7 Possible Reasons Why Your House Is Not Selling
On average, it takes 65 to 93 days to sell a house in the U.S.
This is an average number though, and many people sell their houses much more quickly or much more slowly than that.
Are you stuck in the miserable predicament where your house is not selling?
Here are seven possible reasons why that might be the case.
1. Your Price Is Too High
If the condition of your house is pristine, then your problem is likely the price. It is common to overprice homes, as the temptation to get as much as possible out of the sale is too much for many to deny.
It can be really difficult to price a home properly. If the thought of I can’t sell my house… is keeping you up at night, you might want to revisit your listing price.
2. You’re Not Advertising It Properly
You’re not going to have much luck selling your house if no one knows it’s for sale. Just plopping a “for sale” sign isn’t going to cut it in this day and age.
Is your house properly listed on the MLS and popular real estate sites? Make sure there are no listing errors that make it so potential buyers aren’t even seeing it when they search for it. It’s also important that you work to make your listing stand out.
Incorporate common keywords into your title and description so that you show up in search results. If you’re selling your home as a “for sale by owner” and advertising seems over your head, you might want to bite the bullet and hire a real estate agent.
3. The Timing Is Off
Both local and national factors can impact the real estate market. These factors are largely unpredictable. If you have the bad luck of listing your house during a time when there is a low demand for houses, that could be enough reason why your house listing is growing stale.
The other thing about timing is the season. Spring is the most popular season for listing houses in most places. If you live in a wintery and cold place and list your house in January, you’re probably not going to have as much luck as if you listed in in May or June.
4. Your Staging Is Subpar or Nonexistent
It seems a little silly that the furniture and decor of your home should impact a buyer’s interest, but it’s simply the truth. Buying a house isn’t just a practical decision, it’s an emotional one. When buyers view your house, they need to be able to picture themselves making it their home.
It’s possible that your home is too filled with your personal style and objects. If your walls are covered in photos of your family and super personalized, buyers might feel all-too-aware that they’re in someone else’s home.
If your home is vacant, the emptiness could make it hard for people to envision themselves living in it. If it’s filled with all of your stuff, it might just simply feel like someone else’s home. There is a perfect middle ground where the home seems spacious, bright, uncluttered, and appealing.
5. You Don’t Have Curb Appeal
It’s easy to forget about the outside of your home when you’re running around getting ready to list your house. Any potential buyer is going to see the outside of your home first, though, so this is one of the most important things you can do to sell your house faster.
No matter how pristine the interior, an overgrown lawn, a cluttered yard, and a run-down facade will turn people away from your home. Taking the time to make sure the outside of your home looks just as good if not better than the inside will help your chances of selling your house sooner.
The necessity of boosting your curb appeal has to do with the psychology of first impressions. Learn more about the importance of first impressions here.
6. Your Listing Photos Are Lacking
Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. when you’re looking through listing after listing, what are you using to determine how interested you are? Sure there are the practical considerations of location, features, and size. More than anything though, aren’t you really just looking at the pictures?
If your listing photos aren’t professional, many people will simply pass yours by to look at better-presented properties. Hiring a professional photographer doesn’t even have to be that much of an expense. If you pivot from self-taken photos to professional real estate photos, you’ll likely notice in interest right away.
7. Your House Is Kind of Run Down or Looks Like It Might Be
There’s no polite way to say this, but it’s possible that you have an ugly house. If your home looks run down or actually is run-down, this is going to turn people away. If it looks like your home needs too much work to fix it up both practically and aesthetically, many buyers will simply move on to something more move-in ready.
Are you distraught, desperately Googling “why is my house not selling?” If so, you might want to look into We Buy Houses Memphis, whos claim is simple: we buy ugly houses.
If Your House Is Not Selling, All Hope Is Not Lost
Selling real estate is a tricky and stressful thing to do. When your house is endlessly sitting on the market with few bites, it can feel incredibly disheartening. Luckily, there are likely reasons that you’re house listing isn’t doing well, and there are things you can do to remedy that.
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