There is nothing worse than putting your home on the market just to watch it sit there. Once the decision has been made that you’re moving, the excitement kicks in and you’re moving full force ahead. Whether your relocating, downsizing or in need of more space, it’s now your goal to sell your current home as soon as possible so you can move onto the next chapter of your life.

However, selling real estate is a craft. And if your home isn’t selling right away, we’d be willing to wager it’s for one of these five reasons:

1. Your House is in Need of Repairs

Think about both the inside and outside of your house. Is your lawn in need of work? Could your curb appeal benefit from some landscaping? Is your kitchen outdated? Could your walls use a new coat of paint?

First impressions mean everything and when it comes to selling your home, they mean even more. From the second the potential buyer walks up the driveway, they’re inspecting everything about your home. The more repairs that catch their eye, the more dollar signs they see adding up. And additional costs are a big red flag for buyers.

2. The Rooms Don’t Have a Defined Purpose

Let’s say you have a home office listed, but your family currently utilizes the space as a playroom and it’s cluttered with toys. This can make it hard for the potential buyer to imagine the room as a work space if they were to move in.

When potential buyers enter your home, they want to see rooms with a defined purpose. If your home’s listing states you have a formal dining, living room, an office, three bedrooms, and two and a half bathrooms, it’s imperative the buyer see these rooms filling that purpose during their walk-through.

3. Your Home is Too Personalized

While your home has been a haven for your family and you’ve built many memories within its walls, your home needs to be de-personalized when it becomes time to sell.

When you’re selling a house, you want it to be very easily for the potential buyer to picture their own life there. Therefore, family pictures, pet items and other personal items should be stored while the house is on the market. Allowing the home to take a more neutral feel will move the buying process along more quickly.

4. You’re Inflexible with Showings

When your house is on the market, it needs to be show-ready at all times and your schedule needs to be open. If your realtor calls and has someone who would like to see the home right then, you need to have the flexibility to leave so it can be shown.

Delaying home showings, or even open houses, delays the buying process. You might even lose the potential buyer because of it!

5. The House is Not Priced at Market Value

This is a hard one to digest. When you hire a realtor to research your neighborhood and see what similar homes are selling for, trust their judgement. If you put your home for sale at market value, it’s much more likely you’ll receive several bids driving up the price. However, if you place your home for sale above market value, you might not get any nibbles.

Ready to Sell Your Home Fast and For More Money? Home Staging is the Answer!

If you’re serious about selling your home, it’s time to consider home staging.

Home staging enhances your house’s curb appeal and gets the inside of your house show-ready. In fact, it’s been proven 95 percent of staged homes sell on average in 11 days or less, and sell for 17 percent more!

Read 3 Ways Home Staging Will Help You Sell Your House Faster>>

To speak to an accredited home staging professional, contact us today.