Homeowners warned of 'glaring' problems that are stopping your house from selling - Manchester Evening News

Homeowners warned of 'glaring' problems that are stopping your house from sellingBuyers will be 'put off' if they spot any of these features during viewings, a property expert saysNewsPhoebe

Jobling Property Writer12:12, 04 Jun 2025You might struggle to sell your home for these reasons(Image: Getty Images) Homeowners are being warned of the 'glaring' problems that are stopping

your house from selling. Anyone who currently has their house on the market, or is thinking of listing their home for sale, will want the best chance at finding a buyer.

Selling your home can be a long, drawn-out process and if you are struggling to sell, you’ll often find yourself second guessing why it’s not gone sooner and what could possibly be putting

off potential buyers.

‌ Property expert Nima Ghasri, from Good Move, has now shared the things that you may be doing wrong when trying to sell your home which could be discouraging buyers.

‌ “If you’re trying to sell your home, and struggling, there can often be a variety of reasons why you can’t quite manage to gain the sale, but these are all things that are relatively easy

to solve and could make a genuine impact to the price of your property," she said.

"It can be easy when you’re sentimentally invested in your property to believe that it’s worth more than it is, it’s worth checking market rates and neighbouring properties but ultimately

being honest with yourself about how much your property is actually worth to encourage a quicker sale.

"If you need to sell quickly due to life events, then a regulated cash house buyer will be able to help you so that you can move out quickly if necessary.”

Article continues belowThese are the reasons your house isn't selling, according to a property expert(Image: Getty Images) Here are the 'glaring' problems that could be stopping your house

from selling, according to Nina:

Scent When it’s your own house, it can be easy to become ‘nose-blind’ to what your home really smells like.

‌ The scent of your home could be one of the reasons that your house is struggling to sell, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad smell.

Buyers often cite when a property smells too overpowering with disinfectant, or bleach, that it could be being used to mask smells such as damp or mould.

"The best advice is to ensure that it’s clean, and that you use neutral scents such as fresh linen diffusers which are less aggressive than room sprays or air fresheners," advises Nina.

‌Personalisation It can be hard to let go of a home that you own, but your own style can be subconsciously off-putting because they can never imagine themselves living in your property.

Family photos and creative decoration often make a feel like a house feel like a home, but when selling it becomes more difficult for buyers to imagine themselves living there.

"Whilst it doesn’t need to look clinical, opt for a neutral tone, and put away anything that showcases the property belonging to you rather than a property on the market," says Nina.

‌ "It can also be that when a property is staged too much that it looks more artificial and once again can have the opposite effect of what was intended."

Your house may be overpriced(Image: Getty Images)Overpriced "When you’ve created memories in a home, you can often attach a sentimental value to a property, but you need to be realistic in

how much your house will sell for," says Nina.

‌ "Not only are you selling the property, but you’re going to have to think about your next move and solicitors’ fees too."

On average in the UK, it takes 4-6 months which can be difficult if you’re moving due to unaffordability or divorce, that comes with its own costs, and it might be worth looking at a quick

house sale from a regulated buyer.

A dated look It can often be difficult to motivate yourself to update the décor in a house if you’re planning on moving, but the look of a home can impact the property value significantly

due to the fact that it doesn’t look modernised.

‌ "Similarly to how over-personalisation can be off-putting, a dated look can make people think that the property hasn’t been maintained properly and that it could cause potential problems

in the future," Nina advised.

A dated look could be putting buyers off(Image: Getty Images)Poor maintenance "Anything that looks like you’ve neglected the property will work against you," says Nina.

Article continues below "For example, if you’re got paintwork that’s peeling, or if you have a garden and aren’t doing simple jobs like weeding then this could be costing you a significant

amount of money without you even realising."