Posted on August 6th, 2018
Selling a home is stressful. You may feel like all of the projects that you never ended up getting to need to get done all at once.
Don’t freak out, they don’t.
It’s important to remember that the things you’ve always wanted to do and change around your house may be completely irrelevant or unattractive to a potential buyer. Everyone has a different taste.
With that being said, there are some things that should look appealing and be taken care off across the board.
These things are seen the same regardless of who’s looking and should definitely be up to par when your house is on the market.
Here are the biggest turn-offs that home sellers easily overlook when putting their home on the market:
Yes, we get it, you love your pets. We all love our pets, they’re part of our family.
But admit it, no one wants to see Fido’s favorite bone all chewed up to pieces on the kitchen floor.
Make sure you hide all of your pet stuff. Some people can get really weirded out if they can tell you have pets. It obviously goes without saying that your house should smell nice if you’re showing it, but give a good effort to really get rid of any odors that could be lingering from your pets. If you have an open house, it’d be a good idea to have a neighbor or friend watch the dog or cat for the day.
Going off of what we talked about earlier, not everyone will have the same taste as you. A paint color that you’re in love with may completely turn off a potential buyer.
It’s recommended that any bright or ‘out-there’ colors are painted over with a more neutral color or just straight up white. This will help show off the size and structure of your home without distracting its real value from a crazy paint.
It’s 100% okay and understandable to have kids toys around your house. Just not during selling time.
Parents get it, anything that will keep the kids busy is money well spent. No matter how hard you try to control it, there’s no keeping them in one spot. They end up everywhere.
Try to clean up all of your kids’ toys and stuff, keeping in mind that not everyone has kids. Some people are turned off by kids. They may assume the house isn’t sanitary if there are toys or leftover wrappers and food from kids.
You would think that most people clean up and make their house spotless before they show it to potential buyers, but realtors can attest that sometimes they don’t.
Even if the house is ‘clean’ having clutter on the counter may not seem like a big deal to a homeowner, but it is to a buyer.
If a countertop is flooded with makeup, perfume, brushes, and other grooming stuff it can be a turn-off. Find a place to throw that stuff and keep the counters bare.
The same goes with the kitchen, dishes and utensils on the counter or a full sink can be a turn off as well.
This one should be an obvious turn off if you weren’t thinking it already.
Cigarette smoke can linger in a house for years and can turn a deal upside down with one walk through.
Try your best to get rid of any smoke smell you may have. It may be smart to consider investing in a good cleaning company to see how they can help.
Perhaps one of the most make or break turn-offs to potential buyers is an ugly lawn.
The first thing anyone sees when they pull up a driveway is the landscape and lawn surrounding the home.
If a lawn is yellow, bare, or unkempt, then you can probably guess what the potential buyer is thinking. The tone is set before the potential buyer even steps foot in the house.
If you know you’re putting your home for sale, make sure your yard is up to par and something that a new owner can be proud of.
Do you live in Massachusetts or New Hampshire and are selling a home? Contact Turf Unlimited to give your home the curb appeal it needs to sell in a heartbeat.
