Page 26 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • April 4, 2012 Nowadays, homeowners looking to sell their houses know it’s not as easy as it might have been a few years ago. A host of things, some of which are not obvious, can hurt a home’s value. Location: A home’s location is arguably its best or worst selling point. A home in a great location won’t be as difficult to sell as a home in a bad neighborhood, but location goes beyond a neighborhood’s reputation, especially in recent years. Homeowners who live in a neighborhood or development with many foreclosures might find those foreclosed properties are hurting their own home’s value. Lots of foreclosures could negatively affect a neighborhood’s reputation, which might make a home within that neighborhood less attractive to prospective buyers. Appearance: A home’s appearance is an obvious variable that might affect its resale value. Homeowners might want their home to reflect their own individuality, but that is not going to help when the time comes to sell. If the exterior paint is out of the ordinary, it might be wise to choose a more traditional or conservative color before putting up the “for sale” sign. The same goes for a home’s interior. If the interior design is especially unique, a more traditional interior décor might help the home sell faster. Size and style: Another thing to consider when selling a home is its size and style. A home that stands out on the block might be an attention-grabber, but that’s not always attractive to prospective buyers. For instance, a colonial sitting in the middle of a street filled with contem- Factors that might negatively impact a home’s value porary homes will stand out, but likely for all the wrong reasons. It may appear dated and out of place, which is something buyers might not want. In addition, if the home is considerably larger or smaller than the surrounding homes, that could hurt its value. Non-conformity: In many ways, conformity is not considered an admirable trait. However, when selling a home, conformity could make the difference between a home selling quickly or remaining on the market for months if not years. When shopping for a home, buyers often shop in certain neighborhoods and towns and might see many different homes within a given ZIP code. Homeowners with homes that don’t conform to others in the area might find it difficult to sell their houses. For instance, homeowners trying to sell a two bedroom home in a neighborhood filled with three bedroom homes might notice their home’s value is not as high as that of surrounding homes, regardless of the neighborhood or how similar the home’s exterior is to surrounding homes. Age: Older homes might have character and a sense of nostalgia, but appraisers take age into consideration when determining a home’s value. In addition, buyers tend to lean toward newer homes for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the feeling that newer homes have far more modern amenities than older homes. When it comes to a home’s value, a host of things could ultimately increase or decrease that value in the eyes of prospective buyers.