Every home buyer has their own idea of what they want out of a house. As a seller, you want to please potential buyers, but sometimes you may be turning them away. You may have the perfect-sized home in a good location, but none of these will mean a surefire sale. Today's post discusses some factors that turn off home buyers.
First on our list is a cluttered, dirty house. When your home is listed, it's a priority to keep it clean and attractive. While this may seem obvious, a recent post from Frampton Realty explains how it's still common even today:
Cluttered, dirty houses
You already know this one. Every seller does. Yet, even in 2017, the era of Houzz and HGTV, buyers walk into homes that would make your mother cringe every single day. The people who come to see your home are making one of the biggest decisions they'll ever make. Cluttered countertops, neglected toilet seats and unattended litter boxes not only invite the viewer to turn up their nose, they practically compel a buyer to walk away.
Luckily, you have all the control in the world over how your house looks to your would be buyer. Some sellers find it helpful to think not about de-cluttering, but about pre-packing. Everything that is not part of the home's decor or furnishing and that is not a must for your daily functioning should be boxed up, and neatly packed away in the garage or a storage unit. You'll have to pack it all up anyway when your home sells, and doing it in advance just makes it more likely the place will sell, stat! Read more at framptonrealty.com
It's recommended to make your home look spacious. Picture yourself walking into a house that looks like it was hit by a tornado. You'd most likely hightail it out of there. You can always ask someone to help organize your home, or you can even hire a professional organizer.
It probably won't be this bad, but messy homes stand out in the wrong way
Next are bad smells or odors. You might think that the smell in your house is perfectly fine, but you're living there. As the scent commercials like to point out, you're most probably nose-blind. It's worth investing in odor eliminators, as odors are major buyer-repellants:
Nasty smell or odor
Just shy of half (49%) of potential homebuyers named off-putting smells as a major turn-off. Odours from pets, greasy food and cigarette smoke send a bad message to buyers. Sarah Beeny says: "Don't cook strong-smelling food ahead of viewings and invest in some great air fresheners or room scents." In other words, stock up on Febreze and leave that vindaloo for another night. Via lovemoney.com
If there are smokers in your house, be sure to remove all ashtrays and clean curtains, linens or anything that retains the smell of smoke. There are also other smells you'll want to look out for as well, like food or pets.
Last on the list of buyer deterrents is bad photos on your listing, or no photos at all. We know you’ve heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and it's especially true when it comes to real estate. A photo of your listing is necessary for this age of online browsing. Buyers are much more likely to skip a home unless they see pictures of it online:
No photos on the listing
You’ve probably heard a lot of the “do’s” when it comes to selling a home, right? Well, here are some of the “do nots” – things that consistently turn people away from buying a house.
I’m pretty sure most buyers wouldn’t turn up to a house inspection without first deciding if they like the look of a property. Without photos of your real estate listing, a buyer can’t make that decision and you’ve already shut the door on a sale. Photos or even videos of your house are such a valuable tool in selling a home. It’s the same with your address, make sure it’s listed. A lot of buyers will google your address to see what your street looks like and to find out what amenities are close by. Take every opportunity to make sure it’s easy for them.
h/t sapphirepropertystyling.com.au
Most home buyers in today’s market will see your listing online first. That is why having professional photos (and videos) are valuable when selling your home. Ensure that you have your agent upload attractive pictures on the MLS
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The A-Team recognizes the value of online marketing: we produce video tours of all our properties. Our photos also stand out due to our exclusive 'twilight' makeovers, which add another layer of flair to any listing. If you're looking to sell your Fort McMurray home, give us a call!