When trying to sell your home, you may unwittingly be doing something (or not doing something) that will send major turn-off signals to your prospective buyers. You may be offending them without knowing it. Considering how difficult it is to sell a home, you may want to go through our list before you put your home on the market. It will certainly save you some unnecessary stress and worry. So without further ado, here are the 12 biggest turn-offs for prospective home buyers that can easily chase consumers away.
1. An Unpleasant Odor
Don’t be offended when we say that your home might smell in an unpleasant way without you being aware of it. As you spend every day in the space, chances are you are completely used not only to the smell but also to all the minor issues a home buyer would not exactly find reassuring. This is especially true if you have pets or if you’re a smoker (or if you allow others to smoke in your home).
The best way to tell is to ask someone to take a sniff – preferably someone you know will be honest and someone who doesn’t visit your home all that often. To be on the safe side, you can clean the carpets, rugs, curtains, and all the upholstered furniture before anyone comes to see your home. However, try to give the cleaning smells enough time to evaporate as well. The smell of cigarette smoke or stale damp will certainly not be alluring, but neither will be the overpowering smell of disinfectant.
If you want to go the extra mile, bake something delicious before you show the home. Or, you can light some candles that smell of baking, vanilla, or other neutral scents. Unpleasant odors are one of the biggest turn-offs for prospective home buyers. That is why it is key to ensure your home smells its best as you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression.
2. Eager Pets
Some people are not the biggest cat or dog lovers, and that’s okay. If you have a pet, try to ensure they are not on the premises when you are showing the home. People can be put off by an eager dog greeting them as they come in or a curious cat wanting to say hello. Of course, there are people who will love to be greeted by an animal, but you never can tell, so it’s better to be on the safe side.
Take them out for a walk if you can, or keep them in their carriers for the duration. Locking them in a room will only cause distress, and you’ll have to explain why a particular area of the house can’t be shown. Lastly, make sure their toys aren’t lying around everywhere and that their food and litter has also been placed out of sight.
3. Dirty Kitchens and Bathrooms
Kitchen and bathroom fixtures are usually very important to every buyer, and if yours are discolored, rusty, or just outright dirty, you may be faced with some upturned noses. Make sure you give both of these spaces a very thorough cleaning, and you can also invite someone in to point out the flaws. As we’ve said, you are used to the space and probably won’t see that stain that’s been in the bathroom forever as a big issue. You don’t need to make the place look brand new. People will expect the home to be lived in. But do try to eliminate all the everyday dirt and give your faucets, sink, toilet, and tub an extra cleaning. Make them shine. You’ll notice you feel more comfortable in the space as well, as gleaming surfaces always lift the atmosphere.
4. Dampness
Needless to say, no one wants to live in a damp home. However, your prospective buyers might be ready to accept some level of structural dampness if it can be fixed easily and if you are open about it from the start. Go over all areas of your home and detect any potential problems. Pay specific attention to the basement and the attic, if you have one. This is where a lot of damp issues tend to occur.
If you can, fix the problem immediately. If not, you will want to speak about it with your realtor. If you are showing the home yourself, tell each buyer what the situation is and what the potential added costs of repairing the damage would be.
5. An Unpleasant Commute
Depending on where your home is located, you might have a difficult time selling it to people who need to get to work across town. While most buyers will look for homes in an area that suits their commuting needs, there are those who venture out of this area, whether due to high prices, a lack of available properties, or any other number of reasons. Long commutes will impact work-life balance, so you want to make sure your buyers are aware of the main roads, available parking spaces in the area if your home does not have its own, the nearest bus stop or subway station, etc.
Make sure you talk about this point with your realtor, as they will certainly know the area as well as you do. Also, find out whether potential buyers plan to drive to work or take public transportation as this will impact their commuting experience quite a bit. You can highlight neat shortcuts or other ways to make any potential commute more pleasant and less time-consuming.
6. An Untidy Garden
If you have a garden and you leave it to fend for itself, it won’t appeal to your prospective buyers all that much. In fact, it can be a major turn-off. Take care of any weeds and unruly plants, and make sure there are no excessive leaves blocking the paths and gutters. You don’t have to plant brand new plants. You can just do your best with the ones you have in the garden at the moment.
You want the space to be neat overall, so make sure there is no clutter in the garden. Tools, toys, furniture, and items you just don’t know where to store should all be tidied away. You want the place to look appealing and comfortable, as opposed to shabby and chaotic.
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