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Leading factors to a slow sale... (how to avoid them)
Price the House for its Market
Some home sellers want to price their homes way above market value, because they think the cushion gives them more negotiating room.
But what overpricing actually does is eliminate potential buyers. A home with a true value of $200,000 has a certain set of features
that contribute to its value. A house valued at $160,000 in the same market normally has less to offer than the higher priced
home and simply can't compete with it.
Buyers in the $200K range won't be impressed with the home's features and buyers looking for homes nearer its true market value won't
even see it because of the too-high pricetag. It doesn't matter what you want for your property, what's important is what your
property is worth.
Overpricing is usually easy to correct, but there are plenty of homes that buyers pass on for other–sometimes simple–reasons.
If you're a home seller, and your house isn't selling, it's time to anaylze the situation and figure out why.
A Horrible Photo in the MLS
You might be surprised how many buyers say NO! to houses simply because of poor photos used in ads or Multiple Listing Service
handouts. It's even more amazing that agents let them discard a house based on that criteria, but it happens all the time.
Good photos are not always easy to get. Houses aren't built on lots with thought to future photo opportunities. The
sun isn't always in an ideal position for the photo. The agent might not be capable of taking a good picture.
Home selling rule number one is to make sure the house is well represented in all photographs.
It's Hard to Sell a Dirty House
Some sellers don't bother to clean a house before they try to sell it, and if they don't even clean when they know people
will be inspecting the house, they sure won't freshen up the paint, sort through clutter or handle odor control.
Home buyers nearly always think that dirty houses need repairs, when all they usually require is some thorough TLC.
After a few turned-off buyers, agents hesitate to show dirty houses. No showings, no sale.
Take a hard look at the property to make sure your house doesn't fall into the needs-cleaning category.
Replace those old Appliances
Those old oven's, sinks, dishwashers and counter tops have to go! Updating your kitchen alone could prove to be an extremely
lucrative move when selling your home. Not only does it show that you keep up with the latest technology out there, it proves
that you cared for the house, and upgraded it over the years. People will notice that!
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