Hi there, I purchased my home (that was built in 2004) as a Foreclosure in 2008. It was a complete mess, the paint schemes were horrible unless you were Willy Wonka with his addiction for chocolate, Some rooms were missing carpet, there were no light fixtures, the railing on the stairs was missing and even toilets were pulled out. - I have Before pics if anyone wants to see them
http://missnowmrsblogger.blogspot.com/p/our-... During the time I have lived here, I made the updates and changes as I went. I kept everything neutral because I knew I would sell after I was married. I now have my home listed and have had a lot of showings and I'm being told the home is too neutral, nothing stands out and it starts to blend into the rest of the homes seen that day, and it needs to be "modernized"? I have always understood that you do not want your home to be too modern, traditional, colorful or personalized because the buyer cannot picture themselves there. What gives?
Here is the new MLS listing http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-de...
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Help me sell my home please! We are at the end of a 10 day option period on our new home!
What gives is that you are selling in a buyers market. It's happening all over. I know a lot of people who had to relocate and couldn't sell their homes for months or more. I think things are a little better in Texas than in many other states, but it's still surely a buyer's market. Having said that, if you post some new photos of your updated home here and on your blog, folks might be able ...»
http://www.hometalk.com/r9nmpfmae7
She might also be able to help you sell the house with her virtual staging services.
You are right to keep the colors neutral. The biggest mistake people make is they make their home or show their home with to much personal items being around. When people go in a home, they need to picture themselves in it. ...»
Forget about what other people are saying about what if's. They are normally those who are not going to buy regardless of what you do. Most of them have nothing else to do then to get free cookies on a Sunday and nose into other peoples business. Offer up a few hundred dollars towards new paint at closing. Get a warranty on the home to transfer to new owners. Get a new Agent! Sometimes that is all it takes.
Hang in there, It will eventually sell. From what I see there is nothing you need to do other then work on price and marketing.
From the look of your area the house is priced right. Neighboring homes are on both sides of your asking price. How much effort is the realtor putting on this sale? How long have you had it on the market? According to research most have been averaging around 30 days as of late. Sometimes it seems like an eternity when your in a crunch to buy.
P.S. by "modernized" I think they meant to say updated, like spend some serious $$$ and gut! I say psshaw! Buyers are getting the deal of the century these days. All it takes is ONE PERSON to get it sold!
Don't go crazy accessorizing though, you still want to keep that nice, uncluttered look you've got now you just want to get some ooohs and aaahs. Unfortunately buyers forget that they are buying your house and not your stuff and that can work to your advantage if you play it right! Do your homework find out what's selling in your area and why and take your clues from that. i.e. upgrades, price, lot size etc.
Curb appeal, if possible, paint your front door a different color, plant some colorful flowers,
Change the house numbers etc. Here's a good link to what i'm talking about.
http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exterior...
Hook 'em the minute they pull up and hopefully by the changes you've made on the inside, you can reel 'em in!
Good luck!
The good news is there are no foreclosures or anything in my size and price range in the area other than new builds. I think my largest problems are the "no shows" from Agents that I keep getting. So frustrating!
One thing that stands out to me in your pictures is the fridge, it's way too small for the space and gives it that "college students live here" feel. Could you rent a larger, fancier one? The kind that people who like to cook are likely to remember?
As for the HOA, I live in a place with a very strict one! Read through it again for loopholes. Ours has some specifics that don't require approval, decor under a certain height, changes to plantings in certain areas, etc. Yours may have something similar that would allow you to put out a few pots of flowers, maybe one with a little house number sign in it! What about putting out the pots on days you have showings and then bringing them inside? Usually an HOA violation gives you 14-30 days to fix the problem, and you'll have fixed it by dinnertime. Also, try getting the names and numbers of the realtors who call to make appointments and call them back to ask if they came by and if not, why not. If they ran out of time that's one thing, but if they drove by and didn't come in, then you know you need to work on curb appeal!
Good luck!
Have you had an open house yet? That might be something to try.