Seller Mistakes: Real Estate Turn-Offs of Interested Potential Buyers
When you first bought your house, you did everything with yourself in mind, right? Everything from furniture selection and color selections was done based on what you liked. But now that you’re putting your house up for sale, everything you like or think is right goes out the window… From this moment on, it’s all about how to make your home appealing to the home buyer.
Now, in order to appeal to home buyers today, you have to know what they like and what they dislike. Of course, you’re not going to hit the mark on everything because every home buyer is different, but you’ll be a step in the right direction with a general consensus of seller “do’s and don’ts.”
It’s fairly easy to give potential home buyers what they want… Most like hardwood floors, upgraded kitchen appliances and hardware, and well-manicured lawns… easy fixes. But what you don’t want to do is get on their bad side, and by bad side, we mean turn them off from your home.
All too often home sellers will do what they think are things to attract home buyers, but what they’re actually doing is turning them off, and it’s during the house showing when these mistakes happen.
If you’re in the market to sell your home, be sure to give home buyers everything they could ever want in a home but also make sure you’re not doing these things to turn them off as well.
Personalization
When showing off your home to interested buyers, the whole point is for them to be able to see themselves and their families living there, not yours. Everything from family photos to any items that express your religious or political beliefs, you need to pack them away to be out of sight of home buyers. The last thing you want to do is offend or distract a buyer in any way.
Look at it as if you were buying… Would you want to see things in a home you were interested in that was offensive or that showed a dog lives in the home when you’re allergic (now you’re looking for dog hair)? De-personalizing your home also aids in protecting your family’s privacy as well.
Clutter
Leaving your home cluttered and messy is an understood no-no in house showings. If you know your house isn’t ready to show, you need to let your real estate agent know as soon as possible so the showing can be rescheduled. This will be harder to do if you’re still living in the house you’re selling, but you know you’re doing house showings. So throughout your day-to-day activities, pick up behind yourself, keep things neat and clean, and take out the trash to prevent any unsightly smells.
Bright Colors and Patterns
Having a living room with red walls is a personalization that will be a huge eyesore for home buyers. The color scheme for your home needs to be neutral in every facet. From wall paint and furniture to curtains and rugs, stick to white or gray walls and light-colored furniture and accessories. Having toned-down hues in your home will allow home buyers to better see their own personal belongings and upgrades they may have or want to do.
That’s not saying that having bright or deep colors in your home is a bad thing in general. Having colored rooms can have a great effect on your mood. But it’s not appropriate for a house showing. In fact, if a home buyer walks in and sees a bright green living room, all they’re going to think about is having to repaint, which can exhaust them just thinking about it.
Solar Panels
You may be what some call an “eco-warrior,” but to the turned-off home buyer, solar panels on a home is unattractive and aesthetically displeasing. Solar panels are definitely effective and efficient ways to not only better the environment but also lower your electric bill. But in the process of having them installed, it could be decreasing the value of your home and you not even realize it.
It may be too late because you already have solar panels on your home, but to the next place you move to, you definitely want to consider powering your home with solar electricity through price comparison. Look up what the average electric bill is for your area and then shop around for the best electricity plan that meets your budget… No solar panel installation necessary.
Converted Garage
If you want to make an interested buyer leave your home immediately, show them where the garage used to be but is now a spare bedroom for added square footage. Garages are very important to home buyers because it’s one of the biggest symbols of homeownership. This is especially important if the majority of your interested buyers are used to first-come-first-serve parking in apartment complexes.
The bottom line is that if you have a garage in your home, leave it as is. If anything, just sweep and pressure wash it really good of any oil stains and free it from clutter. Buyers need to picture themselves pulling in and comfortably knowing that’s their permanent parking spot.