Five Strange Reasons Houses Don't Sell

Some home owners need a quick reality check. They place their home up for sale on the real estate market without really giving it a great deal of thought. They assume that the house is perfectly sellable in its present condition. This is especially true of those who are selling their own home without the assistance and guidance of a professional real estate broker. Often, paying closer attention to the smaller details are what makes the difference between a fast selling house and one that sits on the real estate market for several months.

Just imagine that you've painted the exterior of the house, improved the curb appeal, along with landscaping. The property up for sale is in clear view and stands out from the line of houses on your street when prospective buyers drive by. Prospective buyers see a welcoming door that is in great shape with new trim and accessories. The prospective buyer is starting to fall in love with the house and can easily visualize their family living there. They walk through the door and suddenly you see a very odd look appear on their face. Lets take a closer look at five strange reasons houses don't sell.

Odd Odors - So, you've lived in the house with a heavy smoker for the last ten years. You've grown immune to the cigarette odor. Or you have several cats who run about the house freely. Perhaps the rugs are a bit moldy and mildewed. Prospective buyers visiting for the first time are well aware of the odd odors. These odors might even destroy your chances of selling the house. These odors are actually easy to eliminate with inexpensive room fresheners or potpourri. Real Estate professionals advise painting the interior to remove odd odors.

Scary Pets - Let's face it, not everyone is a pet lover. Some people are very frightened of small household animals. Just the presence of a family pet happily barking at buyers is a reason to see frightened buyers backing out of the driveway and speeding away. The best remedy is to have a family friend or neighbor baby sit the pets during an open house. This way the prospective buyers can freely walk through the home without distractions or negative reactions to pets.

Damp Dark Basements - A beautiful remodeled basement is a good selling point. A damp dark basement scares away buyers. Buyers don't want to spend a bundle on repairing a damaged basement and installing proper lights.. Remedy this problem by hiring a home inspector to check for clogged drains and pipes before placing the house on the market. And make sure that the basement has proper lighting.

Dirty Bathrooms - Buyers plan to spend some time in their bathrooms. Many search for a bathroom that is neat, clean, and well maintained. If the bathroom has cracked tiles, dirty looking fixtures, weird decorations,. this is a bad sign. A sign that you might lose the buyer's interest. This is an easy fix. Give the bathroom a good cleaning and replace any cracked tile. Paint the bathroom in a neutral color like beige or off-white.

Outdated Kitchens - Kitchens are a busy family hub center. If the kitchen has dirty appliances, cracked tiles, weird eighty's decorations, unusual wallpaper, or fixtures, buyers will run to the hills. They certainly are not interested in a kitchen that requires a complete remodeling job. Start cleaning the kitchen. Scrub the appliances until they sparkle. And paint the kitchen a nice neutral color.