July 1, 2008
7 Biggest Buyer Turnoffs
We all know that home sellers have the same aim, and that is to sell their home quickly for the best possible price. And we know buyers are individual, all seeking to fulfil different needs and desires in a new home, but did you know that the majority of buyers all hate the same things?
Most real estate agents are either too polite or too embarrassed to tell you if your home suffers from any of the biggest buyer turnoffs.
When you are selling your property, the hardest thing to do is to take off your homeowner’s hat and to look through fresh eyes. You have to mentally let go and assess your property as though you’ve never been there before. It is no longer your home, but a product for sale. Take a walk though this list and see how your property measures up.
1. Smell
This is a hard one; no one is willing to tell you if your home smells bad! You have to find someone who does not live with you and who has nothing to lose if they offend you.
Top of the list is cigarette smoke, pet odours, damp mould and teenage runners. Close behind is over-the-top synthetic fragrance used to cover up bad smells.
You have to annihilate the odour at the source. Masking with a covering smell does not work, although naturally scented candles and burning essential oils can enhance the atmosphere, they are no substitute for clean fresh air. If you smoke indoors or keep indoor pets, the house will smell and you wont even notice it. Find someone who will be honest with you and do not be upset when they are.
2. Pets
This is another hard one. There is no greater commitment to selling your home than relocating your pets during the sales campaign. No matter how lovable, your pets are not their pets. Dogs frighten people, cats are allergens, and we wont even start with reptiles or llamas!
It is actually not enough to confine them in a yard, room or crate, as not only do you need to remove them, but also you need to remove all evidence that you ever had them. No food bowls, pet food in the pantry, doggy toys, cat trees or photos on the fridge.
If you have an exotic fish tank or a built-in aviary that is nigh on impossible to relocate, it must be impeccably clean and all possible objections minimised.
3. First Impressions
A poor first impression is a tough hurdle for a buyer to leap over. Do not underestimate the value of street appeal.
If the front yard is overgrown, the fence in dire need of repair, weeds hang out of the gutter and the windows look gloomy, you have sent the buyer the message that you do not care about your property. If the job is half done, the message is you half-care, and it will reflect in the price you are offered.
4. Yukky Bathrooms
Hair on the floor, ring around the bath, half-used soap on the basin. Ugh. The bathroom should look like nobody has ever used it. Replace anything worn and scruffy. Paint, polish, clean or shine every centimetre. Make it sparkle. Put all your personal items away in a neat storage box, out-of-sight somewhere like the linen cupboard. Leave only fresh new fluffy towels.
5. No-go areas
Attics, lofts, basements, sheds, back rooms… areas that you consider unimportant and have shut off from inspection just leaves buyers wondering what else you are hiding. Every part of your home needs to be accessible and presented to perfection.
6. Dark rooms
Home buyers do not like dark rooms. Do whatever you can to maximise the light available to every room, replace heavy curtains, clear shrubs outside of windows and repaint dark walls. Then turn on all available lighting during inspections, and add lamps wherever needed.
7. Busy, busy, busy
Themed rooms, overly ornate decor, cluttered shelves, and personal heirlooms. Most buyers cannot see past things that scream out your personality. The things that fill your rooms should not take the buyer’s attention away from what you are selling. Keep it light and bright, simple and neutral. You have to declutter and depersonalise the home without making it bland and forgettable.
Houses that sell the fastest for the best possible price are those homes that do not feel as though they belong to someone else. Your aim is to present such an attractive and inviting home that buyers begin to imagine moving straight in and living there happily ever after. You do not want them thinking about you at all. And on that note, you should definitely not be home during the inspection, or on the doorstep leaving as they arrive.
Preparing your home for sale, and maintaining a show home while you are still living in it, is no simple task. But if your home is correctly presented from the get-go, and you do go to the extra effort you will be well rewarded with a quicker sale at a higher price.
