There are a many buyers out there right now. As a buyer, one of the things you want to keep in mind is that, someday, you’ll be selling the house you’re now contemplating buying. You want to make a smart investment and end up with a house that suits your needs, but you also want to be able to sell it down the road.
So, what are some of the things that may make a home harder to sell? In no particular order…
1. Corner lots. They typically have a lot of side yard and limited backyard. People like backyard privacy. You may also have A LOT of sidewalk to shovel in the winter.
2. No true backyard. See above.
3. No bathroom on either the first or second floor. If the agent is telling you that you can easily put a half bath in a closet, corner, etc. bring in a professional to give you an unbiased opinion. Will a normal sized person be able to fit in the proposed space or just a 5-year old?
4. No garage. Most people don’t park their cars in them, but they’re great for storing extra junk.
5. Shared driveway. People don’t like the fact that they are sharing land with someone else.
6. House style doesn’t fit in with the neighborhood. For example, don’t be the only contemporary in a neighborhood of colonials and capes.
7. Tear down surrounded by original homes. Don’t be the nicest home in the neighborhood.
8. Awkward additions that don’t flow well with the floorplan. Additionally, if they don’t fit in with the external architectural style of the house.
9. Near a fire station. Great for safety, lousy for late night wake-ups.
10. No basement. Not very common in this area, so when it does occur, it makes it even more difficult to sell.
11. Seeing the highway, hearing the highway. If you can’t hear it inside, that might be okay, but how loud is it when you’re outside sitting on the patio? Also, major roadways in a town that aren’t a highway, but carry a majority of the traffic will have the same issue.
12. Near a school. Some people love this because they can just walk their kids. Others hate it because of the increased traffic and noise.
13. Mixed zoning use. Is the house located right near factories? Car lots? Malls? People like uniformity when it comes to location of their home.
14. Neighbors with ecclectic personalities, carried to the outside of their home. A bright orange house. Yard ornaments and statues out the wahzoo. You know what I mean.
If your house has one or some of these characteristics, are you doomed? Will you never be able to resell? NO! There is always a buyer for a house. You just have to find them. Your house may stay on the market a little longer and you may have to price it more aggressively, but it will resell.
If you do find that you have a few of these strikes against your home, make the most out of what you have and tout those features!
And if you’re feeling down, my house is on a corner lot, 10 feet from my neighbor’s house, with no garage, located on the same block as an elementary school. Cheer up! 🙂