Your house is not presenting as good as it could
Having a realtor is so important during the sale of your home. Your agent is the expert and has access to all the information you need to know how your house compares to the current market.
If 85% of the homes in your market aren’t selling, you’ll need your house to be more impressive than the top 15%. Ask your realtor which upgrades or improvements will give you the most appeal for your money and time.
Your agent can even follow up with potential buyers who have viewed your home and did not make an offer. Honest feedback from them can be used to choose what changes you should make to your home.
It’s also important to recognize that when you’re trying to sell your home, the buyer needs to be able to envision themselves in your home and not just see it as your home. This may entail de-cluttering your home and bringing it to a minimalist state. Consider putting some furniture, knickknacks and personalized things into storage while you’re showing your home.
In many cases staging your home can get you a quick sale as well as more money! Again I cannot stress this enough, not all staging service are equal and you want a real estate agent, who will use top-notch professionals in their respective fields.
Your photos aren’t doing your home justice
Years ago, taking pictures of your home yourself without professional experience was enough. These days, high-resolution real estate photography is required to put your best features forward and impress potential buyers during their first interaction with your home, which is usually through an online listing.
Often people make the mistake of not having enough photos. Having great images is required, but not having a lot for potential buyers to browse can leave them uninterested.
It is important to not take the professional photos too far so that they set your potential buyers up for disappointment. Do use a wide angle lens, but don’t use it to make a room look double its size.
You won’t be tricking anyone when they come to see your house in person. Take plenty of pictures of the kitchen, as this is most often the soul of the home. Not all photographers have the same experience as well as the same up to date equipment. Some homes may require aerial drone videos or photos and consider having a walk-through video made for your listing.
Pricing Your Home Right
The one fact you can’t ignore when pricing your home to sell is that your home is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. Unfortunately, it does not matter so much what you’ve paid for it, how you love your home or how much you’ve spent on renovations.
Though these things matter to you immensely, to your potential buyers all that matters is what they are willing to pay for a home that is right for them.
Pricing a home to sell is an art and it is most beneficial to price it correctly from the start. Having a realtor to guide you in this process is invaluable. Pricing your home correctly at the beginning prevents undue stress and will help avoid your home sitting on the market for months.
If you try to test the market by listing too high, you’ll likely waste time. We have in many cases priced homes and achieved multiple offers and sold the home for much more then asking. We always strive to maximize our clients return and not leave any money on the table!
If you have plenty of people interested in seeing your house, but no offers, that is a sure sign you may want to drop the price. If you are able to afford dropping your listing price a few percentages lower, you’re likely to attract a whole new set of potential buyers and may even attract multiple offers and could possibly end up selling your home for your original ideal price.
If you haven’t listened to your agent’s advice on how to price your home to sell, it’s time to start because their experience and good intentions will lead you in the right direction to sell your home.
Did you like our Why is My House Not Selling article? Check out our other resources here.
If you are seeking advice on selling a home in the Ottawa area, or have more questions for us, we are happy to provide you with helpful guidance and support. Email us at info@buyandsellottawa.ca or call us at 613-590-3036.