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I'm going to have to agree w/ some of the pointers mentioned earlier in addition to:
Remove the coffee tables in BOTH living areas. This opens up the floor space and you can also move furniture out away from the walls in some cases creating a better traffic flow if possible. Sometimes putting all of the furniture up against the walls makes the rooms look smaller.
I would take the valances down in those living areas. They just don't go.
I'm hoping it is paint and not wallpaper below the chair rail in the living areas????
It does not look like there is any wallpaper in the house though and that is a good thing.
Add some barstools to the kitchen. Find some real small stools that do not even have to have a back on them to put there. Give people the idea that the island can be used as a snack area. Also gives them somewhere to do a "quick sit" if they want to mull it over.
I would make the built in appliances all the same color. As for the fridge, in Texas hardly EVER does the fridge stay w/ the house. Only "BUILT IN" appliances stay. Sure the white fridge might look out of place but since it is not staying why spend the money. If you plan on letting the fridge stay then I"d get one that matched.
Outside, around the pool over against the house remove that chaise lounge. It really is squeezed in there and makes people think there is no room to walk around the pool or the kids might fall in. I'd put out some pots of flowers, add some color.
I also agree to get rid of the stuff on the kitchen table. Give the potential buyer the option of sitting down there and looking over the info on the house and mull it over w/ their spouse/agent.
Dining room: I agree, that corner unit is throwing things off. It really makes it hard for that door to be accessed. You want that open when people are looking. If a piece of furniture is in the way they won't be able to see how it really flows.
I'd get rid of both of the small pictures above the beds. They are way too small and throw things off. If you really want a pic on that wall then find something that can go right above the lamps on the bedside tables. It does not have to be very wide at all but taller than the highest point on the headboard. Tall & Skinny w/ a wider frame so that it does not look too cheesy next to the larger (bulky) bedroom furniture.
Oh, another problem and it is one that can not really be fixed but is a HUGE turn off in Texas real estate: master bedroom upstairs. That right there alone can kill a property. I realize in other parts of the country this may be the norm but it is not here and really does make a HUGE difference. I've yet to see one house that has a master up that the seller did not have to dramatically drop the price.
Out front: the color does blend in probably a little bit too much. But do something to really make it stand out. Plant some flowers especially under that window. Make sure the trees and shrubs along the drive are not overhanging the driveway and crowding it in. If they think they can not get two cars in the drive w/o one of them getting scratched up it can make a difference. The palm tree on the front corner kind of throws things off. Put in a flower bed instead w/ some color. Give enough visual color in flowers and it will help the color of the house a lot w/o having to paint.
You have done a great job of making sure it is all clean really and clear of a lot of clutter. Trust me, I've seen stuff that can turn ones stomach even in "open houses".
Oh, someone mentioned the decorator allowance: this is done often in Texas if there are walls that are painted a color other than a neutral. Some people just can not get over a house having a wall that is something other than white or off white. Paint is cheap and easily fixed to fit ones own tasts but some people just can't get it. They can't see the forest for the trees.
In my experience I have seen that if the house is not listed with right sales price it sits in the market for a long time and People start wondering about the property. I am not saying this is the case in your situation but it is a big factor in seeling a house. Another factor that i am seeing now a days is that buyers are more educated and they are doing search very specific to there needs and they don't wantt o look at a house that is not part of there price range. @ things are very important in this market.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION AND LOCATION and the price of the home.... I hope this helps. Good luck.
Thankyou all for your replies
We do have a large back garden and it isn't as close to next door as seems in the pics.
There are 5 homes on the market in our sub division at the moment similar size to ours and price too.
Have taken note of all your comments and am gathering boxes now to pack things away
There's been lots of good advice about staging, but after 6+ months this may be more than a staging problem.
First off, I'd consider getting a new picture of the front of the house. Crepe myrtle in bloom in the picture = a house that's been on the market for 6-8 months or more. This kills any sense of urgency I might have had to see the house. Just a pet peeve of mine. I know it's less pretty seeing a bare tree in front of the house, but it's also a sign that I can wait on this house and look at others first because this one isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
I did a quick search and found 200 houses in San Antonio between $300 and $325. (and inventory for the area is heading up, not down, too). That's a whole bunch for prospective buyers to look at - even if they would have liked yours will they make it through 40 pages of listings before even getting to yours? Heck, on the first page I can get a bigger house for less than yours, or I can get one that's a lot newer, or both. I'd start thinking seriously about price. You're offering $3K in soft money - why not just lower the listing price? A trick that many have mentioned is to lower it to a multiple of $25K - $300K in your case - that way people searching online for 275-300 (or 250-300, or any range ending at 300) will find it as well as people searching from 300-325 or 300-350, or any range starting at 300K.
Also, with 5 houses in your subdivision that are all similar, I'd consider getting ahead of them a bit. You can't do much about the fact that they are similar in location or size, but you can help the price. Being $5K-10K below them might be the edge you need to stand out. Don't get caught up in the fact that you've all come to the same price so it must be correct - remember that their houses haven't sold yet, just like yours. That could mean that no one has the price correct for the market yet.
I think everyone pretty much covered it.
To me, it looks like a 20 yr old house and if you're competing with newer houses, you'll need to price it accordingly. Things like stained molding, wood spindle railings, formica counters..all sort of scream 1988.
As someone said, maybe some modern window treatments would be good. I'm selling a
15 yr old house and I've noticed that changing out faucets and light fixtures make a difference in making things look more modern.
I looked at your tax value online and your tax value is $260,240. Your home is listed for $310,000. Your price should max at somewhere around $287,000. You have only owned your home for about 2 yrs, which means that you haven't owned it long enough to cover your buying closing costs, plus your selling closing costs.
Purchasing a home is expensive, and so is selling one. You are just going to have to lose money or try to squeak by with a slim profit.
The easiest thing to do in realestate is listing. Every agent wants to list homes and then just let someone else sell the homes for them. Even if your home doesn't sell, you are still advertising for them by having their sign in your yard. You are a new agents dream come true.
When someone calls the # on your sign and gets an agent at Coldwell Banker and then requests an agent the agent must split their 3% sellers comission with the owner of the sign that brought that buyer in. So in all actuality the reason why your listing agents aren't being up front with you is that you are making them a lot of commision just by letting them keep thier sign in your yard!
Its the Market. The buyers are afraid to buy today and the house be worth less next month, That is a reality and is happening in many places. To sell today you have to get LUCKY, or have a GREAT PRICE, Have THE house.. You are somewhere in between... I wish you luck..
I just did a search for houses in SA, 4bdr, 250k-300k. 377 houses came up. Granted I don't know your area but you have a lot of competition. You may think your neighborhood is great but a lot of people will go with the newer, bigger houses. Your house looks and feels very old. If I bought your house I would have to gut it just to bring into this century. No offense but for that kind of money in Texas and not waterfront it is just too expensive.
I think you overpaid b/c you bought during the peak. The best thing you can do is price it lower than your real competion-but you also have to be in line with the "actual current sales" in your neighborhood not the phony asking prices.
Sorry to be so harsh but a lot of people play nicey nice and you never know the truth.
Lisa
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Price it Right
