I looked at the agent's listing page and don't see anything that is glaring, so I decided to look on realtor.com to see what's available in your price range and your house doesn't even appear on realtor.com. I tried typing in your listing number as well, doesn't appear. I'm wondering what kind of exposure your realtor is giving your home besides her own website. Your home looks lovely, a bit empty for my tastes, but that certainly wouldn't stop buyers from looking. I think you're just not getting exposure, you need to sit down with your realtor and ask her where else she's advertising.

In our market we're not seeing lots of the homes on MLS on realtor.com. Does it cost to post there, wondering how realtor.com works...

I can see all the homes on www.redfin.com including days on market and $/ sq ft. It pulls from MLS I guess. But you are right, I get a weekly list of homes in our zip that sell and I will see if those were on realtor.com to see if that is driving traffic.

We also have a photo tour linked from our listing.

Thanks!!

House looks great and interior is lovely but there are no trees and not much landscaping. Are you near a lot of new construction that you're competing with? I'm not crazy about the entire exterior being vinyl but if that is the norm where you are it shouldn't matter. What does A/C portable mean?

De

You have a lovely house, I liked the looks of it, but as Cordovamom said, a bit empty looking. Just my two cents worth, but, it sort of feels devoid of any personality and warmth. Sometimes, I think we take decluttering to far. While the house looks imaculate, and that's a huge plus, it just doesn't come across as cozy or warm feeling. I don't think that would stop someone from buying necessarily, but it may make other homes in your price range more desirable to tour. We are in one slow market right now, that's for sure. I wish you good luck with your listing.

Go to realtor.com and look in the $300,000 to $500,000 price range, from what I scanned, there are a few houses going up that are cheaper than yours in what looks like your development.

I'd also talk to the realtor and have her join realtor.com and get the house posted. I see she's already added her info to your zillow page.

If I was planning to relocate to your area, I'd miss your house completely since it's not on realtor.com. If the houses that roselvr saw are in your neighborhood, or in a new neighborhood close by, then you may have to take another price reduction. In my experience, folks will pay a premium for new construction (assuming they aren't looking for something w/ historic character.) Maybe it's time for a new CMA to see if your market has changed.

Also, it was hard to tell from the photo, but is there carpet in the master bathroom? If so, I'd spend money on a new tile floor before I spent anything on shrubs. (If not, then nevermind...)

Have you toured your competition, both new and existing? Do other houses in/near your price range offer trendy kitchens and bathrooms? I missed the portable AC that De mentioned; does that mean the house does not have central HVAC? Is that typical? Finally, I agree that vinyl siding would be a negative for me. If I really loved a house, I'd look into the cost/feasibility of residing w/ Hardie Plank, but there'd have to be no other reasonable alternatives.

Hi, & Welcome to the forum!

I tried to look at your virtual tour. It wouldn't load & I'm running Windows XP "Media" Operating System?

So, I only had the stills to consider. First, that's one weird camera lens? Everything looks goofey. It's especially noticeable in the dining room. Either the camera lens is odd or the room is so humongous that your furniture is getting lost. It looks like something different from the average wide-angle lens (which I also don't like, BTW).

Anyway, the pictures are, IMO, showing a house not a home. You have neutralized all character out of the place. It looks sterile...really sterile. It starts with the exterior shot. The house color blends in with the driveway & it rather looks like a prison, IMO. No shrubs blooming, no flowers, just a baby tree with no leaves yet, etc. Minimal landscaping, at best. In the backyard, the kids's swing/play set is the only sign of life in this house. There's nothing in the stills to make me want to see the house. :( In fact, I found it a little creepy.

So, what's happening...

Well, I think the camera angles & lens are really hurting you. The rooms appear huge but not in a good way. Large, in the sense that people would seem inconsequential. Does that make any sense? Your square footage is large but not nearly as large as the pictures make it seem.

I'd strongly suggest painting. No beiges, whites, creams, or other neutrals. Get some life in the house. One red wall somewhere might be all you need. It does need more than a throw pillow somewhere though. Maybe, an area rug under the dining room table that contrasts with the wall-to-wall color?

I'm going to look at your pictures a few more times over the course of the afternoon. Something's wrong...I can see why you're not getting any showings. The question though is why? There's nothing wrong with the stats (square footage, features, etc.). It's just not inviting buyers in for a closer look.

I'll make another post after I've looked more at the pictures.

