Selling your Kauai Home:

Survey of 1,000 Real Estate Agents Reveals the Top Six Ways to Sabotage the Sale of Your Home

Attention Kauai House Sellers: The most common reasons that a house will not sell in a good market are often well within the control of the home seller according to a recent survey by the ActiveRain online real estate community. In a poll of over 1,000 real estate agents, it was revealed that the top six ways home sellers turn potential home buyers away are:

1. The home is overpriced.
2. It is difficult to set a showing time.
3. The seller is unwilling to depersonalize or declutter the home.
4. Unpleasant odors.
5. The seller is unwilling to negotiate with buyers.
6. The seller refuses to make repairs.

Biggest Home Seller Mistakes

I can confirm confirms that these same findings hold true for homes in Kauai. It is up to the agent to educate the seller on aspects of the home selling process that can instantly turn off a potential buyer, However, some sellers get on the defensive when you point out pets, odors, and housekeeping, so it is a very fine line to walk!

I see this a lot, one time I showed a house where the owners had cats and smoked. We walked right out.

I wish stories like this weren’t common in my line of work. A good real estate agent or broker spends plenty of time with their sellers before their house ever goes on the market to avoid these expensive mistakes.

The “Biggest Home Seller Mistakes” infographic was create by ActiveRain, an online community of real estate professionals who exchange best practices, write real estate blogs, and get free education from the industry and their peers. I’m proud to be a member of ActiveRain.

Update of Selling your Kauai home 2021: Biggest Seller Mistakes

Although I originally published this blog in 2014 about mistakes made when selling your home, it’s as relevant today as it was back. In 2021 Kauai Real Estate is active but mistakes can cost sellers money. With the pandemic Selling your Kauai home has been trickier. Especially when tenant occupied.(showing availability) The rules keep changing. Currently the rules for Kauai on 2021 inauguration day are the same as they were last year.

Showing Availability:

If your house is tenant occupied you may not give your tenant notice to move if selling. However once the house has sold the new buyers may legally give the tenants notice to move. This has been successful on a few Kauai houses we have sold in 2020. Good cooperative tenants were also able to find rentals easier. However some Kauai tenants did not want their house to sell and refused access or made it difficult to show. Not many buyers want to buy with a difficult tenant inside. This can definitely reduce the sales price of a property.

Cluttered Space:

Cluttered Space can still be a deterrent in selling your Kauai home. I recommend reading:

Cluttered items often can hide deficiencies in a home. These deficiencies will be caught by a Kauai Home inspector. This can cause a buyer to want to renovate the contract or ask for a substantial credit. It’s best to point out any deficiencies in a home so they can not be used as a negotiating point later in the escrow. Buyers also need to feel like they are welcomed in a home and not like they’re intruding on someones personal space. Decluttering will help achieve this effect.

Refusing to Negotiate with Buyers:

In today’s Kauai market where some homes are selling for over asking price you may wonder why a seller would need to negotiate in selling their home. I usually advise my clients when selling their Kauai home to price the home approximately $5,000 higher then their target sales price. This gives the buyer a feeling of satisfaction, that they are not paying full price. Or the negotiation can be a minor item. Like who they want to use as the escrow or termite company. Giving a little makes for a win-win transaction.

Overpriced Home:

If you are selling your Kauai home, overpricing your Kauai home will lead to a longer marketing time. If you are not in a hurry this may not be an issue for you. However when a house is on the market for over 6 months people will ask “what’s the matter with the house?” or “why hasn’t this Kauai property sold?” If the house is priced over a million dollars sometimes the answer is simple, “there’s not a big demand for non ocean view 1 bedroom homes over 1 million dollars”. Multi million dollar Kauai homes can take a longer time to sell as there are less qualified buyers. But if the home is just overpriced, the buyer’s Realtor may not want to show it if there are other choices. Kauai’s house inventory is tight but your Kauai home still needs to be priced right.

Unpleasant odors:

Unless a buyer is looking for a fixer and project homes need to be free of odors to get the highest possible price. The problem is that most people who have pets or smoke can’t smell the odors. Your Realtor should tell you if this is an issue.

Won’t make repairs:

Many homeowners who need to sell are not in a position to make repairs. Other Kauai homeowners have told me that they didn’t make the repairs/updates when they lived there, why should they do it for someone else. They have a point. Many Kauai buyers are looking for a no projects updated home and are willing to pay more. But the cost of updating can be great if you don’t have the ability to coordinate and/or pay for the repairs. However basic safety repairs should always be done. Mold should be addressed, deck rot should be repaired and minor fixes can make the difference on price and passing an appraisal.

Don’t let these Biggest Home seller mistakes cause you to loose money when selling your Kauai house.

You can always call or email me if you have any questions on Selling your Kauai home and how to avoid the biggest home selling mistakes. Or go to What’s my Kauai Home worth?

Julie Black RB-14203 808 652-6174

kauaidreams97@gmail.com