Things that Buyers Hate to See

Conducting home viewings is essential if you’re looking to sell your house, and in order to get top dollar, you will need to present your home in the best possible light. Highlighting all the best features is key, but make sure you focus on eliminating the things buyers hate to see too. There are five major things that are pretty much guaranteed to turn buyers off, no matter how attractive your home might appear to be otherwise.

Maintenance issues:

No buyer wants to spend money on a house that is going to require further investment in the form of repairs. Make sure everything in the house is in working order – damp walls with the paint peeling off, dripping faucets and pipes, and lawns that have grown wild owing to lack of care are all things that can ruin a house in the eyes of potential buyers. Make sure nothing need repair or replacement – a house that is perfectly in order is likely to attract more buyers and go for a higher price.

Clutter:

It goes without saying that a cluttered home will make buyers think twice about making an offer. While it’s obvious that the clutter doesn’t come with the house, messes can obscure the better features of your home during viewings, make rooms appear smaller than they actually are, and leave a bad impression on potential buyers. Make sure you get rid of large, clunky pieces of furniture and unnecessary decoration items before a viewing, and keep all cabinets and closets neat and ordered, in case potential buyers want to check for storage space. Make sure the kitchen counters are not crowded with appliances, fold and put away all your laundry, and find a proper place to store things, instead of dumping everything in the basement or attic.

Smells:

While this technically isn’t a thing that people can see, smells play a large role in fashioning a buyer’s opinion on your house. The sense of smell sends direct signals to the human brain, and if potential buyers catch a whiff of odors like pungent cooking, pets, or cigarette smoke, the signals are likely to be far from positive.

Personal items:

The key to conducting a successful viewing is to encourage the potential buyer to imagine himself/herself living in the house. However, the buyer cannot do this if the house is littered with your personal belongings. All buyers understand that the house they are viewing is currently occupied, but constantly coming across items like family photos and children’s toys can make buyers feel uncomfortable. De-personalize the house as much as you can, in order to keep the potential buyer from feeling like an intruder.

The current residents:

Home viewings can become awkward affairs with both the potential buyers and the sellers present – in addition to making the buyer feel like an intruder, there is also a chance of conflict if the buyer and seller voice contrasting opinions. Therefore, it is best to have an agent conduct viewings on your behalf, while you ensure that you and your entire family are out of the house. You can either take the entire family out to the park or to a movie when there is a viewing scheduled, or you can arrange for the viewings to be conducted when you are not at home (e.g. at work/school).