If you are planning to sell your home and you think you can get away with not presenting your home well, think again. Even on a hot seller’s market, buyers are fastidious in making a choice. Your home may be the right size or features that the buyer is looking for but that doesn’t give you the upper hand in selling if the home is cluttered or in dire need of tender loving care.
If you want to successfully sell your home, you have to put your best foot forward. Once you get a buyer through your doorstep, don’t let them scurry away after getting a glimpse of your home. Here are 10 sure ways to turn off your potential buyers, many of which could be avoided or at least alleviated with a little care and forethought.
1. Dirt and grime
A dirty house is an instant turn off. Make sure you house is presented in its best condition. No dirty kitchen with filthy floor or cluttered counters and dishes in the sink, grimy bathroom with moldy shower curtains or hanging wet towel. Do a thorough cleaning before you start showing your home. Living areas, kitchen, and bathrooms should get extra attention because they are the rooms buyers inspect closely.
2. Clutter
One of the low-cost things that you can do to make your house show its best is decluttering. All clutter must go. Free your home from too many personal stuffs, too much furniture, and unorganized things. A cluttered living room or kitchen is not going to impress your potential buyers.
3. Bad odors
Just as delicious smelling food stimulates a desire to eat, the sense of smell can also influence people’s enjoyment or displeasure. Imagine entering a home and instantly hit by a funky smell from all sorts of things the home was filled with. From the unyielding carpet mildew smell to other problems such as plumbing that causes odor in the house, the smell alone is enough to drive people away.
4. Bad curb appeal
Peeling siding or paint, a yard piled with junk or littered with trash, unkempt lawns these definitely create a bad impression. Your home’s curb appeal is the first thing buyers see before they even step inside your home. If it’s sadly lacking of attention, the inside of the home will mostly likely be lacking attention as well.
5. Wacky renovations
Renovations or home improvements are good but make sure you don’t border on the outrageous or beyond what most people will normally appreciate especially if you are planning to sell your home in the future or now. Any alterations must be more universal. Keep in mind you’re selling a home to another person who might not share your taste or preferences.
6. Dimly lit rooms
Most home buyers are turned off by dark rooms, you can do a lot to brighten them. Consider painting your walls in neutral colors, replace dim light fixtures or install additional light. Clean the windows or remove heavy drapes that block natural light from streaming in.
7. Pests
Any pest infestation in a house is a major turn off. Roaches, rodents, bugs, bed bugs, and the rest should be eliminated. Contact a pest exterminator to eliminate them. It’s hard to sell a house with these icky pests included in the package.
8. Pets
Pets are lovable but you don’t want your dog barking fiercely to your potential buyer. Make sure they are not around when you are showing your home. Your potential buyer might be turned off by pet odors, carpet stains, litter, or any signs of your pet in the house.
9. Bad Listing Photos
Before buyers even decide to look into your home, they must have seen it first on a real estate website. You’ll have more chance of attracting potential buyers if your listing photo is good. Bad listing photos won’t keep a buyer’s interest. Make sure online listing photos show your home in the best light and give a true sense of the space.
10. Overpricing
The price you put on your home affects whether or not it will sell so be realistic. Overpricing will not get offers on your table and will just drive away potential buyers or those who’s willing to close much sooner.
