This is the question that every home seller hopes they never have to ask themself. It can be concerning if your home is not shifting but can’t see any obvious reasons as to why this is. The truth is that there are so many things, major to minor, that can hold your property back from selling.
In this article, we walk through some of the top things that prevent or slow down a home from selling, as well as providing advice on how best to mitigate and resolve these issues.
The marketing/photographs aren’t good enough
The simple fact is that if your property doesn’t look good online, people won’t take any interest. Dodgy photos could be hindering your sale if they are out of focus, take at bad angles or there is mess or clutter in them. You should go online and review your property’s listing and see whether there are any glaring issues with the photos or other marketing such as the description or floorplan. Ask yourself this would catch your attention if you were looking to buy.
If you are not satisfied with the quality, you can go back to your estate agent and ask them to take better photos or redo the listing. It is in their best interest that your property sells quickly too.
Your home is cluttered
When viewing your property, viewers may be having a hard time picturing how they would live there due to excess clutter. When looking around a property, buyers want to be able to take in the whole space and be able to imagine their own belongings within it. If you have too much stuff, it can make the space feel cramped and smaller than it actually is. It can also serve to distract buyers as they may become preoccupied by the clutter and less able to focus on the property itself.
The simple solution is to have a clear out. Sort and throw away anything you don’t want/need and neatly organise what do you wish to keep. You will have to do this sooner or later anyway as you will be moving house and will need to put everything into different boxes before you leave.
The asking price is wrong
This is often the main reason why a house stays on the market for a long time even when there are no visual flaws. At the end of the day, buyers won’t pay what they don’t think your home is worth and it will likely mean your property will get very little interest if it is priced too high.
You should do some research and look at other similar properties for sale in your area. Take note of prices and consider things that buyers view as important such as off-street parking and gardens etc. From this you should be able to work out where your property sits within the market and price it fairly. You can also ask your agent for advice.
There’s a short lease
If you are selling a leasehold property, the time left on the lease may be putting off prospective buyers. 80 years remaining or less is generally considered a short lease. The reason this may put buyers off is that it takes time and money to extend the lease again, and some buyers may not be able to afford this.
You also need to consider the service charge and ground rent. If these are higher than average this will also turn buyers away.
If possible, it is best to extend the lease before selling to avoid the issue in the first place. If you have lived in the property for over two years, you have a statutory right to extend the lease by 90 years.
Your property lacks kerb appeal
The first thing buyers will see before entering your property is the external front. If your front garden or front side of your property looks dishevelled, this may be putting buyers off. Think about rubbish left outside and whether there’s anything blocking the front of your property, such as a large vehicle or campervan.
It may even be possible that there is no issue with your property and instead it’s your neighbours who are turning the buyers away.
You should make every effort to make the front of your home as aesthetically pleasing as possible, doing any home improvements necessary. If you think it is your neighbours’ properties that is the issue, you may want to approach them in a friendly way and see if you can resolve the issue by raising your concerns with them.
This article was written by a quick house sale company We Buy Any Home. If you’re wondering “how can sell my house fast”, head to the We Buy Any House website for more information relating to all property related enquiries.
