Are you planning on selling your home soon? If so, we wish you the best of success. But to get your house off the market quickly, you need to be mindful of some of the things that are guaranteed to turn home-buyers off your property.
In this article, we are going to list a few of the major turn-offs common to most home buyers. Read what we have to say, and then make the relevant changes to get your home ready for your sale. You will speed up the selling process if you do.
Turn-Off #1: A house in ill-repair
Unless you are promoting your house as a fixer-upper (in which case, you will need to lower the price), you do need to get on top of any repair jobs. There are some you will be able to manage yourself, such as oiling creaking doors and fixing loose floorboards, and there are other jobs that are best left to the professionals, such as Burton Hughes – New View Roofing for those vertigo-inducing roof problems, and experts equipped to deal with issues with your plumbing and electrics. Savvy home buyers will know what to look out for, so don’t always skip repair jobs that you think are barely noticeable, and on a moral level, you should get on top of any issues that might later create health and safety problems for the future owner of your home.
Turn-Off #2: Bad smells
If in doubt as to the fragrance of your home, ask a friend or neighbor to cast their nose around your property to give it the once-over. Quite often, we become immune to the smells in our homes, so you might well overlook something that others will notice. And certain odors, such as the smell of pets, cigarettes, or leftover foods can be quite unappealing, so even if your home looks the part, it might not necessarily smell the part. Open your windows to air out your property before the home buyer appointment, and add fragrances to your home, such as vases of flowers around the house, air fresheners in offending rooms, or for that homely feel, the smell of freshly cooked bread coming from your oven.
Turn-Off #3: Piles of clutter
For starters, you are creating a death trap for any unsuspecting home buyer setting foot in your home if your rooms are piled with clutter, so you do need to have a tidy-up. The mess you leave behind will only leave a bad impression with the buyer otherwise, as not only will they struggle to see what your house properly looks like, but they might also come to the conclusion that you have insufficient storage, and that is another home buyer turn-off. Therefore, schedule time to get on top of any mess in your home, and consider adding storage to your home to attract the buyer, such as by adding extra shelving or cupboard space to some of your rooms.
Turn-Off #4: An untidy exterior
First impressions are everything, but if your lawn is overgrown, and the outside walls of your home are dirty and worn, then that first impression is not going to be a favorable one. You might not even see the home buyer at all, because as soon as they see the lack of effort you have put in on the outside, they might not want to risk seeing what the inside of your property is like. Therefore, get to work on the outside as well as the inside of your home. Mow the lawn, paint your fences, clean your driveway, and do anything else to improve your home’s curb appeal. Not only will you actually get to see the home buyer, but you will also add to your home’s value as well.
Turn-Off #5: You!
Sorry to be rude, but you might be one of the biggest turn-offs for the home buyer. If you are over-enthusiastic when showing them around, you might exhaust them. If you overcrowd them, you won’t let them have time to see your property for themselves. And if you cry at the drop of a hat, perhaps because you are sad to say goodbye to your home, you will make the home buyer feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is stay out of the way. Let your realtor show the buyer around, and spend time busying yourself elsewhere (even if it’s from the top window of your neighbors home armed with a telescope to get a good look at what the home buyers are up to).
Thanks for reading!