Pitfalls to selling your home

Even though we are in a stronger housing market, and many listings are getting multiple offers, some listings just sit on the market. I takes about 90 days, on average, to sell in today's market. The single largest contributor to a slow sale or no sale is unrealistic pricing by the seller.  Market savvy buyers are well informed on pricing and will not "bite" on the sellers "hopeful" pricing. In many cases they will not even visit an overpriced home. Having a qualified real estate agent properly position your home in the right price range is critical to the selling process. Here area few other things that can hamper the sale of your home.

Imposing severe restrictions on when and by whom the house can be shown. For example, sellers who will only allow showings between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturdays, or who require a 24-hour advance notice before appointments to show during the week, or who won't let anyone in unless they or the listing agent are present, inevitably delay offers and sales.

 

Other big turnoffs:

·        Poorly cleaned, messy houses with obvious deferred maintenance.

·        Sellers who insist on being present — or hover nearby — when shoppers visit so they can point out every feature they improved or like. Better for sellers to be out of the house or out of sight.

·        Smells inside the house that are either bad — especially from dogs, cats and other pets — or come across as contrived, such as scented candles, potpourri plug-ins, etc.