According to the
National Association of Realtors,
44 percent of all new listings take 90 days or more to sell, 22 percent
take 6 to 12 months, and 9 percent take more than a year. It’s a
seller’s market, so why are so many homes sitting on the market for so
long? Jeff Dowler, an agent with Solution Real Estate in Carlsbad,
California believes it most likely is because of the home owner.
Asking an unreasonably high price for the home is not going
to attract buyers. Limiting the hours and time on weekends or any day
to allow the home to be shown also limits the number of potential
buyers. It is best to have the house as available as possible to allow
it to be viewed.
Other things that may sabotage selling your home and cause it to be kept on the market longer are:
- Not having the home ready to be viewed at any time. An agent might
call wanting to show the house to a potential buyer in an hour. If the
house is dirty or messy, that can turn off anyone who might have been
interested.
- Smells in the house can be a turn-off as well. Musty, dirty smells
will not give the house a “clean” feeling. Artificial smells from
candles and deodorizers might make the interested buyer wonder what
the owner is trying to cover up with the scent. If it is a nice day out,
opening windows can help naturally freshen the air inside the home.
- Not keeping the home maintained and fixing things. Most buyers may
not be looking for a “fixer-upper” and may notice the little things that
need to be replaced. They may see that as more work for them to have to
do as well as more money they will need to spend and give the home a
run down feel.
Sellers who do not want to sabotage selling your
home, should be flexible with allowing your agent to have time for showings, while keeping the
home clean and maintained, and working with your agent to come up with a reasonable asking price. For more information on Residential Sales, contact your
local real estate agent today.