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My house has been on the market since early March and we are not getting much traffic at all to come see the house.
Those that have come to see the house for the most part have loved the house, but most seem put off by the high taxes (approx 8k after STAR).
Admittedly, the village (Hempstead) is not great like our neighbors to the north, Garden City, but the house is located in the nicest part of the town (Ingraham Estates sec) with the better school district (SD #2 - Uniondale).
It is a really great, beautiful house with no work needed (bathrooms could use a modern update). Actually one guy and his family came to see the house and they loved it, but being that he says he was in construction business, he was looking for a house that needed work....for the same price!!! Also, it's on an oversized lot (60 x 120 = 7200 sq ft), whereas most houses in the area are 40 x 100 (4000 sq ft).
Anyway, hoping someone can offer some advice on what I should/could do, to sell my house as soon as possible. I've been considering dropping the price, but have been trying to put it off as long as possible.
My house has been on the market since early March and we are not getting much traffic at all to come see the house.
Those that have come to see the house for the most part have loved the house, but most seem put off by the high taxes (approx 8k after STAR).
Admittedly, the village (Hempstead) is not great like our neighbors to the north, Garden City, but the house is located in the nicest part of the town (Ingraham Estates sec) with the better school district (SD #2 - Uniondale).
It is a really great, beautiful house with no work needed (bathrooms could use a modern update). Actually one guy and his family came to see the house and they loved it, but being that he says he was in construction business, he was looking for a house that needed work....for the same price!!! Also, it's on an oversized lot (60 x 120 = 7200 sq ft), whereas most houses in the area are 40 x 100 (4000 sq ft).
Anyway, hoping someone can offer some advice on what I should/could do, to sell my house as soon as possible. I've been considering dropping the price, but have been trying to put it off as long as possible.
FYI I am a realtor in Florida but originally from Baldwin. The old saying location, location, location really doesn't apply in this very very tight real estate market. Price and condition - when there is that much inventory on the market buyers have so much to choose from that they will choose the home with the best price/condition. It is very difficult to be objective about your own home. Have you neutralized the house - fresh paint, cleaned carpets or removed old worn carpets? How is the curb appeal ? Ask a few friends to come in and give you their honest opinion about your house and listen to what they have to say. If the bathrooms need to updated that is a problem because kitchens and baths are two of the biggest ticket items to update so therefore bite the bullet and lower your price!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sure your realtor has mentioned this. Ask your realtor for a market study of like kind homes that have sold within the past three months (if there were any) and take a realistic look and lower the price. One way to sell it for sure is to price it below what others are going for. Good luck.
I have requested from my agent the last 3 months of home sales in my area as suggested.
I included a link to my listing in my original post (not sure if you had/have time to look at the photos).
It's curb appeal is good IMO. Most of the interior walls and ceilings have been repainted recently and only one room (my daughter's) has an "off" color (light purple). Only one room has carpeting, the rest are hardwood floors, except the kitchen, which has ceramic tiles.
I have requested from my agent the last 3 months of home sales in my area as suggested.
I included a link to my listing in my original post (not sure if you had/have time to look at the photos).
It's curb appeal is good IMO. Most of the interior walls and ceilings have been repainted recently and only one room (my daughter's) has an "off" color (light purple). Only one room has carpeting, the rest are hardwood floors, except the kitchen, which has ceramic tiles.
Very nice home. A few suggestions - trim the two large shrubs on either side of the front door - too big - if you haven't planted flowers for color I would plant a few even two on either side of the front steps, same thing in the back. I would say that the master bedrooms seems tight and that may be a problem. Otherwise looks very clean and neat. Some may say to remove personal photos (kids, family) but I don't always agree with that. By the way where are you going??
Very nice home. A few suggestions - trim the two large shrubs on either side of the front door - too big - if you haven't planted flowers for color I would plant a few even two on either side of the front steps, same thing in the back. I would say that the master bedrooms seems tight and that may be a problem. Otherwise looks very clean and neat. Some may say to remove personal photos (kids, family) but I don't always agree with that. By the way where are you going??
Fallgirl
Thanks!
Yeah the shrubs are pretty big...we did have them trimmed, I guess we should do some more.
I've considered planting some flowers as you've suggested, but my wife didn't think it was needed.
The master bedroom is actually very roomy for a typical NY Cape/Colonial, I think the angle of the pic makes it look smaller.
ok, I am an AVID watcher of Sell this house on the HGTV shows.
First, very nice looking home overall.
1. Trim the bushes in the front.
2. paint the nursery the same color--beige, white etc., no Pooh.
3. Take down the black wallpaper border in the bedroom
4. Paint the whole bedroom room the same color--no black
5. Paint the ceiling fan white or get a new one, just get rid of the black
6.the kitchen looks extrememly cramped--take everything off the counter
7. remove the miniblinds and the curtain(very dated) in the kitchen --maybe a pull down shade
8. curtains in the diningroom, look nice, but is that lace?If its lace--thats dated-so are miniblinds.
