There is a lot of competition when it comes to selling your home this summer. Avoid these turnoffs so you don’t have potential buyers walking out the door before they have a chance to say YES!
1. Bad Odors
This is the number one no-no when selling a home. Top odors on the list: cigarette smoke, pets and mildew.
Fact: The house smells like cigarettes if you smoke indoors. Pets leave behind an odor even when we don’t smell it. Just ask someone who doesn’t live in the house to take a quick sniff – they’ll tell you!
2. Greeted by Dogs
No matter how “gentle” our pets are, some people are just plain scared of them and others don’t want to be jumped on while viewing your home.
If you’re planning to place them in the garage or a bedroom while your home is being shown, keep in mind that this keeps your potential buyer from viewing all areas of your home. It’s always best to remove pets during showings but if that isn’t possible, placing them in a crate will keep them safe and show respect for your potential buyers.
3. Cluttered and Dirty Bathrooms
There’s nothing that turns off a potential buyer more than walking into a bathroom that is filled with clutter and grimy sinks and tubs. Are you serious about selling your home? Paint, buy a new shower curtain, some new rugs and towels and by all means, scrub the sink!
4. Dark Rooms
Try to brighten up dark rooms – these are a turnoff to most home buyers.
- Replace dim light fixtures
- Install additional light fixtures
- Install (quality) sun tunnels or skylights
- Remove heavy drapes to let the light stream through windows
- Repaint some rooms with colors that reflect light
- Trim tree limbs that shadow the house
Can’t see through your windows? Clean them! This will bring in more light. If you have double-pane windows with broken seals, replace them.
5. Crazy, Dated Wallpaper
Most buyers are turned off by crazy or dated wallpaper – even those who love it won’t necessarily like your choice.
The idea is to appeal to the masses when it comes to selling your home. Take a long hard look at the wallpaper and decide if you should remove it and paint. Never paint over it because no matter how many coats, it is still obvious and it will make it more difficult for the new owners to remove it.
6. Bugs
Get rid of roaches, spiders, and any insect that shouldn’t be in the house.
7. Lack of Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is a must if you plan to grab a potential buyer’s interest right away and get top dollar. Buyers will often not bother to enter the home if the yard is unkempt or if the paint is peeling and the doors are falling off the hinges.
8. Dirty Gutters
If you don’t clean your gutters, buyers will wonder what else you haven’t maintained on the house.
9. Hang around Sellers
Leave the house – plain and simple! Opening closet doors and really taking in the home is difficult when the seller is lurking around every corner! Are you selling your own home? Don’t hover – give them some space!
These issues are easy to fix without spending a lot of money but do it before you put your home on the market. If your house gets a “bad rap” as the smelly house, the jumping dog house or the lurking owner reputation, real estate agents will put your home on the “last to show” list!
Courtland Building Company would love to help you plan your green home, call us today: (281) 932-4494
Visit our website: www.courtlandbuildingcompany.com
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