Is your house not selling?
You are not alone. In the current property market with higher interest rates, it takes around 6 months for a property to go under offer and then another 3 months for conveyancing. So are there any alternatives?
In this article, we’ll discuss why your house has not sold after 3 months and go through a detailed action plan to get your house sold quickly and at the best price.
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Is your house not selling?
Whether you are a first-time seller or an experienced homeowner, selling is one of the most difficult experiences in life.
When you are dealing with people, by nature, they are unpredictable. The conveyancing process is complex; most solicitors are lazy, and many estate agents are dishonest. On top of that, the average buyer is uncommitted and can change their minds right up to the exchange of contracts.
It is no wonder you are thinking about how long it takes to sell a house.
So what can you do to take back control and stack odds in your favour?
So you have had your property on the market for some time now and had:
- perhaps a few viewings
- lots of viewings
- no firm offers
- a few daft offers
But the summary is that despite all this, you have still not sold your house.
So, what can one do about it?
The first thing is DON’T PANIC. It is a fact that not every property sells straight away, even if that is what your estate agent promised you. The truth is that certain homes sell quicker than others.
Here is some good news: all buyers are DIFFERENT people, and what is right for one is wrong for another buyer. don’t forget that your home is in direct competition with every other house that is on the market, and it must really STAND OUT to be noticed. You aren’t alone, according to the latest ONS figures.
I know what you are thinking; he will tell me to reduce the asking price. With a typical estate agent, that may be necessary, but there are many things you can do before grabbing the phone to your estate agent to reduce the price.
What to do if your house is not selling?
Here are our top tips for getting your home sold quickly. Has your house not sold after 3 months?
Ask your estate agent why they believe the reasons behind your property still being up for sale, with their honest and constructive feedback.
Top tip: If it is not a weak market, ask them to try a little harder to find out why you are not selling your house.
Look at your house advert that is online on Rightmove:
- Are the photos as good as they can be?
- Does the property description excite you?
- Does the property listing stand out from the competition?
- Do you have a floor plan?
Top tip: Your agent must keep your property pictures updated. You do not want to be showing off your garden full of snow when the sun shines in the Easter!
- Having wide-angle photography is beneficial; however, remember that it will look like your house shrunk in the eyes of prospective buyers when they visit. Can you remember the size of chocolate bars when we were children compared to nowadays?
- Does your property have a floor plan? I strongly suggest you get one because it makes it easier to figure out which room goes where and matches it up with the description and photographs.
- Always keep your home looking good during the sale of your property, from well-manicured gardens to an inviting front drive with clean windows and no leftover maintenance jobs in sight.
Top tip: If a light bulb that needs changing then this can have a negative effect at a viewing because in buyers’ mind if you can’t change your light bulb then what other maintenance jobs are overlooked?
Get rid of all distractions such as pets, last night’s dishes and that pile of ironing before your viewings take place.
Top tip: You only have one chance at making a first impression, and most first-time buyers will have formed a distinct opinion within less than five minutes of stepping through your property’s front door.
- Have you been doing your viewings and finding them too stressful? Or do you believe that an independent voice will be much better than considering asking the estate agent to take over the viewings?
- Most good estate agents will have shown thousands of properties to many prospective buyers, and they will be able to develop the conversation to suit your buyers’ needs.
- You need to insist that whoever is showing your home knows it well enough so they do not come across like a bad magician who is throwing open a door and announcing that this house has a fantastic en-suite bathroom only to find themselves and the buyer disappointingly looking at the cupboards you can use to store your towels.
- After the viewing, you should insist that your estate agent follow up and provide you with the buyers’ honest thoughts, particularly why it is not of interest to them. I often find it helpful to ask those buyers what they thought of the asking price as they will have probably viewed a handful of your competitors, and this may highlight a pricing issue early on that can be dealt with now. I knew it! Here comes the bit where he will tell us to drop the price, another typical estate agent! – I can almost hear you say.
- Make sure that your estate agent is keeping in regular contact with you and that you updated them with any change to your circumstances or your home itself, such as you have now seen a great house at a bargain price and are now more open to negotiation than before or you have finally re-decorated that back bedroom and replaced the swirly patterned carpet from the 1980’s that still had years of stains in it.
Always remember to work with your estate agent together if you will make the house move of your dreams.
What is the most common reason for a property not to be sold?
The most common reason your house is not selling could be the asking price. Do you feel like your house is stuck on the market? Here are our recommendations:
Has your property been stuck on the market for so long that the original photos of the garden are now back in season?
Is your property on a busy road where the noise and pollution could be the reason for not selling?
What’s the condition of your property? Is your property inherited? If a buyer has tried to purchase it, and the sale has fallen through, was it because it was unmortgageable? Does your house have artex ceilings?
The definition of struggling to sell is “a property that has been on the open market for a significant amount of time longer than other property in the area”.
So, if it’s a busy sellers’ market and everything else is selling fast within the first few weeks, and you’ve been trying for a few months then you need to act NOW.
Let me ask you to ask yourself a very simple question. Must you move, and I mean need to move on? If the answer is a resounding YES! Great read on if the answer is no or not really then you must STOP NOW!
Why are you putting yourself through this torment just tell your estate agent that you are staying put for now.
What are 4 reasons houses don’t sell?
So how does one unstick a stuck property?
- Critical feedback: Before you can move forward, you need to reflect upon the feedback from your viewers. You must involve your estate agent in this process, and arranging a face-to-face meeting at the house is essential.
