Why is my house not selling?

Has your home been on the market for a while and is still not selling? If you’ve been trying to sell your home without any luck, it could be down to a number of factors. Most of these will be in your control, so read on to find out what you can do to get that all important sale. 

What are the factors involved?

The asking price/market value

If your home isn’t selling one of the main reasons will be its price. If it is priced too high for the market it won’t attract enough interest from potential buyers. Get valuations from at least three estate agents – this way you will know what the correct price or market value should be. Make sure the listed price is under a specific threshold like £250,000 or £300,000 – if it is just over then it won’t be seen by people searching on online property portals using these kind of price ranges.

The location of the property

You can’t do much about this, sadly. It might be the right house for many people, but not necessarily in the right place. Commuters might be looking for somewhere near a railway station; people who don’t drive won’t want a house in a remote rural location. If your house isn’t close to a school, or is outside a catchment area for a school with a good reputation, you may struggle to get the attention of buyers with school-age children. Try changing the way your property is described and highlight different selling points about the location that will appeal to buyers.

The time of year

It is generally accepted that some times of the year are better than others for selling property. Spring is the best time, as the longer days make house hunting easier. Houses look more appealing in sunshine and natural light, and evening viewings can take place when there is greater daylight. People also like to be able to move in during the summer months.

What are some other potential reasons?

Lack of kerb appeal

Buyers sometimes make up their minds about a property before they have even stepped through the front door. If the front garden is untidy, weeds are overgrown on the driveway, paint is peeling on a gate or there is a skip on the road outside, your house will not have much kerb appeal. Give that gate a lick of paint, and make an effort to clean up anything that might put a potential buyer off.

Underwhelming photography

Estate agents should be trained to take photographs that make your property look the best it can. Some may even use the services of professional photographers. This is part of their service to you, so if you think the pictures do not do your house justice, you have every right to ask the estate agent to retake them. 

Unresponsive estate agents

If you never hear from your estate agent, or they don’t seem to be doing much to market your property, it is going to be hard to get your house sold. Chase them up regularly, find out when the next viewings are and ask for feedback. It may even be worth asking a friend to pose as a potential buyer to see what the estate agent’s service is like. Is it time to think about switching agents?  

How can you increase your chances of a sale?

No one can guarantee that a house will sell, how many offers or viewings it will attract. But there are some ‘quick wins’ that can help you to make your property more attractive to prospective buyers.

Make sure the house is clean and tidy

If your property is full of clutter, this is unlikely to make a good impression. Buyers don’t want to have to step over children’s toys or see a kitchen worktop full of dirty plates. Dusty skirting boards and cobwebs are another ‘no no’ that reflect badly on sellers. If you have a viewing coming up it really does pay to spruce up your property a bit. Plus, other people may have slightly different ideas about what constitutes ‘clutter’. It is always better to be as minimal as possible. You might want to consider using a home staging company to make the very best impression on potential buyers.

Ensure viewings go as smoothly as possible

Try and arrange the viewings at times when no one else is going to be at the property. Estate agents won’t want to conduct viewings with children or pets at the property. If you are conducting viewings yourself, make sure there are going to be no unexpected interruptions. Read our list of viewing turn-offs so you know what else to avoid. Be as courteous as you can, and offer your potential buyers a cup of tea or coffee. Make them feel at home – which is, after all, the whole point!

Include floor plans of the property

Floor plans aren’t included as standard in estate agents’ sales packs. But doing so can make a big difference to the way your property is perceived. The details of a house can easily be forgotten after a viewing, so floor plans will give potential buyers a better idea of the sizes of each room. Any reminder of what a house is like will be appreciated by buyers.

haart can help sell your home

If your house has been stuck on the market for too long, we can help! We will accurately value your property and market it to potential buyers.