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. 

I can’t sell my house. What are some of the factors involved?

The asking price/market value is too high

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.

For properties that have been on the market for a while, reducing the price will make the property stand out again in the online portals. It may also attract potential buyers who have seen the property already, but did not want to put in a very low offer for fear of upsetting the vendor.

The location of the property is inconvenient

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.

Your home isn’t being advertised effectively

Is your estate agent using every method of advertising they can, or is there more they can do? How about an open house, when multiple viewings take place on the same day? This can be a way for an agent to generate a competitive buzz about a property again. If the property has been on the market for a few months, it is a good idea to ask your agent to refresh the copy used to describe the property. If the property photographs were taken during the winter, and it is now spring or summer, get your agent to take some new images.  

It is generally accepted that spring and summer are the best times of the year for selling property. 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.

The current market isn’t in your favour

If there is uncertainty in the housing market, buyers are more likely to play a waiting game. Financial pressures will play a part here. An increase in the cost of borrowing, for example, may lead to an expectation that house prices will fall. Buyers may want to wait and hope they can save money on their purchase. 

What are some other potential reasons?

Lack of overall kerb appeal and staging

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.

It may be worth looking into whether ‘staging’ could help improve the appeal of your property. Home staging companies use their professional expertise to ensure homes make the best possible impression they can on potential buyers. This may involve moving furniture, decluttering, depersonalising or changing the way some rooms are lit or smell.

Underwhelming or lack of 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 or solicitors

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?  

A lack of basic documentation

It is important to have the mandatory documents you need to sell your house. If you don’t then selling your property is not just going to be difficult, it will be impossible. By law homeowners have to provide documents such as the Energy Performance Certificate and the FENSA Certificate (for any windows that have been replaced since 2002).

How can you increase your chances of selling?

No one can guarantee that a house will sell, or 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 ‘guest ready’

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 during a viewing 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. 

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 measurements 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.

Get on top of property maintenance

Buyers are always in the lookout for any parts of the property that are damaged or showing signs of wear and tear. Get rugs and carpets cleaned if there are any noticeable stains on them, give everywhere a good hoover before each viewing, and even consider a deep clean for the property. Bathrooms and the kitchen should be as spotless as possible. Replace broken tiles and lightbulbs that no longer work.

How to sell your home with haart

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.