- Is there a clear pattern as to why people have decided not to make an offer or even view it, and if so, is there anything that one can do about it? Maybe there are maintenance issues or decorating jobs that could be easy to do and not cost much. Could the garden be improved by a professional landscaper or the front of the house could be made smarter?
- Look at the property’s sales brochure online and discuss with the estate agent how it can be improved upon or at least changed to give the house a fresh lease of life. New photographs are an absolute must-have if you want your home to appear new.
- Discuss with your estate agent who should do the viewings. Perhaps the estate agent would be better positioned if you have been doing the viewings so far.
Sell with certainty & speed
Why is my house not selling in a sellers’ market?
Selling a house in any market depends on your marketing. Some properties will always sell because of their desirability in your area. Is yours one of them? If not, how do you make yours stand out from the competition?
Marketing includes who is showing around the property, what to say and when to stay quiet.
Let’s be honest here, do you believe that:
- You are a good communicator?
- You know when to talk and when to stay silent?
- You quickly get annoyed when a buyer seems to be under-whelmed by your unique take on the decoration of the house.
- Or do you feel it’s important that a buyer knows the exact power-to-heat ratio of your highly efficient central heating boiler?
A quick tip: most buyers want to know if your boiler produces sufficient heat & plenty of hot water when it is needed.
If the estate agent has been showing prospective buyers around then:
- are their staff experienced viewers?
- do they allow sufficient time for each viewing to take place?
- how do they deal with questions raised by a prospective buyer?
- Ask your estate agent to tell you an honest question, “what price the property should be marketed at to sell it now” and to show you the comparable homes to justify their suggested valuation.
A quick tip: Don’t get annoyed with your estate agent and tell them that they are wrong, always remembering that it is you who asked the question because you wanted to know.
Now that you know how your current estate agent is thinking, it is worth hearing the opinion of at least one other estate agent who may have some fresh ideas. A change of estate agent at this critical time could be what you and your home desperately need.
Can you sell your home yourself, or do you know how do you hire the best agent to sell your house quickly?
Make sure that whatever the issues your home may have, be it price or condition, are dealt with before you change estate agents; otherwise, you will be “jumping from the frying pan into the fire”. Our article ‘Are online estate agents any good‘ has some useful tips.
A quick tip: estate agents aren’t miracle workers; the best ones work much harder, smarter, and quicker than the rest.
If you have decided to change your estate agents, then why not give the property a rest from the internet for a couple of weeks, that way, when it re-appears, the impact on the market will be greater. It also helps to give yourself a break so you can feel re-energised and ready for the challenge of getting your home sold.
Once your house is back on the market with a new brochure, photos, a new viewing approach, a new estate agent and a new determination, now more than ever, you need to drive the selling of your home forward and make sure that you and your estate agent are highly motivated to succeed.
Once all the conveyancing process has been completed and the contracts have been signed, a date for moving will be agreed with everyone involved in your chain.
This completion date is legally binding and can form part of the exchange of contracts; however, we recommend that you get your buyers to exchange contracts with you if you are not in a chain so that you have certainty that the sale will go ahead.
Depending on what has been agreed, this completion date can be the same as the exchange of contracts date or up to a few weeks apart. However, nowadays, a gap of one to two weeks is the norm rather than the exception; of having contracts exchanged. It will give you peace of mind that the buyer cannot pull out of the proposed purchase at the last minute, which is ideal if you are not in a chain.
On your moving day, you must ensure that you have removed all your items from your home on the day, as the formal completion usually takes place around lunchtime once the outstanding monies have been received.
The completion time can vary from mid-morning to even sometimes late afternoon, so make sure that your removal firm is prepared to give you enough time.
If possible, it is also a good idea to avoid completing on a Friday, so a suggestion is to move the completion day to a Thursday.
Completions at the end of a month are not a good idea, as these dates always become very popular and removal firms will get very booked up.
You will find our article on how to sell your home – a step by step guide useful.
How to get rid of a house that won't sell?
As we know, this is often a very stressful time for everyone. We buy any house service if you have tried all the tips above and still have not managed to sell your property. Perhaps it is a deceased estate, or you are looking to move abroad or relocate to a different part of the United Kingdom. Whatever your circumstances, should you require a certain sale with speed, we know we will deliver.
We can exchange contracts within 10 days or quicker and agree on a completion date that suits your plans.
If you want to see how we can help, we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week just give us a quick call, and we will call you back.
Sell with certainty & speed
Property Saviour Price Promise
- The price we’ll offer is the price that you will receive with no hidden deductions.
- Be careful with ‘cash buyers’ who require a valuation needed for a mortgage or bridging loan.
- These valuations or surveys result in delays and price reductions later on.
- We are cash buyers. There are no surveys.
- We always provide proof of funds with every formal offer issued.
We'll Pay £1,500 Towards Your Legal Fees
- No long exclusivity agreement to sign because we are the buyers.
- You are welcome to use your own solicitor.
- If you don’t have one, we can ask our solicitors for recommendations.
- We share our solicitor’s details and issue a Memorandum of Sale.
Sell With Certainty & Speed
- Our approach is transparent and ethical, which is why sellers trust us.
- 100% Discretion guaranteed.
- If you have another buyer, you can put us in a contracts race to see who completes first.
- Complete in 10 days or at a timescale that works for you. You are in control.
