Why isn't your home selling?

Why do some homes sell quickly but others hang around and take forever to sell?

Usually your home won't sell due to a few reasons.

There could be at least ten reasons why your home isn't selling.

Neighbours From Hell

No Kerb Appeal

Local Schools Ofsted Report

Crime Levels

Ghost Stories

Planning Permission

Flood Risk

DIY Disasters

Smelly Pets

The Local Pub

We have compiled a list of our top 10 reasons that could decrease the value of your home and make it harder to sell.

Neighbours From Hell

Anti-social neighbours are one of the most commonly reported causes for decreasing the value of a property. Excessive noise, invasions of privacy and intimidating behaviour are just a handful of reasons that can devalue your property and make it harder to sell.

No Kerb Appeal

First impressions count! If an owner hasn’t devoted care and attention towards the kerb appeal of their home, then it is highly likely that their valuation will drop significantly. 5% of a valuation could potentially be wiped out immediately if the property from the outside looks unloved. Just a lick of paint, a tidy garden, washed windows and clean gutters goes a long way.

Local Schools Ofsted Report

Having a home within the catchment area of a reputable school can work wonders for the value of a property. The easy access of Ofsted reports allows the nation an insight into how well a school is performing. A black mark on a school in the same catchment area as the property you're selling can tarnish the valuation of your home.

Crime Levels

Everyone has the easy ability to look online and check crime statistics in a certain area. If there is a high number of recorded crimes within close proximity to the property you are attempting to sell, you could encounter problems and find it harder to sell.

Ghost Stories

However farfetched it may seem, reports of deaths in a property or morbid tales of a darker past have been well known to have a knock-on effect on the price a house may sell for. Extreme cases can even make the home completely un-sellable.

Planning Permission

In the eyes of most people, making substantial additions to a home, in the form of a conservatory or an outbuilding would surely add value to a property, but if compliance has not been followed with building regulations and planning permissions, it can have a disastrous effect. The costs that it may take to rectify the situation will inevitably affect the value of the property and make it harder to sell.

Flood Risk

Insurers have stated that homes in a position susceptible to flooding could theoretically be forced to shell out anything from £20,000 to £40,000 in damages. Flooding has the potential to wash away the value of your home.

DIY Disasters

Sometimes homely decorations may not be quite so appealing to a future buyer. In fact, it is said that 5-10% of the property’s value can be knocked off due to bad taste and obnoxious workmanship. So, if you are considering selling in the future, make sure you decorate accordingly and your DIY skills are up to scratch.

Smelly Pets

Over a third of UK households own either a dog or a cat and more often than not, the loveable pets do not pose a problem to the value of a home. However, it is not unheard of for potential buyers to be deterred by smells or naughty behaviour from our furry friends. Some cases have been known to devalue the home by up to 5%.

The Local Pub

It's nice to be within walking distance of the pub; it makes those wobbly walks home just that little bit easier, but in terms of the value of your home it can have a detrimental effect. The noise of activity that can be echoed from a public house can decrease the value of property by anything up to a titanic 20%.