Biggest Turn-offs for Home Buyers

Are you thinking about selling your home? The current housing market could find it challenging to meet your asking price unless your home is in MOVE-IN condition. If your home has one of the following "turn-offs" listed below, then your home may be harder to sell.

1. DIRT

The no. 1 biggest mistake that a seller could make when selling their home - is NOT getting the home in the best possible condition. This can be a big turn off for the buyers. A house for sale should be spotlessly clean.

Make sure floors are clean, cabinets are tidy and no dirty dishes in the sink. Keep a set of clean, dry towels on hand for the kitchen and bathroom for showing purposes.

2. SMELL

A lot of people say that buyers buy with their noses.  The sense of smell is something that's most memorable to some people.  Bad odors can chase away buyers. Smells can come from different sources - pets, smoke, water damage, lack of cleanliness and much more.

Sellers are encouraged to eliminate traces of pets - not just pet odors when the house is on the market. Some buyers may be allergic or have bad experiences with certain pets.  It is best to remove the pet(s) from the home if possible, or worst case to use a kennel and place in the garage or spare room.  Pet owners also want to keep the stress levels lower on the pets as well, making these adjustments will most likely make it easier on the pet(s) during showings. 

Try not to cook fried food, fish or greasy food while the house is on the market.  At a minimum, please make sure fans are in working order and clean up after cooking. 

Cigarette/cigar smoke inside the home can be an immediate turn-off for buyers.  Smoke and nicotine stick to walls, window screens, linens and carpets trapping the smell inside the house. Smoke smells linger, even if you make a temporary quick fix. Unless the potential home buyer is a smoker, it would be a hard sell. 

3. CLUTTER

An uncluttered home gives a spacious appearance.  Too many personal items in the house takes out the attention of the buyer from the house being shown.   Buyers would like to imagine how their home would look like if they purchase it and it's difficult to visualize their home when there are so many things around the place.

Make a list of the things you want to organize. Locate the things you want to 1. Throw Away 2. Donate 3. Keep. Once you've reduced your stuff, you'll have fewer things to MOVE on your new home.

4. DEFERRED MAINTENANCE

Buyers prefer home that's MOVE-IN READY.  Home buyers want a home that's well maintained. They don't want to think about the costs for doing the repair themselves. Most times buyers want a worry-free house.

Making small repairs prevent bigger problems in the future. This will save you money in the long run.

5. SNOOPY SELLERS

Please leave the house during showings if possible, the same goes with tenants renting a home for sale.

Home buyers feel awkward about opening the closet doors and lingering when the sellers are present during the visit. Give the buyers some space to make their own opinion.

If you're planning to sell, it's important to put your best foot forward if you want to sell quickly and get the best price.  All of the home selling issues mentioned above you can correct without spending a lot of money.  Make sure to address them before you put your house on the market because if your house develops a reputation amount agents, it will be too late to address it.  Your house will be last on their list to show potential buyers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  Hiring a Realtor can help you properly evaluate the condition of your property and give you expert  advise on how to sell your home for top dollar.  Realtors can assist you in finding qualified professionals to improve your property thus improving selling price.