What To Do If Your Home Isn't Selling
Congratulations; you took the first step towards selling your home! Finding the right agent who appreciates the charm of your home and who you feel confident working with is key.
But despite all their best efforts, your home has yet to sell and you're not sure why. Is it the photos? Is it the price? Let's consider the steps you could take to change the process and stir some fresh interest.
How does your home compare?
It's worth seeing how other similar properties on the market are presented. Research other similar properties in your area and see how your marketing and pricing compares.
Speak to your agent
A frank discussion with your agent should reveal their opinion on what the main issues might be and they should be able to advise you on how to tackle them.
Get thorough feedback from viewings.
Any agent worth their salt should get comprehensive feedback from people who have viewed your home to understand buyers' feelings and thoughts when they visit. Use this feedback to help you address the issues blocking a potential sale and make your home more appealing to buyers.
Check your home is looking its best
Cast a fresh eye over the presentation of your home and try to see the areas you could improve. Try walking through your home, actively noticing what catches your eye or inviting a friend over to give you their opinion.
Put away all your clutter and give your home a thorough spring clean to get it gleaming and smelling fresh. Do book the window cleaner to clean the windows inside and out.
Ensure all your rooms offer buyers an appealing idea of what it would be like to live in it and all the ways that each room could be used. For example, many people want a kitchen with a family living area, so if you have space, add a sofa and coffee table. Or, if you have a smaller bedroom that you currently use for storage, convert it back into a single bedroom that would appeal to buyers with a young child.
First impressions are vital, so ensure that your driveway is swept and the front of your house looks spruced up and welcoming for viewings. Repaint the front door if required! A tidy lawn and attractive planting is always a winning factor, so get your garden looking its best, especially in Spring.
Update and improve your marketing.
Is the marketing of your home showing buyers its true potential? Is it selling the dream? Is it up to date?
Your agent should suggest ways to update and improve your photos and should be willing to take new ones to stay in tune with the seasons. Photos of a colourful spring garden, a sun-soaked kitchen or a mid-summer BBQ terrace will catch buyers' imaginations and show them how wonderful your home is.
Re-think your price
No one likes reducing the price of their home, but sometimes a reduction can work wonders in creating renewed interest in a property. If more than one buyer shows interest, it will provide the impetus for a quick sale and could increase the price!
Ask your agent for an up-to-date pricing analysis for your property in the current market.
Take a mini-break!
If your home has been on the market for a while, buyers may have stopped looking at the details, or you may be fed up with tidying up for many viewings but have yet to receive any offers. If you aren't in a rush to sell, take your home it off the market for a few weeks and use the time to make improvements and take new photos before re-launching on the market with a new look. Your agent can continue to market it quietly in the meantime to ensure you don't miss out on potential buyers.
Try a different agent
No two agents are exactly alike, so it is worth speaking to other agents to find out if they have marketing ideas and procedures you like the sound of. You should look for an agent with a proven track record who communicates reliably and regularly with you about your sale and gives you thorough feedback after each viewing. Your agent should be positive about your home and be able to sell it enthusiastically to buyers. It's a working partnership, so your agent should be someone whose opinion you trust and with whom you feel comfortable.
If you're ready to move on to a new home and need marketing advice to help you sell, call or WhatsApp Nick Fox on 07790 020492 or email nick@inghamfox.com and we'll happily talk through some ideas with you.
