Recently I wrote a posts for buyers on the 10 reasons they should wait to buy in today's market. Today I figured I would tackle a different topic and help out those sellers in the market that would like to have their home on the market, but not actually sell it. These are steps that if followed correctly, can certainly aid in the process of NOT selling your home.
10- Landscaping. It is imperative that you make no special effort to make the yard look nice. Allow the shrubs to grow out of control and make sure the grass is not cut on a regular basis. A nicely maintained yard is pleasing to the eye, and it may make people want to take a look at the inside. If we can just make them drive by, then we have nothing to worry about.
9- The outside of the home itself. Try to make sure there is some paint peeling and that there are leaves in the gutters. The outside condition of the home is just as important as the yard itself. Just like a well maintained yard, a well maintained home will draw attention and that is completely against our cause of not selling the house.
8- Floors- If for some reasons a curious buyer sees through our efforts to run them away and decides to walk inside, then we have to take things to the next level. Be sure that the floors throughout the house are not clean. If they are already older and worn out floors, then be sure you leave them like they are. You don't want nice new floors causing the place to seem appealing. If possible have stains and some cigarette burns in carpet.
7- Clutter- You can make a small room seem even smaller by simply staging it with too much crap. Be sure you put as much stuff as possible on your counter tops in the kitchen and on any flat surface where you can fit trinkets. This is a sure fire turn off for buyers, so don't over look it. A nice decluttered house can accentuate the positives, and that's not what we want.
6- Paint- The best thing you can do is slap some paint on the walls that offends the sense of anyone who sees it. I mean bright purples and reds and anything else you can think of that the average buyer doesn't want to see. Sometimes dark colors can be used to make a room look smaller as well. Between that and the clutter we should be able to send many prospective buyers running for the hills. The last thing you should do is put a fresh coat of neutral paint on the walls. That just makes a place look too good.
5- Poor lighting- The darker the better for us, so try to make sure we block windows to avoid natural light. If at all possible be sure that there are some burnt out light bulbs, that way the place will look even less inviting to touring agents and buyers. We don't want inviting.
4- A dirty house- This is a huge help for us in our effort to avoid an offer. If the place is clean and decluttered, then it shows better and we run the risk of selling. Instead, be sure that you leave the home trashed every chance you get. Dirty dishes in the sink and piles of cloths on the floor in bedrooms. These are two great ways to make a home look bad.
3- Show by appointment only- And don't be reasonable about it when you do. Don't even allow a Realtor to put a lockbox on the home. The last thing we want is for buyers and agents to have availability to the property. When someone does call to show the house stick around and make the buyer feel uncomfortable by following them around. If they start to picture themselves living there, they may get that warm and fuzzy feeling that could lead to sell. They don't live there, it's your home, make sure they know that.
2- Smoke in your home- This will cause another huge turn off to buyers. The smell will work it's way into every part of the home. If possible leave full ashtrays throughout to drive the point home.
1- Price- I should say over price to be more specific. Price has become a crucial factor in the sell of many homes, so the last thing you want is to put a fair market price on your home. You need to price it above market value and stand firm with the willingness to negotiate.
You really shouldn't need to take all of these steps, if you just pick a few you can greatly increase the chances that your home will not sell. So decide which ones are right for you, and stick to the plan. Your success should be easy on this one.
JL...
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