The Roadblocks That Stop Homes Selling — and What Sellers Can Do About Them

 

If you have a property that has been sitting on the market for longer than the average selling time, it’s not just bad luck, there are probably roadblocks putting people off and causing your property to languish on the market unsold. And there are multiple reasons why this could be happening. From incorrect pricing (pricing that is too high causes property to take twice as long to sell) to overlooked repairs, not paying attention to staging, or even complex issues or legal framework that are instant red flags.

And as a seller, you need to focus on removing any roadblocks impacting the sale process, a few of which we’re going to dive into in this article.

 

Roadblock 1 – Viewing Issues

 

People buy houses based on feelings, and they want a good feeling when they walk into a property to make them want to purchase. And it’s usually not the big things you’d expect, but the smaller, unnoticed issues — smells, clutter, and visible damage. These things matter, and if you’re guilty of showing your property with these three factors at play, you can expect people to walk out faster than they can say no thanks.

Clear out clutter, clean properly, ensure it smells appealing, and get those small repairs taken care of. These tasks can move the needle faster than most other things.

 

Roadblock 2 – Incorrect Pricing

 

As mentioned, homes priced too high spend twice as long on the open market. No one wants this. Don’t fall into the trap of aiming too high with the view to reducing the price down the line; you need to pinpoint a fair price for the size and condition of the property and aim for this. Once your property is up for sale, you can use market feedback to adjust accordingly, but waiting for things to go move at the wrong price or hoping someone will bite is a bad strategy you need to avoid.

 

Roadblock 3 – Legal and Paperwork Issues

 

Missing paperwork, old permits, title issues, liens — these halt a sale in its tracks. And from making buyers pull out to dragging out the process, legal issues can wipe out value in minutes faster than anything else.

You can sort these things ahead of time, or if you’d rather not, you can look for buyers who purchase properties “as-is”. Companies that state “we buy houses for cash” often buy property with all manner of legal concerns, so you don’t need to worry about sorting anything out to sell up.

 

Roadblock 4 – Poor Listing Visibility or Listings Appeal

 

Research indicates nearly half of buyers rule out a property based on the listing alone, and if your listing isn’t optimised, is incomplete, or doesn’t have enough visibility, you’re already losing ground.

You need clean photos taken in natural light, clear descriptions, and a consistent story. This is one area where staging homes will pay off, as staged homes sell faster and look more appealing in photography and videography. It’s not vanity, it’s investment, and you need to make sure your listing is pulling its weight to get the viewings you need for a quick sale.