Have you ever had a time that you have tried to sell your home and it just wasn't selling? Even if you know you have it priced just right and it's in a good location? Well, there may be several other factors you haven't considered that can make buyers walk away from your home.
It May Be Too Personalized - In general, putting away a lot of family photos or other personal things aren't hard to do when you list your home. However, there are other things that are personal in taste that might detract the average buyer from your home. Let's say you have painted your bedroom in your favorite shade of purple, or, you adore Victorian style decor and have antique pieces everywhere, even if those aren't permanent, hard to fix things, some people may take one look at it in a picture and decide it's not the home for them. Make your home as neutral as you can and you might attract more buyers.
It May Be Too Dated - Even if your home is in perfect working order, some buyers don't like anything that reminds them of the past. Popcorn ceilings, older wood trim, paneling, outdated fixtures and older carpet can all be deterrents when you are trying to sell your home. Some can be attracted to an out of date look, or see the potential in a well built older home, but, others just see a lot of things that they want to change and it can be overwhelming for a buyer. If you aren't willing to update a few things yourself, you may end up with a home that won't sell, or a home that sells for less than you feel it is worth. Your home may just need a little updating for your sale to go smoothly.
It May Have Unappealing Odors or Dirt - If your home is up to date, has great fixtures and has all the popular neutral tones that buyers love, maybe it has an odor that might be turning people off. Do you have pets that smell, or shed? Do you have a lot of carpet that may need some sprucing up? Maybe all you need is to have your home professionally cleaned so that it will sell. A clean, fresh space can make all the difference in the world in home sales.
It May Be a Difference in What is Valuable - Different people value different things in a home regardless of what the "market value" might be for those things. For instance, let's say your home has an in-ground pool. A pool like this can add some value to a home, however, if a buyer doesn't want a pool because of the maintenance, the change in their home insurance or property taxes, then a pool may bring down the value in that buyer's eyes. Or in a rural area, having a pole barn on a property can be a great value to those who would use them for storage or other various things, but, if you are someone who doesn't need that kind of storage, the extra property taxes on another permanent building on your property might be a big turn off and make that property less desirable for you. The list can go on and on. Some things may not seem valuable to all buyers regardless of their true value.
When you are getting ready to sell your home, having an objective opinion can help you make the right choices to see that your home is more appealing to a large number of buyers, and that is why a qualified, seasoned Realtor can be a great value to you in the long run. A Realtor can not only give you a free Comparative Market Analysis for your home, they can also give you an objective look at what your home needs in order for your home to sell. Also, when you hire a Realtor, their expertise in marketing, their network of connections with other Realtors and their clients and their knowledge of your community are all valuable qualities that can help you make sure that buyers fall in love with your home.
Of course, I can always point you to a Realtor I know that might just be the perfect person for you to work with! --Jen Lush
Photo Credit: Evan Dvorkin