9. I think I see BARS on the windows get rid of them.
10. No family photos should be visible (I think there are some in the bedroom)
11. The bedroom has zebra rug with a flower bed spread---CLASH!!! Change it. and not to flowers nor black. NEUTRAL!!!
12. Kitchen has brown floor-white appliances, black counter top and black accent pieces and yellow wall. OMG!!! NEUTRAL colors pick one. I like the yellow and cabinets. The floor is tooo brown and the black countertops clash with the white appliances.
Living room and dining room are very nice and light and airy. Then the kitchen is dark and gloomy and cramped. Bring the airiness from the livingroom/dining room into the kitchen.
This is my opinion and I'm not trying to offend you. I wish you the best in selling.
PS I'm from Levittown--HEMPSTEAD TPK--in da house!!!!
ok, I am an AVID watcher of Sell this house on the HGTV shows.
First, very nice looking home overall.
1. Trim the bushes in the front.
2. paint the nursery the same color--beige, white etc., no Pooh.
3. Take down the black wallpaper border in the bedroom
4. Paint the whole bedroom room the same color--no black
5. Paint the ceiling fan white or get a new one, just get rid of the black
6.the kitchen looks extrememly cramped--take everything off the counter
7. remove the miniblinds and the curtain(very dated) in the kitchen --maybe a pull down shade
8. curtains in the diningroom, look nice, but is that lace?If its lace--thats dated-so are miniblinds.
9. I think I see BARS on the windows get rid of them.
10. No family photos should be visible (I think there are some in the bedroom)
11. The bedroom has zebra rug with a flower bed spread---CLASH!!! Change it. and not to flowers nor black. NEUTRAL!!!
12. Kitchen has brown floor-white appliances, black counter top and black accent pieces and yellow wall. OMG!!! NEUTRAL colors pick one. I like the yellow and cabinets. The floor is tooo brown and the black countertops clash with the white appliances.
Living room and dining room are very nice and light and airy. Then the kitchen is dark and gloomy and cramped. Bring the airiness from the livingroom/dining room into the kitchen.
This is my opinion and I'm not trying to offend you. I wish you the best in selling.
PS I'm from Levittown--HEMPSTEAD TPK--in da house!!!!
Not a problem Molly, not offended at all. All opinions are welcome
Actually the previous owners' taste in decor was dark and the kitchen is one area where we have not made much changes (I think the pic might be making it seem darker than it really is). We did change the flooring from a dark grey/black linoleum (ugh) to a white-ish color tile. Aslo did change the stove and microwave as the original ones went bad on us. Not sure at this point what I could do with the counter-top (it's actually dark grey w/some black and a cheapie formica type).
The dining room curtains aren't lace and the blinds are the white faux wood type not mini-blinds.
Today actually we cut the big bush on the left. Makes a dramatic difference in the view looking out the door...lol!
The master bedroom is the one room where we made no changes at all (except for buying our own mattress). It's the only room in the house with wall-to-wall carpeting and I have never really liked the carpet, but it does match the custom BR set (black/grey). The comforter is changed regularly, it just happened to be the one that was on the bed when the picture was taken...lol. Not really sure we can do much to this room because of the carpet
The windows you see that look as if they have bars are actually an older version of something like this:
ok. well you did a lot of work already. Glad the bush is cut. I'm sure that was not an easy task.
In the bedroom. I would make everything white, bed sheets, comforter, walls (take down the wallpaper), and leave the rug as the accent, that will work.
I love wood blinds--nice.
I thought there were black bars on the picture of the back door.
Since you made changes you might want to update the photos on the website of the realtor, because some people won't even go look at if they don't like the pictures.
ok. well you did a lot of work already. Glad the bush is cut. I'm sure that was not an easy task.
In the bedroom. I would make everything white, bed sheets, comforter, walls (take down the wallpaper), and leave the rug as the accent, that will work.
I love wood blinds--nice.
I thought there were black bars on the picture of the back door.
Since you made changes you might want to update the photos on the website of the realtor, because some people won't even go look at if they don't like the pictures.
Ahh...okay now I see what you're saying. You're right they do look like bars.
It's actually a wood trestle for the rose bush in front of it.
That's all actually coming down tomorrow as my wife has been asking me to remove it for awhile now
My wife went ballistic on most of the bushes in front of the bay window...it's all been cleared now up to where the pine tree is standing.
I bought two little dwarf bushes (approx 2-3 ft tall) and my wife bought some colorful flowers we'll be putting out there in place of the huge bushes we removed.
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Also, it's on an oversized lot (60 x 120 = 7200 sq ft), whereas most houses in the area are 40 x 100 (4000 sq ft).
Price or condition
