How to ensure your house won’t sell even in the best of markets

This is my list of top 10 things you can do to help your agent not sell your house. Why do I publish this list? Personally, I think it is important for sellers to know that these things are needed to sell a home. There is a possibility that your agent is afraid to offend you, so they aren't going to mention the things you need to do to get your home sold.

This is the list I give people when I take their listing after it has expired with another agent. If you don't know what the expired list is, that is a list of homes that another agent listed, but couldn't sell. I usually blame this on lack of communication between the seller and the agent. Agents will sometimes take a listing, just to get a listing and only talk about the good things with an owner in hopes not to upset them and lose the listing. But, I believe it is better to be honest with you upfront and tell you what really needs to be done to get your house sold and quickly!

Here is a quote from one of my past clients about their home that was one of those with another agent, that couldn't tell them the truth.

"Todd, we wished we had called you earlier! After having our home on the market for one year with one agent for $118,900 and then on our own for another year for $115,000. That is when we decided we would finally give you a shot. Boy are we glad we did. We signed with you on a Thursday and after work on Friday you called me and asked if I was sitting down. That is when you told me you had 3 offers. When you brought them over and you got the buyers to go in to a bidding war for our property, you made the process actually fun! You left our house at 11:30 that night and by Monday we had all the paperwork signed and had accepted an offer for $129,500. Thank You and we guarantee we will refer you to anyone wanting to sell their home."

                                                                                                                         Todd and Elise Pettijohn

Now, what was the secret on getting this home sold so quickly? Basically their first agent was afraid to talk to them and wouldn't tell them what they needed to hear before that lockbox went on and the sign went in the yard. I told them what they needed to do and got it advertised and the people responded!

So here are the TOP 10 things to help your agent not sell your home, so I can help you sell it in six months when it expires.

1.      Make sure you yard is very cluttered and the lawn is only mowed about once every two months. People love having to walk through a jungle to get to the house.

2.      Always request no sign on the property. This will ensure your neighbors who have friends who like the neighborhood won't move in.

3.      Never let your agent put a lockbox on the property and require an appointment be set up at least 24 hour notice to show the home. This is especially important if the home is vacant. Buyer's agents love the inconvenience of having to work around your schedule instead of the clients.

4.      This one is very important to make sure your house doesn't sell. Always keep the kitchen as if you just cooked a meal 5 minutes ago. People love the sight of dirty dishes on the counter and in the sink. It really shows them how much space the kitchen really has.

5.      If you have dogs, always keep them in the house ready to greet new people as they arrive. Make sure you don't warn anyone that they are there. It is really funny seeing the agents and buyers face when they see a dog running at them from down the hall. If you have cats make sure you never clean the litter, smells can really help sell a home.

6.      In the bathroom, please keep your dirty clothes on the floor and the toilet seat up and dirty. Nothing says home like dirty clothes on the floor and a dirty toilet!

7.      Keep as many personal pictures up as possible. (This helps ensure the buyer will remember who lives here and everything about their life and not remember the house.) Also, use very bright colors on the walls. It is also important to make sure each room is a different color, as it adds personality.

8.      In the garage, make sure that it is filled with everything but a car and the lights don't work. This helps sell the home as people can now imagine how big it is and how their car will fit.

9.      Please, never buy new carpet! When I bring a family around looking for homes we look for Kool Aid stains on the floor. This tells us, "Hey, these people have kids and that must mean this is a safe neighborhood."

10.  If your home is vacant, never get it staged. People love a house that echoes, it gives them the sense of its size and let's them see all the imperfections that they could have missed with furniture. The money spent on staging a home can be better spent on things like the mortgage that you will need to continue paying while your home doesn't sell.

This is my TOP 10 list of things I want you to do to help you agent not sell your home! If your agent isn't telling you what you need to hear to get your home sold, please, when it expires, I would love to have the chance to help you sell your home. I won't be afraid to tell you what you need to hear.

                        

For more information on selling your home in Beaverton or Tigard, Oregon, please drop me a line. I would love to go over my Grand Slam list of things you can do to your home to get it sold quickly and for top dollar!

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739