Sellers /On July 18, 2013

8 Home Buyer Turn-offs Every Seller Should Avoid

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There are a number of checklists for things to do in order to get your home market ready, but here is a checklist of things that you should NOT do when you put your home on the market. Here are 8 things that are sure to turn prospective buyers away:

1. Pets. Even “animal people” are leary of pets in a home they are contemplating buying. home buyer Ideally, you send Fido to live with grandma while your home is on the market. If that is not feasible, then at a minimum take him for a ride during showings and make sure that dog bowls (litter boxes, etc.) are out of sight.

2. Busy walls. Too much art or photography on the walls. It’s a problem for a number of reasons: first, prospective buyers are counting the number of nail holes that they’ll have to patch and paint when the art comes down. Second, buyers are easily distracted looking at your stuff and not the “bones” of your home. This goes for refrigerators, counters, etc.

3. Odors. Pet or heavy cooking smells are obviously a problem. And, even though they may be temporary, to a buyer they seem permanent. Equally challenging are “fru fru” smells that are intended to make a home smell good. Plug in or spray air fresheners, scented candles and the like can have unintended consequences if the buyer finds the smell objectionable. Instead, try odor eliminators or ionizers.

4. Dirt. Everyone has a different definition of a “clean” home. In particular, bathrooms and kitchens should sparkle. Buyers will look at things like air filters as indicator of how the home is being maintained.

5. Dark rooms. It’s important to let the light shine in! Take down all the window treatments – they block light. Re-paint rooms in bright, neutral shades (Sherwin Williams Believable Buff). Leave lamps or overhead lights on for showings, and increase the wattage in bulbs.

6. Small rooms. How you live in a home is not necessarily how you sell it. If a room appears small, it is likely at least in part due to the current furniture arrangement. Stage a small room as a nursery or as an office to give the appearance that it has more space. Take everything off the walls in a small room, and paint a fresh, light color.

7. Hovering sellers or agents. The buyer is trying to imagine themselves living in your home; anything that distracts them from doing that should be eliminated. Including you (or your agent). Serious buyers will want to open closets and cabinets, and a seller following them around chattering may intimidate them.

8. Too many colors. While an accent wall here or there with an up-to-date color may be appealing, too many colors are never a good thing. Most common is the Easter Egg effect of different color bedrooms. Sellers tend to rationalize by saying, “it’s just paint” and the buyer should be able to see past it. However, some buyers cannot see past extreme paint colors, and others will simply move on to the next listing online if your photographs don’t make a great first impression. Without a doubt, painting in fresh, neutral color palettes is quite simply the most cost effective investment you can make to get your home market ready.

With so much inventory to choose from, it’s imperative that serious sellers make the effort to eliminate buyer turn offs before putting their home on the market. Several hours invested with a professional home stager can have a significant return on investment!

Your Liz Moore agent will hire a professional stager for a consultation before your home goes live on the market, and that is the ideal time to explore which options in terms of your move timetable will benefit your bottom line the most.

Curious to see the whole checklist that stagers use when they visit a property? Download one below, or email us at concierge@lizmoore.com to learn more.

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Lynnette Tully

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Liz Moore & Associates is a boutique real estate agency renowned for having the region's top agents, with extensive market knowledge and local expertise that is only achieved through relentless training coupled with Liz's extremely high standards for professionalism. When you're buying or selling a home, experience matters.