Selling a home is complex, but it’s not mysterious. To be blunt about it, there are three reasons why a home sells or does not.
Houses sell when they are:
- Priced Right
- Staged Right
- Readily Accessible
Houses don’t sell when they are:
- Over Priced
- Inaccessible
- Factual Data Inaccuracies
Price is the single most important factor. Price the home right and it will sell, overprice the house and it won’t.
How do I know if my home is overpriced?
When a home for sale does not generate an offer within 21 days, it is overpriced. If you’re getting showings but no offers, lower the price 4% – 6%. If you’re getting drive-bys or a low number of showings only, lower the price 6% – 12%. If you’re getting no showings at all, lower the price at least 12%.
Is it worth spending the money to stage my house?
Staging and appearance are crucial in a competitive market. You must stand out from the competition, but that does not mean you have to spend a fortune to professional stage your home. Buyers remember homes that look good, smell good and feel good. You can do the staging yourself.
My real estate agent says my house should be available constantly for tours, why?
Homes must be readily accessible for viewing. Buyers have busy schedules and their time is limited and putting unreasonable time constraints on showings is counter-productive. Make it easy for buyers to see your home. Remember, you can’t sell it if it can’t be shown.
I’ve been told my house is not overpriced and it’s been accessible for viewing, could there be any other reason why it isn’t selling?
Factual inaccuracies kill sales. Marketing a 5 bedroom home as a 3 bedroom home misses the target audience completely. Stating a condominium unit has 1 designated parking space when it, in fact, has 2 eliminates everyone who needs 2 parking slots. Purporting the lot size to be 5,000 square feet when it’s actually 50,000 square feet is indefensible. These things unfortunately do happen. They shouldn’t. Still, if you really believe your house is priced right and accessible, it might be worth proof-reading all materials about your property.
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Tags: san mateo county housing market, san mateo county real estate, san mateo home owner, steps to selling your home
Raymond Stoklosa, Broker/Co-Owner
Chela Stoklosa, Realtor/Co-Owner
Part of staging is to make the home ready at the drop of a dime to show. Having a professional stager consult with the homeowner gives them the tricks to make this possible. I am thrilled to see that you touched on both of these crucial issues. Great blog. Thanks for sharing!