Tricia

I don't understand why your house isn't on Realtor.com. Realtor.com gets its information from the MLS and all MLS listings are normally posted with one picture and basic information whether or not the agent has a paid Realtor.com subscription. Have you asked your agent why your house isn't there? My general impression of the pictures on your agent's site is that your house looks very sterile. Especially the dining room, where the furniture looks very undersized for the room.
Also, you should have lowered your price to $500k, not $499 - that way you would catch buyers looking both under $500k and over $500k

We are selling near you, we are on the plateau. Our home isn't on Realtor.com either and it hasn't stopped people from looking. But I am going to ask why it's not there-I hadn't even thought to check until reading your post. I do think your photos are a little sterile but I am surprised that would atually keep people from looking. It seems to have a great layout and great yard.

I am not sure I agree with the 500 vs. 499 price thing. A serious buyer is working with an agent. Wouldn't an agent find her house if it was priced at 499 or 500?

Good luck! I feel your pain. In our area and I am sure yours buyers can afford to be more picky and take their time because there are just more options on the market. We too are getting ready to drop the price, which hurts because similar homes are selling for more than we are currently listed at!

I have to say I usually like minimal, neutral look but your house seems so big for the look. Above poster used the right term, sterile. Just the interesting quilts on the bunk beds make that room much more inviting. Some flowers in front of the house. Potted flowering plants in the house? IS the piano in a formal dinrm? If it is can you switch the little set with the larger one at the end of the kit?

I couldn't see the virtual tour either. And the still photos looked strange - must be the camera lens. The rooms looked oddly shaped.

Are you on a local MLS that the public can see? When I was looking to buy recently I used our local MLS as well as realtor.com to cross reference.

I don't live in that area, so I don't know if there's something undesirable about your house relative to the local standards. It doesn't look like it to me. Furthermore, you'd know if that was the case and you wouldn't be here asking why your house isn't getting showings.

Some might prefer it to look a little more "homey", but the pictures show me a house that's meticulously clean and well maintained. A personal homey look may help close a deal for some buyers, but I can't imagine people are staying away because of the uncluttered look.

I think the answer may be the exposure you house gets from your agent. I've come to expect just about everything worth looking at to be on realtor.com, but maybe that's not necessarily true in your area. I'd follow up with your agent to see how she is marketing your house. I'd be interested if she is representing other properties and how they are showing.

I'm not an expert, so consider my only suggestion with skepticism. The photos of your house are technically good and shot with a very wide angle lens (others have mentioned the effects, but that's not my concern). I worry that after looking at the photos, potential buyers feel like they've already seen the whole house. They may feel like there isn't anything else to see by going to the house itself. Consider shooting interesting features of your house without including the whole room in the picture. Let the buyers see the big picture in person. It's just an idea, but be skeptical.

Your realtor needs to maximize your exposure. There are some homes in your area on realtor.com and I don't understand why yours isn't. I don't believe redfin.com covers our area in Tennessee so I've never heard of it. If I was looking to relocate to your area, the first place I'd check would be realtor.com and your home wouldn't even be there!

OK, I've looked at your pictures half-a-dozen times now. The lens remains your largest obstacle, IMO. Take new pictures with a different lens.

My musings...

You HAVE painted the walls. I didn't notice the first time through. Your choice of paint colors are "neutral" enough they just blended into the background of the pictures.

Kitchen: Dark brown on the walls? Not sure if the camera is reading the color correctly. Whatever...it's not a color that evokes thoughts of fun, laughter, happy meals around a family/friend filled table with good food. And the table...not sure of the style? Quasi modern Mission? Again though it's very dark...looks to me like it should have an interrogation light bulb hanging over the top. I strongly recommend seat cushions in a BRIGHT, cheerful color. Think primary colors...you know, the ones the doctor told you to show your kids as babies to stimulate them. Primary colors create life. On the wall, opposite your kitchen island (to the right of the D/W)...something kitcheny should be there. I suggest an inexpensive set of BRIGHT mixing bowls. The bright color will attract people's eyes & act as a "stop" so they take a couple seconds longer to actually see what a great kitchen it is.

Dining Room: Needs a LARGE & COLORFUL piece of art on the back brown wall. Again, the picture will "stop" your eyes from roaming & force you to focus on the room. Right now, the carpet, wall, & wood on the furniture is not contrasted enough to draw the eye's attention. It can be cheap art from Wal-mart...but makes sure it's scaled right (needs to be quite large) & has bright color. You NEED the brightness to stop people's eyes. (Am I a designer? No, but I did attent art school! Actually, I did. Went to Rocky Mountain School of Art & Design.)

