4 ways to NOT sell your home!!

In a buyers market, many things work against you. Your real-estate listing shouldn't be one of them. Buyers and their agents might see the following as “red flags”…

1. No interior photos.
Many would-be buyers — right or wrong — assume that there's something wrong with the house if there are no interior photos. How many should you have? At least a dozen! Make sure the pictures match the description and features of the home. For example, if there is a great view, have a photo of the view.

3. Making a good first impression.
What would a buyers’ first impression be? A home is largely a reflection of its owner, so it's hard for an owner to accept that other people find the décor, cleanliness or even the smell of the home distasteful. However, these things are what the buyers notice first hand, and often can come through on final decisions as reasons to NOT buy a home. Get rid of cooking odors, bedroom odors, shoe closet smells, clutter, paint the house neutral colors and remove much of the personalized décor and replace with neutral décor. Ask person who works at a furniture store for free help choosing the décor, ask paint stores what neutral colors are selling the best.

4. Price is so low you can’t say no!
A low price sounds like a great way to attract buyers, but if you go too low, there's a chance your strategy can backfire. When a seller's agent suggests this strategy, the homeowner should be on guard. Buyers may think something is “wrong” with the home or it may attract bargain hunters looking for a super low price and not offering the higher end of the already low low price. It also may scare buyers away, because they fear a bidding “war” of multiple offers. A high-risk, high-reward strategy such as this may backfire in some markets. Be sure your listing agent knows what is best.

5. Is it a “flip house”?
Phrases like "totally remodeled", "recently updated top to bottom" etc… MIGHT be red flags to some buyers because it may lead them to believe that the seller is flipping the house. Many “flips” are not done by licensed contractors and with the proper permits. Sometimes the quality of the work is very bad. Most buyers have heard horror stories about flip houses, so if yours is not a flip be sure the verbage you use doesn’t lead the buyer to believe it is.

6. “As is sale only” advertised in the listing details.
Selling a property "as is" is common, and it shouldn't be a deal-breaker. But when you see the term in a listing, it may give the buyer a reason to be cautious. Stating “as is” in a listing information for buyers is probably a mistake that will scare many buyers away. It is probably better to highlight the good things, and approach the “as is” situation in a timely fashion informing each interested individual buyer as needed.