“Why is My House Not Selling?”

Today I met with sellers who failed to sell their home with their prior agent.  They were understandably frustrated and wanted to know why the market rejected their home.  Unfortunately, it was easy to spot the problems.

1.  Poor curb appeal.  Tall grass, weeds, unkempt plants, and peeling and chipping paint really distracted me from “seeing” the house.  If I’m distracted as a real estate broker, how will other Realtors and their clients view the property?  These sellers have to address the exterior themselves or hire a landscaper to bring their property to spec.

2.  Foul odors.  Odors and their causes always vary, but the effect of turning off buyers remains the same.  Take out the garbage, and don’t just leave it to stink up the garage.  Cat litter boxes need to be emptied.  Run lemon slices through a smelly garbage disposal or replace the garbage disposal.  Laundry and dishes must be washed.  Smells matter!

3.  Filth, or the appearance of filth.  There’s absolutely no good reason to show a dirty home.  The house must be clean!  It’s best to hire professional cleaners to do the job, especially for sellers with pets that shed.  Don’t forget to steam the carpets!  Things sellers don’t notice will be readily apparent to buyers.

These three items plague most sellers in one form or other.  My name is Mike Kwiatkowski and I am a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of Brookfield WI.  Let’s talk about the simple things you can do to take your home from ignored to a gem.  My email is Mike.k@cbexchange.com and my direct line is 414-207-2938.