The news may be full of stories about the high demand for property, but don’t think that this means that it will be easy to sell your home. In an ideal world, you’d be inundated with amazing offers almost immediately after putting your house up for sale. Unfortunately, the property market isn’t an ideal world and, as such, you may find yourself with a home on the market a lot longer than you would have liked. Thankfully, this is often the result of factors that you can fix yourself. With that in mind, here are seven reasons why you might struggle to sell your home.

7 Reasons Why You Might Struggle With Selling Your Home

1. Poor Property Images

These days, nearly every potential buyer starts their property search online. This means that they will look at images of your home before they decide whether or not they want to see it in person. If you provide them with very few photos, especially poor quality ones, then you’re going to struggle to book any actual viewings. You want to show your house in the best possible light, so avoid taking these pictures yourself and instead hire a photographer who knows what they’re doing.

2. Lack Of Marketing

Simply putting your home on the market isn’t going to help buyers find it. You need to promote your house by listing it on a number of different property selling portals, as well as your realtor’s website. You should also spread the word about your property in the local press and on social media. Be sure your realtor places a "for sale" sign outside the front of your house as well. Don't be shy about asking your realtor what she's doing to promote the sale of your home, either. She may have ways of getting the word out that you aren't aware of.

3. Bad First Impressions

When properties have a high number of showings but little to no offers, it’s often because there is a problem with the way the home is being presented. You want to give the best first impression possible, so walk around your home as if you are viewing it from a buyer's standpoint and look for potential problems. Perhaps the front door could do with a new lick of paint or the family photos and other personal effects should be removed. If you’re struggling to find faults, then ask your real estate agent for advice. It may be as simple as doing a little bit of staging.

4. Ignoring Hidden Problems

Issues like termite damage and roof leaks may not be obvious to potential buyers when viewing your home but that doesn’t mean that you can ignore them. Almost all home sales require an inspection, which is sure to uncover serious issues like these. Because of this, you should hire professional help from companies like EconomyExterminators.com, and fix these faults before you list your home for sale.

5. Attending The Viewings

Trying to get a good look at a house while the owners are still there is tricky and incredibly awkward. Potential buyers will feel as though they can’t speak openly, especially to their real estate agent, and will be uncomfortable rummaging around in cupboards and other storage spaces. It also makes it much more difficult for them to image the home as their own. For this reason, you should ensure that you make yourself scarce during showings and allow your agent to handle any questions or issues.

finger with a sign about what to look for when buying a house

6. Pricing Too High

The price of your home is and always will be one of the most important factors in the house selling and buying process. You don’t want to just give your home away, of course, but you do need to be realistic about the price you list it for. If you ask for much more than your home is worth, then buyers are going to overlook your property for those actually in their budget. The best way to estimate the value of your home is to work with professionals and research similar properties.

7. A Slow Market

You can’t control when people choose to buy houses, but you can decide to sell your home at the right time. According to hoa.org.uk, this is in the spring. Winter is a particularly difficult time to sell, as people are more worried about buying Christmas gifts than investing in property. You may also struggle if you list your home in the summer, as many go away during this time. Spring has neither of these problems, which is why you’re best listing your home around that period.

Are you located in a healthy real estate market?

Healthy Real Estate Markets - Infographic

Source: AppFolio.com

Selling a house is difficult no matter what, but, if you avoid the mistakes above, you should find it to be a little easier.

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