1. Photo Failure
Failing to take and show images at all, or taking poor photos are major a hinderance to selling a home in Roseville. Many buyers will not show up if there are no pictures. Fix your photos by first fixing your home. Re-paint those funky colored walls, organize, and clean up the place. I cannot tell you how many times sellers do not want to have pictures of their home taken because it is messy, or they do not want the public to see something valuable in the home. If it is that bad, fix it!
Take pictures of what looks good, what is essential and use lots of soft lighting. Do what it takes to get plenty of quality pictures. Filling up a slideshow with more cruddy images will not help you. If you are struggling to have enough pictures because the home is small, photograph a nearby park, shopping, or school.
Some great homes do not lend themselves to having a lot of good photos because of the angles. Some times less is more.
2. Poorly Done Remodel Jobs
No buyer wants to walk into a Roseville home marketed as remodeled, and see a partially done remodel that is obviously not done correctly. Do not do a poor quality job yourself and think the buyers will appreciate it. If you are going to redo your kitchen, do not skimp on the cabinetry. Cheap cabinets in a $500,000 home are a turn off for buyers! If they are original and repainted poorly, even worse.
If you are going to paint the cabinets, make sure there are no drips. Bottom line – your ideal buyer seeks professional quality work.
3. Deceptive Pictures or Descriptions
For example, a listing may be described as :
Nice open floor plan, originally maintained 1970’s home with low heating and cooling bills, little yard maintenance. Pool in backyard.
Translation:
Old home, no upgrades, shag carpet, no heater or AC, cement backyard except for the hole in the ground which was once a pool.
Don’t be this person! Agents see this all the time, don’t fall for it and don’t let the buyers fall for it. Deceptive descriptions give buyers more leverage when they discover disparities. We have seen this so many times, it is just deceptive and you will turn off the real buyers. Make sure you and your agent/broker agree on the marketing to ensure it is accurate.
4. Overpricing… The Dirty O Word
You will burn your best prospects for a sale very quickly by starting out high on price. Many buyers will not even bother to look at the home if it is out of their price range! We are not saying start low as many will recommend. Sometimes that does work, it depends on the market. Just market the home at a reasonable price that makes sense in the market and ask – are we increasing, decreasing or maintaining in the current market? A great agent who knows the market and is looking out for their client will price the home to get the maximum number of buyers at the highest price.
Poor agents will let you price high because they’re afraid they won’t get your business, so they tell you what you want to hear. Great agents tell you what you need to know to get the home sold at the best possible price.
I like to have my sellers get involved in price comparisons. Compare what you believe your home is worth to other homes in the area. Only use tax records and the MLS, never use a website that averages like Trulia or Zillow! Are the other homes offering more in value? More square feet? More amenities? If so, there’s a good chance you’re overvaluing your home.
5. Dirty, Smelly, and Cluttered
The feeling of space in a home is really important. It may seem obvious to say, however real world experience has shown that one person’s slight mess is another person’s major turnoff. Clutter, boxes, dust bunnies, and overwhelming smells (good and bad) send buyers running away. So go easy on the Febreeze and potpourri.
If your home has that clean feeling, you’ll be better positioned to compete with other homes, some of which are newly remodeled and/or repainted. So, if you’re a candidate for a reality TV show about hoarding, gather it up and move it into self storage. It will be worth it.
Your ultimate goal is to help the buyer imagine themselves in your home living their own Roseville lifestyle. Help them do just that by keeping a clean, clear, fresh and open space.
If you would like guidance on how to get your home ready to sell give us a call at 916-284-3690.
