A lot of sellers don't listen to their real estate agents, so
we'll tell you what your agent wants to say, but can't say to you and this is
it - your agent can't get you the price you want unless your home is in
pristine move-in condition.
That means no sticking drawers in the kitchen. No leaning
fences. No rust-stained plumbing fixtures. We could go on, but maybe we need to
make it clear. If you have even one of following "turn-offs," your
home won't sell.
Buyers can get instantly turned off. Here are their five
biggest turn-offs:
1. Overpricing for the market
2. Smells
3. Clutter
4. Deferred maintenance
5. Dark, dated décor
Overpricing your home
Overpricing your home is like trying to crash the country
club without a membership. You'll be found out and escorted out.
If you ignored your agent's advice and listed at a higher
price than recommended, you're going to get some negative feedback from buyers.
The worst feedback, of course, is silence. That could include no showings and
no offers.
The problem with overpricing your home is that the buyers
who are qualified to buy your home won't see it because they're shopping in a
lower price range. The buyers who do it will quickly realize that there are
other homes in the same price range that offer more value.
Smells
Smells can come from a number of sources - pets, lack of
cleanliness, stale air, water damage, and much more. You may not even notice
it, but your real estate agent may have hinted to you that something needs to
be done.
There's not a buyer in the world that will buy a home that
smells unless they're investors looking for a bargain. Even so, they'll get a
forensic inspection to find out the source of the smells. If they find anything
like undisclosed water damage, or pet urine under the "new" carpet,
then they will either severely discount their offer or walk away.
Clutter
If your tables are full to the edges with photos, figurines,
mail, and drinking glasses, buyers' attention is going to more focused on
running the gauntlet of your living room without breaking any Hummels than in
considering your home for purchase.
Too much furniture confuses the eye - it makes it really
difficult for buyers to see the proportions of rooms. If they can't see what
they need to know, they move on to the next home.
Deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance is a polite euphemism for letting your
home fall apart. Just like people age due to the effects of the sun, wind and
gravity, so do structures like your home. Things wear out, break and weather,
and it's your job as a homeowner to keep your home repaired.
Your buyers really want a home that's been well-maintained.
They don't want to wonder what needs to fixed next or how much it will cost.
Dated décor
The reason people are looking at your home instead of buying
brand new is because of cost and location. They want your neighborhood, but
that doesn't mean they want a dated-looking home. Just like they want a home in
good repair, they want a home that looks updated, even if it's from a different
era.
Harvest gold and avocado green from the seventies; soft
blues and mauves from the eighties, jewel tones from the nineties, and onyx and
pewter from the oughts are all colorways that can date your home. Textures like
popcorn ceilings, shag or berber carpet, and flocked wallpaper can also date
your home.
When you're behind the times, buyers don't want to join you.
They want to be perceived as savvy and cool.
In conclusion, the market is a brutal mirror. if you're
guilty of not putting money into your home because you believe it's an
investment that others should pay you to profit, you're in for a rude
awakening. You'll be stuck with an asset that isn't selling.
