House Not Selling? Here’s What You Should Do Next
If your house has been sitting on the market longer than expected, it can begin to feel both frustrating and worrying. Watching days, weeks and even months pass by without viewings or any feedback and with no follow-up offers can very quickly leave you asking one question: what should I do now?
There are always factors that affect the speed of sale and many of them often sit outside of your control; for example, the time of year or a slow-moving buyer’s market that takes the power away from sellers. That doesn’t mean that you’re completely powerless to affect how fast you can sell. Our property expert Nima Ghasri has put together a few tips to help you get things moving.
- Judge the market realistically
Before making any hasty or drastic changes, take a step back and look at the wider property market and assess whether you’re offering something that can truly cut through the noise. Ask yourself the question: am I truly offering people the best version of my home? Simple repairs and decluttering are a quick and easy way to start, helping you make the best possible first impression. On top of that, high-quality photographs are essential to capturing attention.
Beyond aesthetics, the obvious key to attracting interest is pricing. Compare your listing against similar properties on the market in your area. If your home is valued significantly higher than those, then there’s every chance that prospective buyers will just book viewings elsewhere.
- Fix the no viewings problem
So, you’ve put your house on the market, listings are live and… nothing. There are few things as disheartening and frustrating. But this could easily come down to one of a handful of easily fixable factors.
Overpricing your property means you could be filtered out of search results. Most buyers will put a top and bottom value in property search engines; if you’re too high, then you’re not even showing up.
Restrictive viewing times can also make it difficult and put off potential buyers. Buying a house takes a lot of effort, and buyers want the path of least resistance.
Finally, sticking to traditional selling sites can be a big roadblock. Sure, it’s important to have your property listed on the usual sites, but you need more than that. Share your property across social media and ask friends and family to help amplify that. You’d be surprised how far this can reach!
- Tackle viewings that lead to nothing
Getting buyers through the door is a big part of the battle, but if they fail to convert into offers, there’s a strong sign of a disconnect between the online listing and reality.
Wide-angle photography can be guilty of overselling a property. There’s a line between attracting interest and setting up unrealistic expectations. If your viewers arrive and feel immediately underwhelmed, then you’re on a bad footing immediately.
General cleanliness is something that also needs to be considered. If you’ve got a viewing booked in, make sure you’ve prepared your house in the best possible way. Run a vac around, dust the sides, and ensure there are no unpleasant odours. Get your windows open and ventilate the property well.
- Be flexible on price
Your home is your pride and joy, so it’s understandable that you have an idea of how much you’d sell it for. While it is fine to hold out for a specific figure, an unrealistic price tag can stall your sale entirely. Lowering your asking price doesn’t necessarily mean admitting defeat. It can actually be a great strategic move.
A slight decrease in value opens you up to a new pool of buyers who are searching within that limit, creating more competitive interest and potentially speeding up the selling process.
- Keep an eye on your listing history
Believe it or not, there’s an element of psychology in selling your home. The longer your house stays on the market, the more likely it is that buyers become suspicious and potentially start thinking “well, if nobody’s bought it by now, there must be something wrong…”
People begin to assume that an underlying problem is slowing down the sale, even if it simply comes down to poor timing. If your price is fair and the property still won’t budge, it might be worth looking beyond traditional estate agents.
Alternative routes when you need to move fast
If you’re in the midst of a life change like a divorce, help with debt, or another urgent downsizing requirement, waiting months for your property to sell on the open market isn’t always feasible.
If you need a guaranteed, hassle-free solution, a quick cash sale could be the perfect alternative. With sales completing in as little as 7 to 21 days and paying up to 85% of the market value, as well as covering legal fees, a sale with us could be the way to go. Contact the team today for a free, no-obligation cash offer.
