In most real estate markets, if you want your home to get the highest possible price, you need to make sure it sells quickly. Let it linger too long on the market, and you will invite low-ball offers and eventually may have to settle for less than otherwise necessary. So, don’t make these common mistakes that could let your home linger.
As we detail elsewhere, getting the price right is the most important first step, and price is key to quickly selling homes that have less-than-favorable attributes that can’t be fixed (such location on a busy street).
However, there are several factors that you should address before going on the market to eliminate these roadblocks to a quick and higher priced sale.
The house lacks curb appeal. Curb appeal has a huge impact on whether people want to even cross the threshold to look at your home. While major renovations might not be in order, make sure the front of the home is as clean and attractive as possible. This means keeping the lawn well maintained, weeding the flower beds, washing aluminum and vinyl siding, having the roof cleaned if it’s full of moss and dirt, cleaning gutters, and eliminating peeling paint. If your front door is in bad shape or very outdated, paint it to give it a fresh look and add a wreath. If you have flower boxes, make sure the plants stay watered and healthy, otherwise exclude them.
The house stinks – literally. First impressions are key. If buyers walk into a stinky home, they may just walk right back out and never consider it as a possibility. Stinky dog smells, stale cigarette odors and the like should be addressed. Sometimes the solution requires repainting, replacing rugs, removing old furniture, in addition to deep cleaning. If you have a water issue and mold, remediate the mold and repair the water issue. You cannot underestimate how mold smells could instill fear in buyers, even when the issue is easy to remediate. Eliminating moldy smells may require drywall replacement, replacing rugs, and painting. In some cases, other odors might seem like mold but aren’t related, so make sure your home smells clean.
You home has a substantial defect that can be corrected. Few buyers want to buy a home with defects that will be expensive or hard to address unless the price is below the cost of fixing the defect. So unless a seller plans to offer a substantially discounted price, its best to make these repairs—even if they are relatively expensive. All these issues should be addressed properly rather than patched and covered up. It is illegal and unethical to sell a home with material defects such as the ones listed below without disclosing it to the buyer. Examples of problem issues include:
- Foundation cracks and problems.
- Leaking swimming pools or pools where the equipment does not work.
- Collapsing retaining walls.
- An old roof with serious leak-related issues.
- Water problems in the basement or other areas of the home.
- Peeling lead paint (lenders will likely require remediation if the buyer has a VA or FHA loan).
It’s dirty. When a buyer enters a dirty home, the first impression is that the home isn’t well cared for, which means they will either offer less for the home than cleaner comparable properties, or they won’t make an offer at all. Of course, this is an easy fix. Sellers should ensure their homes are spotless. In addition, any nicks to trim paint should be touched up. Shiny clean windows, trim, and clean surfaces go a long way in helping buyers appreciate a home. If you have old, frayed, dirty carpets over hardwood, it might be a good idea to pull them out and clean the hardwood, even if it’s not in perfect condition. If you have a pest problem, remediate it and make sure you remove dead critters, and keep it that way. It’s a huge turnoff when buyers come across a cockroach or other pest—dead or alive.
It’s cluttered or has highly taste-specific furniture and décor. It may take some effort, but this is a relatively easy thing to fix. Pack up all items for which you don’t have immediate needs and put them in storage. Leave only a limited and essential amount of clothing and other items in closets, and stage the closets with nice towels and limited other items. Remove all personal/family photos, knickknacks, and other personal items, and then stage the property to make a generic appeal to a wide audience. If you have decorations that are highly taste-specific—such as unusual artwork—pack those as well and put in storage. See our other articles on staging and decluttering for more details.
Lots of small items are broken. Broken drawers, doors that don’t close, cracked windows, small holes in the walls, and so on, will communicate to the buyer that the home is not in good condition, so they will offer less than seller’s might desire—if they make an offer at all. For more details on key repairs to make, check out our other posts on this topic, here and here.
The layout is hard for buyers to understand. Some homes have plenty of good space, yet some odd-shaped rooms may make it difficult for buyers to envision how they might be used. This situation often occurs with condos that might be small or just odd shaped. In this case, staging the home to show how the space works can make all the difference in the world. For those who don’t have furnishings for staging or a budget to hire a professional stager, virtual staging is an excellent option that your Realtor® can help make happen.
Buyers don’t have enough access. This should never happen, but we see it all the time. Sometimes we arrive at the home to show our buyers and the lockbox is broken or the batteries are shot. Occasionally, this happens even with the best real estate agent, but it must be corrected immediately. Other times, sellers are inflexible and have too many restrictions on showing times, so buyers simply can’t get in to view the property. As such, they’ll look elsewhere and often end up buying a different home. This problem, fortunately, is easy to fix. Make sure your agent is diligent in addressing any lockbox issues swiftly and be as flexible as possible about showing times.
For more helpful information, check out part one and part three of this series.
Angela Logomasini and her husband Christopher Prawdzik are licensed Realtors® with Samson Properties in Alexandria. Operating as D.C. Region Real Estate, they serve the Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland real estate market and offer comprehensive real estate services, including 4½% full-service listings.
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