I Told You So, And Now Your Home Isn’t Selling

By Sabrina Biehl Published Oct 27, 2015 06:09 am Updated Oct 20, 2015 09:11 am

When you first listed your home with your real estate agent, he or she probably gave you some advice, but if you’re like a lot of sellers, you probably didn’t follow it. Now, it’s three months later, and you’ve had few showings and no offers.

Your real estate agent warned you that the market is tough, that buyers are picky, and that you’ll have to do some work to get your home to “show” well. Maybe you didn’t have the time or the money to do the repairs and updates your real estate agent suggested.

While no real estate agent will say, “I told you so!,” you might hear a little voice in your head saying it anyway. So what can you do to help the situation?

Here are six suggestions:

1. I told you so – you overpriced your home. You didn’t listen to your agent when you were told that you’re asking too much money. Sit down with your real estate agent and really hammer out a new price strategy to attract more buyers.

2. I told you so – you’ve got too much stuff. Buyers don’t like overstuffed closets, knickknacks, and toys strewn everywhere. Stuff is stuffing – it just makes your house look smaller, dated and storage-deprived. So pack anything that isn’t absolutely necessary for daily living and put it in storage.

3. I told you so – repaint your home. Pick a nice neutral paint color. Take everything you can out of the rooms to be painted, cover the rest, don your oldest shirt and start painting. Put back only what is sleek, new looking, and in great condition. Anything else doesn’t need to be seen by buyers, it will only drag down your home’s value.

4. I told you so – do those repairs. Yes, buyers noticed that your house wasn’t in tiptop condition. Nail down loose boards, trim bathroom drawers that stick, brighten the rooms with higher watt bulbs, fix that leak and anything else that got you negative feedback from previous showings.

5. I told you so – stage the house. Having a room do too much confuses buyers and makes the home look inadequate. Don’t put office equipment in the bedroom. Set a nice tone for showings by lighting a candle in the bathroom, putting out pretty place settings on your dining table, adding fresh flower arrangements, opening the curtains, and lighting a fire in the fireplace.

6. I told you so – clean everything. A thorough cleaning is essential to remove the daily odors and stains of living. Kitchens and baths are the two areas where eat-off-the-floor cleanliness is called for. Remove and replace shrunken caulking, scrub tiles of mold and mildew stains, and remove hard water deposits. Clear countertops and polish appliances to shiny brightness.

A clean, well-maintained home impresses everyone. If you value your home, show it and others will value it, too.