If this sounds familiar, here are a few common pitfalls that could be preventing potential buyers from making an offer on your home, and how you can fix them.
1. It’s Overpriced
Homeowners often overprice their homes, hoping buyers will negotiate down to a price they like.
The problem is that overpricing can scare off potential buyers. For example, someone with a £700,000 budget won’t see a listing at £710,000, even if the seller would accept £700,000.
It’s best to let your estate agent set a realistic price from the start!
2. It’s Lacking Kerb Appeal
Be honest with yourself, does your property look attractive from the outside?
Buyers often decide on a property before entering. If your home is looking tired and worn on the outside, then it could be putting buyers off.
Improving kerb appeal doesn’t have to be expensive. Hanging baskets and clean window frames help.
Even cutting the lawn or hiding wheelie bins can make a big difference.
3. It’s Not Being Marketed Properly
Let’s face it, most buyers will go online at the start of their property journey, utilising social media, estate agents websites and property portals such as Rightmove.
Your estate agent should be advertising your property across a wide variety of media, both online and offline to ensure you are reaching a rounded audience.
Check with your estate agent that your property is being listed to its full potential. If it’s not, then it may be time to find a new agent!
4. It’s Cluttered
Few things are as off-putting to a potential buyer than a house that’s packed full of clutter.
Buyers want to imagine themselves living in the property, so even though you’re still living there, make sure it’s as clean and tidy as possible before any viewings take place.
As much as possible you should be aiming to give buyers a blank canvas to work with so they can picture where their own furniture and possessions might go, so keep it tidy.
5. You’re In a Long Property Chain
If you’re moving into a property that’s part of a long chain this could be enough to deter some buyers.
Although this usually can’t be helped, if there’s anything you can do to get out of the chain, such as renting a property in the short-term while you wait for your purchase to go through, then it may be worth considering – especially if you’ve been struggling to sell for months.
6. Buyers Aren’t Seeing Its Full Potential
When you’re living in a property day to day it can be easy to forget how appealing it might be to a fresh set of eyes. It’s vital that your property is working as hard as it can for you to be sold.
For example, if you’ve been granted planning permission for an extension but you haven’t gone through with it, make sure your estate agent is aware. Similarly, if your neighbours have been granted planning permission with no problems then let your estate agent know about it.
These might seem like insignificant details to a seller, but to a buyer who’s trying to imagine the property in 5-10 years’ time, it’s great information to have.
And it’s not just big things like extensions either. Make sure your property is being displayed in its best possible light by making some subtle changes. Whether that’s using bright and airy colours to redecorate, or hanging up a mirror to make a room feel bigger, some minor changes can make a major difference.
7. It’s Poorly Maintained
It’s easy to let things slide at home, particularly if the issues aren’t causing you any major headaches.
However, buyers will usually notice the little details that you have learned to ignore, such as a missing pane of glass, a wonky fence post or over-flowing gutters. Seemingly minor issues like these can be enough to put some buyers off, because they suggest that there could be bigger issues lurking too, even if you know there aren’t.
So before your next viewing, just make sure all those little odd jobs and easy fixes are completed, as they could be making a bigger difference than you realise.
Is your home ready for market? Let us advise you. From impeccable property presentation to strategic pricing and target marketing, we ensure that the right audience is reached.
Call us on 01242 781781 or email hello@althorps.co.uk to find out how we can help you sell your home.