Fireplace Room: Oh boy...lose that clock! Again, it's just so big that I'm thinking interrogation again. I like the mustard but the wallunit looks like a black hole. What I'd do in this room, on the cheap, is to bring the mustard color up into the photo closer...an area rug would be great but, probably, too costly. So, find a HUGE mustard colored throw pillow & put it on the end of the sectional closest. Result: Your eye will travel to the back wall & then bounce back to the same color on the sofa. Back/forth, back/forth...people will actually look at the room. Also, get some color on the wall unit. Not mustard. A contrasting color like red would work well, IMO.

Kid's Room: This room just plainly looks "staged". Do kids really live in the room? I'd lose the long drapes & put a shorter curtain. Where are the toys? You don't want the room filled to the brim but you really need some sign of life. There are ZERO real life kids who's room looks like that.

Office: "Heellllooooo, down there...can you hear me?" Surely, the room isn't that long? It needs color also but I wouldn't do it. Find out about that camera lens though.

Master Bedroom: A picture would be nice but unnecessary. Again, it's the camera. Try taking a closer, tighter shot. It looks austere & way too large (yes, CAN be too large!).

Master Bath: Bowling alley effect. Once again, it's the camera. However, a towel rack & a BRIGHT towel at the end of the "lane" would really help "stop" your eyes again long enough to notice what a wonderful bathroom it is. Area rug (think Wal-mart cheap) in front of the vanity would draw the eyes to the front of the picture.

Close-up of Backyard: Bring the chairs out into the patio. I'm back to thinking interrogation again...looks like a "line-up" with the "officer's chair". Very off-putting & unwelcoming. Make a grouping in the middle of the patio. Buy 3 pots of blooming annuals...fairly large because it's a big patio. A hanging plant would be a big bonus.

Backyard: Not much to be done. If you don't mind investing a few dollars...an EVERGREEN tree planted somewhere out there would be dynamite!

It's a beautiful house. Tweaking it should help people notice how great it is. You are obviously a neutral, monochromatic type of person. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, many people love to see that type of decorating. The problem here, IMO, is that there's no what's known as "color stops" so people have a chance to refocus & look at the house.

I'll leave the price point for others. Price is not an issue if you can't get people out to tour.

Please, please realize that I tried to transfer what I thought as I looked at the pictures & how I might alter things to reach your goal. My intent is not to offend...it really is a beautiful home. The problem is with how our brains/eyes physically work & with the camera lens.

Tricia

I have to agree that the photos are strange - they make the rooms look TOO spacious, which they probably are not. It's as if all the furniture is clustered at one and and the rest is empty, so I would retake the photos with a different camera or lens and keep trying until the angles look good.

If there really is that much open space, some of it needs to be filled. For example, if the master bedroom is large enough, a seating area (either two lounge chairs or a bistro table and two chairs) is a popular amenity these days.

I also agree that a little less neutrality would be good, but I would not repaint in bold colors. The tradition of Pacific Northwest decorating is strong on very neutral colors and natural wood even though the effect is often subdued or washed-out. (You would think that, with the grey skies so much of the time, people would want brighter colors inside, but very few people use them.) Bright accents, inside and out, should be sufficient.

The lack of central air conditioning is not necessarily negative in your region. The popular belief is that hot weather sufficient to justify it is quite rare, although people who have it use it a lot more than those who don't would think.

The patio looks like it's used only for storage. You need to redo the photo with some plants, a umbrella, table and make it look like it's a fun place to be.
The interior shots make the house look too big, too dark and a decorating nightmare.
None of the furniture in the pics makes it seem liveable or comfortable. I get the impression it would be a hard house to decorate and very cave like.

Get a professional appraisal. This could be the best $300 (or so) you ever spent. If you don't agree with it, you can just ignore it.

It doesn't matter that you are the cheapest priced home "for sale" in the area. What matters is -- what has SOLD within the last 6 months in the direct area. Not just one similar home that sold, but 3 real comparables - even if they sold for cheap and even if they are in somewhat worse condition. square footage is king for comps.

