A recent article I read addressed the many ways some sellers sabotage the sale of their homes. I have personally encountered a few of these items in my own listings and they very well could have cost the sale of the home and lengthened the time on the market.
Most sellers do the right thing, but a few don't get it. The three items I have encountered that might be useful to consider are listed here.
Pricing the home right: Too often people think they can name their price rather than basing it on what similar homes have recently sold for. This is probably the biggest factor keeping homes on the market for longer periods of time. Once the price is finally reduced to market price, it may go unnoticed because due to the market, people are looking at current listings. There is also a stigma attached with properties being on the market too long, given our current high demand.
Home condition: Sellers may not want to put any money into simple repairs such as peeling paint, cleaning gutters and other simple maintenance items. These will inevitably be called out in a home inspection or appraisal. For example, peeling paint is a frequent call and must be repaired for certain types of loans, such as FHA loans, popular with first-time homebuyers. These are simple but important items in that they can limit the buyers for a home—so you might as well get them done before putting your home on the market.
Accessibility: We all know that Bend is a very popular town for dogs, and often when houses are shown during working hours, the dogs are there to greet or scare off some buyers and agents. One way to get around this is to schedule showing times to restricted hours when the owner is able to remove the dogs. I had a recent listing with friendly but great "alarm" barking dogs that thwarted some people from entering due to fear of dogs. Tenant occupants require 24-hour notice. Coming to an understanding with tenants for showings can help minimize disruption and make it easier for realtors to plan showings.
We all know that when a home is priced right, is appealing to the eye, and easily accessible, it is more likely to sell quicker.
LOW
1838 NE Monterey Ave., Bend, OR 97703
2 beds, 1 bath, 1,300 square feet, .17 acre lot
Built in 1980
$165,000
Listed by Ms. Linda LA Judd PC
MID
3747 NE Purcell Ave., Bend, OR 97701
3 beds, 2.5 baths, 2,383 square feet, .12 acre lot
Built in 2008
$392,000
Listed by Keller Williams Realty Central Oregon
HIGH
3327 NW Windwood Way, Bend, OR 97703
4 beds, 3.5 baths, 4,274 square feet, 1.17 acre lot
Built in 2005
$1,150,000
Listed by Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate
Photos and listing info from Central Oregon Multiple Listing Service