My house is beautiful, but I can't sell it. Help!
by Daphne Leck
This article is from www.channel4

As a house doctor my task is to ensure that my clients' properties are presented to appeal to as many potential purchasers as possible to achieve the best selling price within a reasonable time. Occasionally I am called in to look at properties that are already looking absolutely wonderful, but the owners still cannot sell. So what's the problem?

Mrs M had a terrific house in a fashionable part of London. The property had been newly decorated; the antique furniture and luxurious accessories heightened the sense of opulence and style. There were not many finishing touches needed to make it almost perfect, but when she put it on the market, it would not sell. Her confidence in her property was undermined and she asked for my advice. Once she had told me the history of the sale and I had researched the local market, I began to sense that her agent had overpriced the property. Yes, it was beautiful and the largest property of its type in the road. Yes, it was in a very good location overall, but the house itself was at the end of a terrace next to a warehouse. Yes, the agent was reputable, but she had chosen to employ him because his valuation was the highest she had received and he said he had potential purchasers just waiting to buy such a property. (This is true of every agent, otherwise they would not be in business!) Yes, the market had been very strong, but there were signs that it was slowing ('For Sale' boards staying up for weeks outside nearby properties and local agents reporting quiet times).

My advice was to take the property off the market for a while to 'rest' it and to thoroughly research the market in the location. This she did; four weeks later the property was back on the market, with a new agent at a price 10% below the original and much more realistic. She sold within three weeks at the asking price. She could have stuck it out and waited for either the market to turn or for that one buyer who really wanted her house. However, she needed to sell fairly speedily and personal circumstances must always be taken into account when planning a marketing strategy for a property.

Other clients had a compact, modern property in a small town and wanted to sell as their family was expanding. Keen fans of TV property programmes, they had really made an effort to make their home look good, but it wasn't working. It might have done had they been getting viewings, but in six weeks of marketing, they had only had two couples to see the property. They had chosen their agent, part of a large chain, on the basis that houses nearby had sold through the office and the agent was really keen on e-marketing. Although the internet is an important element in the property marketing armoury, the actual value to a vendor depends on the type of property they are selling. In this case, the property was ideal for a first-time buyer and therefore quite likely to sell to a local individual or couple. My advice was to change agents quickly. They gave two weeks notice to their agent and then chose a local, independent firm to handle the sale. Within two weeks they had had ten views and accepted an offer very close to asking price. This goes to show that even in a small town, it is still possible to pick the wrong agent for a property.

Although your property may look stunning, there are still many pitfalls when it comes to selling. Choosing the right agent is fundamental, as is taking into account any location faults, such as busy roads, when pricing a property. Research the market in your locale and be aware of any changes that might affect the demand for your type of property, such as redundancies from local firms, or worsening crime rates.