Why do some homes seem to sell right away? While other homes sit on the market for months without selling. And more importantly, why isn’t your house selling? In our latest post, we will help you to consider some reasons why your house isn’t selling, and what you can do about it!
Selling a home takes work. You need the price, the property, and the buyer to all lineup in order to achieve a sale. If you are missing one of these things it’s likely to stop or delay your sale. To make sure your sale happens, you need to take a good look at your home and the price you are asking.
Why Isn’t My House Selling in San Antonio
Don’t Be Overly Ambitious With Your Asking Price
So many people are quick to list a property, without really understanding the market and making sure to consider the amount they will actually walk away with before setting an asking price. You might take a guess at what it’s worth, and mark it up a bit for commissions and other listing costs. If only it were that easy…
Many sellers don’t have a realistic value for their home. Before you list, run some comps for properties that have recently sold in your area. You might even consider having an appraisal done. Make sure the properties that you are considering for comps are nearby, similar in size, and in a similar condition as your home.
The faster you need to sell, the lower you should start with your asking price or selling to an investor. If you start too high with the price, you will scare off many of your potential buyers. Also, when you lower the price over and over, you waste a lot of time and you will make people think there is something wrong with the house.
Your Clutter Needs To Go
No matter how cute you think your stuff is, it’s still YOUR stuff. How can someone imagine your extra bedroom as an office if there are teddy bears everywhere? You have to accept the fact that it is hard for potential buyers to invasion themselves in your house if you have stuff everywhere.
- Put away any personal items.
- Clear away paperwork from tables and desks.
- Take some of your pictures down.
- Put away things like your robe, your razor, and your toothbrush.
And while you’re at it, give it a thorough cleaning. To be blunt, your typical cleaning habits may not be on par with some of the people viewing your home. Now is the time to dig deep and channel your inner neat freak.
Competition Is Too Steep
Thinking about listing in San Antonio? Do you know what you’re up against? Take a good look at properties for sale in your area. Know what your neighbors are asking for their homes, and what comparable houses have recently sold for. Check out listing sites as well as your county appraiser. Don’t look at what people are asking, look at what houses are actually selling going for.
You should also know the demographics of potential buyers. Are there a lot of families? Make your yard conducive to outdoor fun. Young professionals? Think of showcasing an area as an office or gym.
It Needs Work
Honesty is key here. There are things you might have been overlooking for a long time, that now they just seem normal to you. They might not seem as normal to someone looking to buy your home. Does it need updating? Is there a lot of deferred maintenance? Or do you have major structural issues that need to be addressed?
Get an outside opinion on what repairs should be made. Ask friends for candid opinions. You might also consider doing an inspection on your own. Fixing the things in need of repair will improve your selling chances, and lower your potential buyer’s bargaining power over repairs.
Selling a home that needs major repairs such as foundation issues, major water damage, or mold remediation will usually only sell to a certain group of buyers who are looking to take on major issues. They also need to be priced according to the work that needs to be done.
Bad Photos
People start their search on the internet to buy homes. In our opinion, nothing can destroy a listing faster than bad photography. On the flip side, well done, professional photos can make your listing skyrocket.
Don’t settle for posting an OK picture of your home online. Hiring a professional photographer can make a huge difference in the outcome of your photos. And going back to the above, there should not be ANY clutter in your photos. Seriously. Nothing. Even if you put everything back after the picture is taken… putting some effort into great photos will make or break your listing.
Your Agent isn’t Doing All They Could Be
Some agents will do the bare minimum and cross their fingers for a sale. They might have gotten their license in hopes of making a quick buck. There are good agents out there and there are not so good agents out there. You have hired these people to do a job and they should be making every effort to sell your home, not just posting the listing a hoping for the best.
Are they providing you with updates? How many showings have they had at your home? Do their “answers” feel like “excuses”?
Title Issues
It is very difficult to sell a property with certain liens or other title problems. Maybe your great aunt gave you the property, but it was never properly put in your name. (AKA, transfer without conveyance.) Maybe there are tax or mechanics liens tied to the property.
To sell a property in San Antonio do whatever you can to clear this up before you list. Or choose to skip the listing and work with a professional homebuyer who has experience working with these types of title issues.