I had my home listed at a phenomenal price...much less than the other homes that were listed. I didn't get as much traffic as I expected, even though the home was in great condition. After a few weeks, I decided to get an appraisal. The appraisal caused me to drop my list price by $40k. This was because some other area homes got "dumped" (sold very low) in order to sell in the stagnant market within the past 6 months (1 half 2007) . And these sales caused the market to drop. In fact, the market HAD dropped, but the sellers just couldn't drop their prices fast enough and low enough to follow the downfalling market trend.

Once I repriced, the showings picked up drastically and home was under contract within a couple weeks. The sale closed recently. All of the other homes that were on the market in the area are STILL for sale at the old (unrealistic at this point in time) prices.

I am sure they are mad at me for "dumping" at what appears to be a low price. But really,the prior sales from that past 6 months already brought the market down, and I just sold at the current market price. But I SOLD :)

I kept thinking about your post and looked at the pictures again looking for the "wide lens" problem other poster have mentioned. I didn't pay enough attention to the the photography itself. (thus my comment I usually like minimal/neutral. I do agree something is off on the pictures. So rethinking, I would insist on MLS and put some colorful annuals in front. You can't sell a house unless you get people in to it so I would concentrate on curb appeal and MLS listing. There will lots of people that will love how clean and organized your home is.

Definitely get onto realtor.com. But what struck me about the photos is that they seem to be taken from waist-height, it was creepy and distracting, and while usually a wide-angle lens can make small spaces seem larger, in this case it makes me feel like an insignifigant speck in a sea of new carpet. Weird. The house is so sparsely furnished and cold. Beautiful house but not homey at all-- I am thinking empty would even be better-- or just use a regular camera. It feels like a caprt advertisement, you know-- the ones that show a huge expanse of floor.

Thanks everyone for all your input, greatly appreciated!

What's funny is we had 2 photographers shoot our house. We didn't like the first pics and went with another photographer whose shots made made the house look bigger from the wide lens - looks like a little too much.

Our house doesn't have vaulted ceilings so we were trying to highlight more space relative to others on the market. New contruction is closely priced on lots that are half the size.

I will get our home listed on realtor.com. In our area it is not pulling MLS data automatically (which is weird since I've seen 4 or 5 others that do.)

Our master bath has carpet - linoleum aroung the loo. I'm torn between adding a wall of privacy trees around the perimeter of our property ($2000-3000) or redoing the floor in the bath (tile or peel & stick).

What's funny is all the sterile comments - we have 3 little boys and we totally decluttered (and meticulously cleaned) and I guess sucked the life out of our place thinking showing toys and stuff would be a detraction. Personally, while we were house hunting a few weeks ago I found it odd to see homes that had toys showing in the pics - the ones I saw added clutter. We kept everything neutral. The dark wall in the dining room and kitchen are suede - had a designer do most of the downstairs and we removed all the personal pics and stuff. Our front living room is empty - always has been.

Vinyl siding. Our entire neighborhood has this so it is not out of place but recognize it's not a selling point.

Portable AC - we just have a little AC unit that plugs in we aren't taking with us to Texas. Most people don't have AC here in the NW.

Agree with doing something different with the patio. Our umbrella and table blew away were destroyed in a storm (seriously) so we just have chairs now and didn't know what else to do with them.

Our house is on a corner lot and the backyard doesn't offer much privacy. A realtor called to show our house today (yay!) and then called back and said their client saw our home and thought it was too close together and wanted to skip it (not yay!) - that's odd since we only have one property touching us and our lots is huge compared to new construction. Our driveway is a little sloped. That confirmed my thought we need to plant a wall of privacy Evergreens all around the backyard perimeter.

ganks,

:) You have a beautiful home decorated well. Turn off HGTV & go with your instincts. Something tells me if you do that this home will sell quickly.

Remember, you want to sell the concept of "home & hearth" not a house.

Good luck & it was great to hear back from you. I understand now what happened. You've been "Designed To Sell". :(

Tricia

A realtor called to show our house today (yay!) and then called back and said their client saw our home and thought it was too close together and wanted to skip it (not yay!) - that's odd since we only have one property touching us and our lots is huge compared to new construction. Our driveway is a little sloped. That confirmed my thought we need to plant a wall of privacy Evergreens all around the backyard perimeter.

Did they drive by or are they going by the photos? If they are going by the photos, it's due to the camera lens.

Did they drive by or are they going by the photos? If they are going by the photos, it's due to the camera lens.

It was a drive by.

Before you go spending a lot of money, try some inexpensive ways. With $500-$600, you can stage your home. Shop at HOme Depot, Marshalls...etc.

