You might be asking yourself, why do some homes sell right away, or why do some sit on the market for months at a time? More importantly, why isn’t your house selling? Keep reading, we will help you to consider some reasons why your house isn’t selling, and what you can do about it!
OK so the bad news, selling a home takes work. However, when a price, a property and a buyer all lineup you are able to achieve a sale pretty easily. To make this easier as the seller, you need to take a good look at your home and the price you are asking so finding a buyer is no sweat.
Top Reasons Why My House Isn’t Selling in Baltimore
# 1 – Don’t Be Overly Ambitious With Your Price
Many people are quick to list a property, without really considering the amount they will actually walk away with. You might take a guess at what it’s worth, and mark it up a bit for commissions and other listing costs. Unfortunately i’ts often not that easy. Many sellers don’t have a realistic value for their home. Before you list consider running some comps for properties that have recently sold in your area. You may even consider having an appraisal done.
If you need to lower the price of your house, potential buyers viewing your property on the MLS and other marketing sites will be able to see that change. Now, if you lower the price over and over, you will make people think there is something wrong with the house and that’s never what you want.
# 2 – Your Clutter is Off-Putting
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 personal items everywhere?
- Put away all personal items.
- Remove all paperwork from tables and desks.
- Take all of your pictures down.
- Put away personal things like your robe, your razor, and your toothbrush.
First and foremost, give it a thorough cleaning. Honestly, your typical cleaning habits may not be on par with some of the people viewing your home. Now is the time to channel your inner neat freak and go crazy with a deep clean.
# 3 – You Aren’t Able to Compete
Thinking about listing in Baltimore? Do you know what competition you’re up against? Take a good look at properties for sale in your area. Know what your neighbors are asking for their homes. What have comparable houses recently sold for. Check out the listing sites as well as your county appraiser to do some research. Don’t look at what people are asking, look at what houses are actually selling 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.
# 4 -It Needs Work
Be honest with yourself. There are repairs you might have been overlooking for so long, that now they just seem normal. Get an outside opinion on what repairs should be made. Ask friends for candid opinions. Ask your agent. And consider doing an inspection from a professional. Fixing the things in need of repair will improve your selling chances, and lower your potential buyer’s bargaining power over repairs.
# 5 – Bad Photos
We live in the information age and people use the internet to buy homes. In our opinion, nothing can destroy a listing faster than bad pictures. On the flip side, well done, professional pictures can make your listing look fantastic. Don’t settle for an agent who takes a photos of your home from the car. And going back to the above, there should not be ANY clutter in your pictures. Seriously. Nothing. You can even take your photos and put everything back after the picture is taken… putting some effort into great photos will make or break your listing.
# 6 -Your Agent isn’t Doing All They Could Be
Some agents will do the bare minimum and hope for a sale. They might have solely gotten their license in hopes of making a quick buck but that doesn’t help you. Then there is KDD Development 443-585-0922. We are real estate professionals that genuinely want to help people! We believe everyone should love the real estate they own.
# 7 -Title Issues
It is extremely difficult to sell a property with 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.) To sell a property in Baltimore do WHATEVER you can to clear this up before you list, this can stop a sale in it’s tracks.