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.