First, buy several planters & line your driveway on both sides and up the side of the house , in front of the bushes & onto the porch with RED flowers. Then take pictures of the exterior. THAT will make your house stand out.
You should be able to buy all that for 200 bucks. Forget the $3,000 for landscaping.

Secondly, get rid of the brown in the house. Use some warm colors i.e. Summer Harvest or Vellum (BM paint). Sage is always popular.
Place a painting in the Dining room.
Warm up the kitchen with some fresh Fruit & flowers.
Place fresh towels & candles in the bathrooms.
Get rid of that clock.
Dress up the patio with some plants/flowers.
Good luck.

Reading over your post I think you might have hit one of the reasons your not getting lookers......corner lot. They can be hard to sell because so much of the house is exposed and it seems as tho they have no privacy at all.
You are probably right in thinking that you need to spend your money on either shrubs or fencing. If there's one thing I've learned over the years from buying and selling different houses over the years is Americans LOVE their privacy.....especially at home.

I agree with the others. The house looks very sterile and the photos are horrible.

The patio needs some colour, it's amazing what a few colourful potted plants can do. A nice table and sitting area will show a usefulness to the patio.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the placing of the sectional couch and TV center. You should move the couch so it creates a cozy area around the FP and move the TV center because it totally overshadows the FP.

Some colourful silk potted plants would add some warmth and colour to the inside.

That office looks like it's in a loooooong hallway and a very odd shaped room by the angle of the photo.

The Dining room table and piano look out of place in a very oversized room with no warmth or character.

HOnestly, and this isn't meant to be unkind, from the photos, I would skip your house. I also think the lack of landscaping is deterring buyers. It's not cheap to landscape and it looks like your yard needs alot of it.

Since you're in WA, now is the prime time to be planting your garden. Buy some trees, potted plants and colourful perennial shrubs. It will make alot of difference to the curb appeal in the front and make the backyard more of a welcoming place of relaxation on those summer days and nights.

Our house is on a corner lot and the backyard doesn't offer much privacy. That confirmed my thought we need to plant a wall of privacy Evergreens all around the backyard perimeter.

Not sure I would bother putting plants in, depends. I'm a plant person but wouldn't want bushes lining my property. Depending on how you plant, how big they are; they could be a safety issue at some point. People around here have taken bushes down because kids can slide through them & hide in the yard. Same for small animals. I'd rather have a fence, one that I can plant in front of if I choose.

Pretty sure you have fencing all the way around, dress it up some, make a small garden on the left (right if you are looking out the back door), where the patio meets the fence, start on the fence, then bring it to the patio a few feet. My best planting, you can see photos here (1st 4); I used a climbing rose & 2 clematis plus 3 fence posts. You could get ones that match your fence. Next, keep one long, cut 2 down a few feet, put them in the ground as a V, one where the patio & fence meet, one to the left one to the right. Plant the rose, then bend the canes around the posts, securing with a twist tie and staples. This will give you some interest in that corner, maybe pick up a cute little statue from Walmart to go in front. Plant a few perennials in front of it. Veronica is nice and blooms a lot. You can then put a few other perennials & annuals in, giving the back some color.

I strongly recommend seat cushions in a BRIGHT, cheerful color. Think primary colors...you know, the ones the doctor told you to show your kids as babies to stimulate them. Primary colors create life. On the wall, opposite your kitchen island (to the right of the D/W)...something kitcheny should be there. I suggest an inexpensive set of BRIGHT mixing bowls. The bright color will attract people's eyes & act as a "stop" so they take a couple seconds longer to actually see what a great kitchen it is.

Been thinking about the suede brown & mustard. What did you pack up? I'm having a few visions here, I can see a dusty blue, some pinks and greens. I can also see a few vibrant colors, like going to Target, they have brown with teal. I looked at the photo tour, while at 1st I wondered about the walls, I could now see my stuff matching it. I think if you brought some stuff back in, others will see their stuff can go with it too.

What are the colors people use to decorate with there? You may want to play on that.

Linens & Things has a few large wall pieces for $100, they usually have a 20% coupon. JC Penney also has art, you can get it 1/2 off. I've also been looking on ebay for floral art, although I haven't bought yet, I've found a few nice pieces.

Depending on what you have in storage, you may decide to bring it back out or go to Target, walk over by the bedding / housewares. You may find something that will do the trick.