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Top Reasons Why a House Might be Hard to Sell |
Selling your home is not as simple as some would have you believe and having a qualified REALTOR® is important. Marketing a home and selling it quickly at a price that meets your requirements is what you need. Ray Ward is the #1 choice for all of your Real Estate needs in The Woodlands, Spring, and Conroe area. He can help you evaluate and sell your home at fair market value.
NUMBER TEN: Insects! Home owners should have their house exterminated on a regular basis including after moving out and prior to listing the home. After exterminating a home, the bugs will continue to die for weeks afterward. Should the house be vacant, you may find dead insects on counter tops and in the middle of the floor. While this shows that the house has been recently sprayed, you shouldn’t advertise the fact by displaying the proof. Make a point to do walk through inspections and clean up whatever you find.
NUMBER NINE: Mold and Mildew: It’s the stuff that makes you just a tad nauseous or worse, can make you physically ill. Who likes to open the shower curtain to find soap scum and black mold in the tub and along the bottom of the curtain? Likewise, mold in the grout between the shower wall tiles can also be a turn off. The layer of soap scum and hard water on shower doors may not be a health hazard, but it is a detractor. A clean, fresh shower looks much more inviting and helps to indicate that the current owner takes good care of the house.
NUMBER EIGHT: Squeaky Floors and Doors! While many people consider a wood floor to be beautiful, they may not appreciate any potentially dangerous loose boards. Children might be inclined to rock back and forth on a squeaky board should they find one; you can be sure that they will want to let everyone know that they found it. While loose floor boards are usually fixable, there are various options available to resolve these and other issues; some may require professional assistance. Squeaky doors are only fun at Halloween, something as simple as WD-40 can loosen a sticky door hinge.
NUMBER SEVEN: Using the Wrong Realtor - Be sure you know who you’re hiring when selecting someone to help you sell your home. Interview several agents from different companies and compare them side-by-side to see who will maximize the chances of selling your home. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals from their past clients and if they can’t or won’t produce a list of satisfied customers then you should consider moving on to the next agent. Ray Ward has more than 23 years experience in The Woodlands, Spring, and Conroe areas with a long list of satisfied clients.
NUMBER SIX: Bad Photos - This can be a major problem when selling your home. If your home looks unattractive in the MLS photos then you should not expect anyone to have an interest in looking at it. Your home has to look appealing and enticing to potential buyers. Ray Ward will take the time to make sure that photos of your house are the best they can be. Talk to Ray Ward about new pictures to emphasize the value of your home when listing it for sale.
NUMBER FIVE: Barking Dog! Many people have dogs, some of which are trained as guard dogs, others just bark at strangers. When the house is scheduled for a showing, remove any barking dogs from the premises if at all possible. Barking dogs can be counter-productive when your real estate agent is showing your home. Many people have the backyard fenced in for the dog. Consequently, the dog frequently uses the same area to do his business; there are many reasons to keep this area clean. The last thing you want is for a buyer to hold his nose before he even steps through the back door, much less stepping in what Fido left behind.
NUMBER FOUR: Dirty Roof! Is the top of your house covered with leaves or pine needles? Are areas of green moss growing on the roof and in the gutters? Gutters tend to fill up with leaves and pine needles. Southeast Texas has tall pine trees everywhere, so get out the blower and clean up those pine needles! Let the beauty of your house and yard be seen and enjoyed. Also consider sweeping porches and driveways to remove any leaves or other debris.
NUMBER THREE: Wallpaper and strong colors. Even though you spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on a designer print, the odds are against you that the next person will appreciate that particular style. Furthermore, if you think it's too much trouble and hassle to pull it down, potential buyers may agree. Paint over the uniquely colored bedroom walls and the dark red dining room with a fresh coat of paint; in some cases, fresh paint throughout the house may be helpful. Spending as little as 1% of the value of the house on updating and neutralizing can almost certainly help to sell your home faster.
NUMBER TWO: Family pictures: When perspective buyers are viewing your home, it really helps if they can imagine themselves as living there. Removing any family photos from more public areas such as the hallway has more than one purpose. It allows for a more relaxed viewing and allows you to either patch the holes or hang other pictures in their place.
NUMBER ONE: Uncontrolled Odors! This applies to all smells, both good and bad. If you open the door and there is a strong smell of ANY kind, it can indicate a problem. This not only applies to pet odors, smoke odors, and mustiness, but also, bleaches, pine cleaners, floral scents, carpet fresheners and plug-in room fresheners. Being forced to hold your breath while viewing a home, can result in a very short showing and doesn’t help anyone. Some homes are vacant, and it is OK for the natural smells to exist, provided they are pleasant. Should air freshener be required, use as little as needed to control the smell. Having a strong smell of air freshener for example, can create the suspicion that a foul odor is being concealed.
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