10 Reasons Why Your Home Isn’t Selling

St. Louis and St. Charles County homeowners listing a home for sale have a common goal – getting their home sold as fast as possible, for the most amount of money. But  what if you have a home for sale in a neighborhood that has historically attracted buyers and it isn’t selling? This frustrating situation can come up for several reasons. We’ve listed ten possible reasons your home isn’t selling along with the remedies below.

1. Overvaluing the Property 
Overprice homes simply do not garner the attention or offers that competitively priced homes receive. Look at recent sales of other homes that are similar to yours in your area to get a better idea of its true value. Experienced Realtors will provide you with a competitive market analysis to help you determine an accurate price for your home. Another mistake is tacking on the cost of any renovations made to the home. Not all renovations translate to added value.

2. Poor Listing Marketing 
One of the top reasons homeowners give for hiring a Realtor is for their home marketing expertise. It is important that your listing description is well written and includes multiple high quality images of the home. Buyers will often skip over listings with poor descriptions and few to no images. Work with your Realtor to create a listing that attracts the attention of buyers and highlights the unique features of your home. Be sure to include multiple high quality photos of both the interior and exterior of your home.
 

3. Being Present at Showings 
While you want to protect your home during the sale process, being present at the home showings can make the sale more difficult. Depend on your Realtor to handle home showings. Know that there are systems in place to track all who enter your home. But mainly, buyers don't want to have the seller lurking over their shoulder during showings or at an open house. They want to be able to discuss the home freely with their agent without unwanted pressure that could make them uncomfortable or chase them away.

4. Being too Attached 
When an offer does come in, if you find yourself unwilling to negotiate even a penny off the sales price, it’s likely you've become too attached to your home. Remember, while you are trying to get the most money for your home, the buyer is trying to spend the least money on the purchase. If you’re not willing to negotiate, you are going to have a lot of difficulties coming to an agreement with a potential buyer. Proper pricing (#1) also minimizes the need for extensive negotiating.

5. It’s too Cluttered/Not Professionally Cleaned 
A cluttered, dirty house will leave a bad impression on potential homebuyers. Even if your home is clean, clutter can make it appear dirty. Consider renting storage or at least boxing up extra items and putting them away to ensure a tidy and clean-looking home. Also consider hiring professional cleaners for windows, carpets and other areas. Check out our cleaning and home prep tips here. 

6. It’s Not Staged
If you've already moved out of your home the empty rooms make it difficult for buyers to imagine living in them. Stage your house with furniture and decor that gives buyers a better idea of how big every room is and how it can be used. This way you make buyers feel more at home when they are taking a tour. Get tips on staging a home here.

7. Too Many Personal Items 
Homebuyers touring your home like to imagine what it would be like if they lived there. It’s hard to this if you have all of your family portraits up. Go ahead and pack up personal décor so that potential buyers have an easier time imagining themselves living there.

8. Overly Custom Home Improvements 
While you may have fallen in love with wallpaper, it doesn’t mean that potential homebuyers will. Same with the brightly colored feature wall and ceiling mural. Though you may find these customizations dreamy, buyers may be calculating the costs of removing these customizations as they look at your home. So if you have a lot of customizations, consider making the home more neutral and inviting to all tastes. This way you won’t scare off buyers who don't want to pay for customizations or features they don't want.

9. Maintenance is Needed
The more repairs that are needed for a home, the less likely a buyer will make an offer on your house. In a busy world most buyers simply don't want to deal with the cost or effort of home maintenance and repairs. So be sure that any repair work is completed, even if it's just tightening a handrail or replacing a broken tile. Well-maintained homes bring more offers. 

- Learn about selling a home that needs repair. -

10. You Chose the Wrong Realtor
Choosing the right Realtor is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when selling your home. Not sure how to find a good Realtor? We’ve put together some great interview questions that will help. After all, a good Realtor can make all the difference in selling your home in a reasonable time frame.

- - -

If you’ve listed a home with one of these things, now you know how to rectify it. The Boehmer Team assists St. Louis and St. Charles County home sellers in achieving their home selling goals. We do so by ensuring the items on this list are attended to. Want expert assistance to sell a home. Contact The Boehmer Team for a no-obligation interview.