bay Area · Member since 2016 · 25 posts · 10 votes
    7y

    It looks like the island blocks access from stove to sink. Looking at the picture I find myself wanting to rotate the island and move it out toward the end a bit to give a better pathway. Plus it looks like there’s a floor air vent right where a stool leg would go. That will be problematic.

    the over range microwave vent is not vented out of the house either.

    Is the carpet going to be replaced? I’m not sure if it’s bad photos or if it’s old dark stained carpet.

    Repainting to a different color tone would help. The bright white cabinets and what looks like a white/black counter top don’t go well with the beige walls. If you do repaint it might be a good idea to fill the grooves in the paneling and retexture to match the other walls.

    I think you have two options here, leave it and lower the price so it will sell or go back to work and fix these issues.

    1Reply
  • Annette Hibbler
    Real Estate Consultant · Brighton, MI · Member since 2013 · 607 posts · 251 votes
    7y

    Pics could be better, but I see you've now hired a professional. Make sure all the lights are on in every room while the photographer is there. Ask him/her to bring extra lighting just in case.  Empty homes are always tougher to sell. Staging may help, but just stage the main living areas to save money. Placing knobs and pulls on the kitchen cabinets is a nice extra. I'd choose stainless steel knobs to go with your SS appliances. Nice open layout in kitchen and dining and living area. Your lighting choices could have been better, a lesson for next time. Don't spend money on that now.

    First impressions count! So, spruce up the front yard to the front door. Add some dark mulch along the flower garden in front of the porch and steps for some contrast. You can add some pretty flower pots (keep them watered), Adirondack chair and small garden table and a colorful welcome mat on the front porch to make it more inviting. 

    The windows throughout the house appear small and there's a very odd window in the master bedroom that goes to the floor, this could be turning some buyers off.  Always think "light, bright and open".

    Master bath looks fine to me, I don't see a need to change anything there. However, having a toilet just a foot from the bathtub in the guest bathroom is a big turnoff. Could just be the way it looks in the pic though. 

    Something else I noticed right away was the dark stone surround around the wood burning stove. Makes the fireplace look like a dark pit in the wall. Perhaps try to whitewash it?

    Is there some kind of damage to the baseboard in the mudroom? Details matter and buyers always notice them! Again, I think staging will go a long way BEFORE you get your photographer in there. 

    Overall, I think you did a pretty good job on your first flip. Hire a professional Realtor and really grill them on how they plan on marketing your property and listen to them on pricing. You probably need some pricing adjustment there. 

    Best of luck! 

    0Reply
  • Amanda Fulmer
    OP
    Demorest, GA · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    Thank you all for your suggestions. Yes this home is sitting on 6.5 acres in the north ga mountains. It's rural and more of a vacation spot than a metro area. We have continued to do some cleanup and fixing and sprucing and finishing since those pics were taken. And no, there is no fridge! We will have the new pics done and I think after these suggestions I will probably have an appraisal done as well. We are debating on also splitting the land off from the house. Thanks all for your help and input.  Thanks Joe Nizdil for the congrats! I was so excited to do my first deal. Now I'm just worried and frustrated! We will try try again! 

    0Reply
  • Sam Shueh
    Real Estate Agent · Cupertino, CA · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    Scrub the fireplace black ash. 

    I look at a bigger picture. The neighboring towns home prices are lower.

    In our area after 30 days if there is no solid offer, it will not sell.  My thinking you need to lower the price a lot to get more interest.  Everyone knows what you paid for. Beautiful restoration. But price is everything.  

    For flip you want to buy in a more populous town if not in the city where there is more demand. 6 ac is a lot of acreage that many will not want to touch.

    Good luck.

    0Reply
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