It can feel very disheartening when your home’s been on the market for a while, and you haven’t received any offers or had many recent viewings. Your hopes of a sale in the near future have waned, and you may start to wonder if it will ever sell.
If your home is not selling as quickly as other properties in your area, it’s time to start looking at why that might be. Have a read of our guide below to get ideas about how to achieve a successful sale as soon as possible.
10 reasons why your home may not be selling
1. The property listing isn’t working
If your online listing’s getting seen, but potential buyers aren’t booking to come and view your home, there may be a problem with it. The first step is to talk to your estate agent, express your concerns and ask if there’s anything they can change or improve. Share your listing with family and friends to ask their advice about how it’s coming across; they may be able to share some insightful feedback.
2. Poor photographs
The photos on your property listing are crucial to attracting buyers, after all, they’re what buyers always look at first, and the first impression people get of your home. Buyers will only go on to look at the property description and floorplan if they’re enticed to do so by the photographs. Take another look at the photos your estate agent has provided, and if you’re not completely happy with them, you can request that they’re changed.
3. Lack of kerb appeal
Potential buyers make up their minds about a property very quickly, and the front of your home is often the lead picture on your property listing. If the outside of your property isn’t enticing, it could put people off straight away. Look at different ways to improve your kerb appeal, such as replacing broken doors and windows, or tidying up any shabby paintwork. The front garden (if you have one) might need clearing up, the wheelie bins re-positioned, and a few pot plants added.
4. It’s the wrong time of year
The housing market has busier and quieter times throughout the year. Generally speaking, spring and autumn are the best times to be on the market, and winter (especially November) is one of the more difficult times. However, getting on the market in good time for the busier seasons is also key. Talk to your agent about what would work best in your specific area.
5. Your decor needs a refresh
If the inside of your home looks tired, then it may put off potential buyers. Paintwork is easy to clean up by simply adding a fresh coat to cover everyday marks. This is especially true if you have children and/or animals who may have dirtied the well-used areas of your home, like the stairs, or the areas around the front and back doors. If you have some very outdated decor, it could be worth covering it so buyers can see how they could modernise it and enjoy living in your home.
6. The staging needs work
If your house is very cluttered, it’s well worth boxing up some of your belongings so that areas look more presentable and spacious. Potential buyers want to imagine themselves living in your space, so taking away bits of furniture or belongings that are making the home feel small always helps. If the property is empty, it may feel a little too unused and uninspiring. See if there are any pieces of furniture you could borrow, or look into hiring a staging company to help you.
7. Your estate agent
Make sure you’re using a trusted, local estate agent that knows the area well, and can provide you with the best service possible. If your home’s not selling, it’s a big problem and your estate agent should be working hard to improve things. If you’re worried about the service you’re receiving, then talk to your estate agent and raise your concerns straight away. If you’re considering changing estate agents, you can book a valuation elsewhere and ask for advice.
8. The local market is struggling
The property market operates in a very localised way, and it could be a particularly difficult time to sell in your area. Speak to your estate agent about how the market’s performing, and ask whether it could be worth coming off the market for a few months until things pick up again.
9. Your home is overpriced
The property price is a critical factor when selling your home. Ensure that your estate agent has given you the right advice about your asking price. Ask them to show you similar properties that they’ve sold in the area, and research other properties that are on the market right now. Look at what they’re offering compared to your home in terms of space, number of rooms, and the condition of the property, to see whether your home is overpriced.
10. You’re not open to offers
If you’ve received low offers but dismissed them immediately, you could be slowing down your sale. Of course, you want to get as much as you can for your home, but it’s worth negotiating with buyers if they make an offer on your property. You can ask your agent to find out why the offer is low, and go back with an offer you would be willing to accept. Your estate agent will be on hand to help advise you about these negotiations.
When to worry about a house not selling
In the UK, it normally takes about a month for a property to go under offer. However, if your property doesn’t sell as quickly as that, it’s not necessarily a problem. Talk with your local estate agent to find out how the local property market is performing right now. It could be that most properties in your area are taking more time to sell than normal, so it’s simply a waiting game. However, if your home is taking a lot longer to sell than the average time in your area, you may need to take action.
Viewings have slowed down
If your house has not sold after 3 months, and you’re not even getting people through the door, then have a look at your property listing. Your estate agent should be able to tell you how much interest it’s getting online. If your online listing is getting a lot of attention, but no one’s following up to book a viewing of the property, then something isn’t working.
Talk to your estate agent about any changes they can make to increase interest and viewings. Things to consider include the listing itself; are the photographs good enough? Is the written description effective, and is there an accurate floorplan on the listing? Another big thing to take into consideration is the asking price.
You’re getting viewings, but no offers
If people are still viewing your home, but you’re not getting any offers, it’s time to think about what could be preventing them. Is there something off-putting inside the house? This could be something simple like vibrant paintwork, or a few too many broken cupboard doors. Ask your estate agent for detailed feedback from all viewers so you know exactly why they haven’t chosen to buy your property.
Negative feedback
It can be very difficult to hear negative feedback about your home. However, if you want to sell your property quickly, it’s important to listen to all the feedback given and to act on it. It could be as simple as needing to declutter your home to make the space feel bigger.
It can feel very stressful when your home’s not selling, or if your house sale falls through. Try to remember that sometimes it’s simply a bad time for the property market, and this is outside of your control. If that’s not the problem, there’s almost always a step you can take to help get things moving.
If you’re not sure where to start, then contact us and we’ll talk you through your options. We can advise you on how the local property market is performing and give ideas about how to get your property sold as quickly as possible.
Book a free, no-obligation property valuation appointment with us now to get all of this advice and knowledge from our trusted, local estate agents.
