This is a difficult question because nobody ever thinks that their house is ugly.  The real question is, in a slow market, how do you sell a house that is over 10 years old?  The main issue is that you have to compete with brand new homes and 2-3 year old homes. 

When Realtors go through a house, they can often tell the age of the home by how the house is built and its’ features. 

The first and most important thing in pricing a home that is over 10 years old is to adjust the price for the age and depreciation of the house.  An owner might say that the house next door is the same size, with the same view and that one sold at $800,000, therefore my house is worth $800,000.  In this same situation, the house that sold at $800,000 is a brand new house and the particular house we are trying to price is 10 years old.  It is not that the house is ugly, newer homes tend to sell better and more quickly.

The second most important thing is updating the house and making it look as new as possible.  This can include paint, carpet and wallpaper. 

It also could include updating bathrooms and kitchens.  These two areas are the most important in selling a house in today’s market. 

The house also needs to be de-cluttered.  The longer we live in our homes, the more things we accumulate which can make our home appear smaller.  As a rule of thumb, we tell the seller to remove 20% of the “stuff”. 

If these three things do not work, you might need to reevaluate your home and adjust the price accordingly.  It is also important to try and look at other homes similar in age.  Most Realtors can look at comps sorting by year built and try to see what homes were built within several years of yours. 

In a slow market, it is important to realize that people have choices.  The more choices they have, the harder it is to sell an older home; this is why price is so important.

Sincerely yours,

James Wedgeworth

Broker/Sales Agent