6 Reasons Your House Isn't Selling

Okay, you’re ready to sell your home. 

You’ve checked off all the boxes, and you’ve done all the work. Now, all you have to do is wait for for that sweet dotted line to be signed, right?

But wait - your house is out there, and there’s nothing but cricket sounds.

Huh? Why is this happening? What’s going on! I wanted a fast house sale, how come my house isn’t selling?

Well, hold on - don’t panic. There’s a whole list of reasons why your house might not be selling, and there’s several different ways to combat those problems. Read on ...

Issue 1: “The price is too high!”

This is the one right at the top because oftentimes it’s absolutely the top reason why your home isn’t selling. It’s a common one. Deciding on the right price is not always easy. It takes a lot of close study, projection and estimating, and sometimes you can be off enough in your expectations to really affect the potential of a sale.

So, let that be the first thing you take a look at. Take a good and realistic step back from the process and take a long, hard glimpse at what the price is, and decide if you’ve priced it too high for the market. If you have, it may be time to take a chunk off your asking price. That may feel disappointing, but it may prove the right decision in the end.

Recommended reading: House Isn't Selling? Tips to Price Your House the Right Way

Issue 2: “We have a bad agent on our hands”

We’re not talking about a “bad agent” like the mole in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, or Alec Trevelyan in Goldeneye. No, we’re talking about a subpar estate agent. You’d like to hope that your agent is dedicated, professional, hard-working, dogged and completely committed to selling your house.

Unfortunately, not all of them are. If your estate agent is lacking that killer instinct, those people skills, or the sheer dedication it takes to sell your house, that absence of commitment is going to show up in the form of lack of interest in your house.

So, again, step away from the situation for a minute and decide whether your estate agent is giving the right amount of personality and effort to the sale.

If not, it might be time to make a change.

Recommended reading: A Guide To Choosing an Estate Agent

Issue 3: “Wait, this house looks ugly - why am I going to buy it???”

Let’s talk first impressions. When you’re browsing for a home, a car, or anything else, really, you’re absolutely going to be influenced by the images you see. Appealing images, visuals and descriptions can make or break a sale right from the start.

If the pictures and elements that accompany your online or printed description are clunky, unattractive, filled with errors or poorly lit, guess what - that’s going to turn buyers off! Therefore, it’s a must that you have the best images possible to accompany your listing online.

Reevaluate what images you’re showing to the public and see if they need a little work. It may be worth investing in a professional photographer to go out and take the shots that you need to secure an effective sale.

Issue 4: “Ah! the smell"

Let’s move on to some of the more superficial things throughout the home. When the prospective buyers visit, what could turn them off? Here’s a couple things that may affect their bottom line:

• The smell. Yes, you may have gone nose-blind to the distinct smells of your household - and that means that there may be something strange that may be permeating through the household. Have someone give it a good whiff, and then make sure all the rubbish is removed / other smell sources are removed and properly disposed of before the next showing.‍
• The decor. If your house is straight out of Only Fools and Horses - with old-school or outdated appliances and decor throughout - it may be charming to you, but it may turn off the people who are coming through. Consider updating those older elements, or at least sneaking them off into a corner during the viewings.

Issue 5: “Wait, why is that all broken?”

Do you have something big and glaring that's wrong with the house? When the potential buyers come by to look at the home, are they noticing a broken window? A stair that’s in disrepair? A door with paint that is chipping or cracked? Something off in the roof or in the garage?

If there’s something that's noticeably wrong with the location, you’ll want to get it fixed before you start the house-selling quest again. Nothing turns off potential buyers than the prospect of burdening themselves with endless amounts of repair.

Issue 6: “It's all about the timing”

Certain times of the year are better for selling your house than others. Think about what’s going on when you put the house on the market. It may just be one of those lulls! Is it during school break, when parents are distracted? Is it during the wintertime, when it’s too cold outside and the holidays are around the corner? All of those might contribute to a slower selling process.

So have some patience! It may just be a case of "hurry up and wait" when it comes to selling your home.

However, if you'd like to get things moving more quickly we may be your answer.

‍Read more here: Sell My House Fast.