Why Your House is Not Selling!

I’m seeing an interesting phenomenon. Even with low inventory of houses for sale, there are STILL houses that are not selling. The longer a house remains on the market, the slimmer the chances are that it will sell for full list price, and often that price is not even top dollar it could typically fetch in this market.

Specifically, it’s to the Occupied homes that hit the market last year and still have not sold. No matter what the staging professional recommends, the Seller makes the final decision of how they will present their house to the market. They do not HAVE to take the advice given.

Let me give you an example. A friend recently confided that in hindsight, he would tell a new Seller to do EVERYTHING recommended by the professional stager from the get-go. Even though his listing was a beautiful home with a granite kitchen, in a great neighborhood and school district, it sat on the market from April through Thanksgiving with ZERO offers. He decided to take the advice originally given, updated the kitchen appliances, painted the cabinets, and replaced the dark granite with the new quartz look. The house went UNDER CONTRACT before the kitchen was even complete, but the fact remains that these few updates allowed a Buyer to emotionally attach to the house. They fell in love and now it is “THE HOUSE” they can’t live without. Nine….count them 9 long…months on market and it could have easily been one month instead.

What I call “Seller arrogance” is a REALITY. It can be easy for a Seller to believe that their house is good enough without some of the pricier improvements recommended, simply because there is a low inventory of available houses to buy, but the reality is that Buyers want PERFECTION. They want “move-in” ready. So yes, the mauve paint, blue flower wallpaper, and old brass light fixtures must GO! While these suit your taste, they do not appeal to today’s Buyer. The 80s are back in your wardrobe, but shouldn’t still be in your house!

The advice I would give? Consult a home staging professional. One that can give you the right advice on what should stay and what goes. You will not regret selling your home quicker and for top dollar. There is no crystal ball, but the shiny apple will be chosen every time!