Why homes don't sell...

Published On: July 20, 2010

In a recent Chicago Tribune Article, the 5 top reasons homes don't sell were: 1. Overpriced, 2. Bad Curb Appeal, 3. Ineffective Marketing, 4. Interior Clutter and 5. Undesirable Location.  A good list but I would add 2 more: 6. Poor Condition and 7. No Buyers for Price or Type of Home.

Overpriced - an easy fix and sellers must realize that the global recession and sagging home values apply to most if not all properties.  Ask your Realtor to do a Market Evaluation for your property and price accordingly.

Bad Curb Appeal - fix up, mow, weed, paint, plant flowers - whatever you need to do to spruce up the front of your home, often this does not cost much for a substantial return.

Ineffective Marketing - review the advertising, description and photos used to market your home and adjust as needed for optimum exposure.  Don't use winter pics in the summer or vice versa!

Interior Clutter - remove half of your stuff and put it in storage, especially clear out the closets and storage areas.  That will make your house appear that much larger!

Undesirable Location - country properties can be hard to sell as people are moving back closer to shopping and work but an unfavorable location situation can be helped by a lower price - something to consider.

The two extras: Bad condition - if the home needs a lot of work, adjust price.  If you can do some of the fix-up to make it attractive to buyers, you might want to proceed.  Do a cost-benefit analysis.  No Buyers - if you have a $450,000 property where the average sale price is $150,000, your home may be on the market for a while.  Same goes for some types of homes that are not popular - tri-levels, big older 2-stories, homes that need a lot of updating.  Price can help move some of these homes as well.

Confer with your Realtor and make your home as desirable as possible!