10. Outdated shag carpet, printed wallpaper and bold paint
colors. Choosing to not upgrade the interior of your home is a major weak spot
for future offers. If you aren’t in the position to upgrade your home, be
prepared to offer a decorative allowance or to drop the price accordingly.
9. Difficult
to show. Always ensure that your home is in showing condition so
that you can give the go ahead at a moment’s notice. Using a centralized
showing service would also ensure that you can respond as quickly as possible
to a request for showing. Remember, if your house isn’t being viewed by anyone,
you won’t be selling it anytime soon.
8. Seller
interference. Enlist the help of a real estate agent. We tend to think that our homes are the most
beautiful and want to overshare our opinions with those who come for a showing.
Let your real estate agent do their job and take a back seat during this
critical part of the selling process.
7. Smell. If you smoke or own animals, you need to make
sure that your home is thoroughly cleaned before a showing. Tobacco smoke
sticks to furniture, tapestry and paint. So repaint your home, clean the drapes
and get the carpets and furniture cleaned. No matter how gorgeous your home is,
if it smells like Fluffy or a cigar shop, you won’t be getting any offers.
6. Clutter.
Not all of us can be perfectly clean and organized, but if you are showing your
home then you need to try your best. Removing clutter from the main living
areas can open up a home and improve the cleanliness factor. When someone views
a home they want to be able to picture themselves living there, so the less of
your personal belongings filing up the office and the breakfast nook, the
better.
5. No
curb appeal. First
impressions are the most important part of relationship building and that holds
true for real estate. If someone isn’t attracted to the outside of a home, what
is going to convince them to see the inside? Make sure you spend that extra
time and money to trim the bushes, plant some flowers and power wash the front
porch. That extra time spent is worth so much more than your home sitting on
the market for extra days. You never get a second first impression.
4. Dirt.
It should go without saying that if your home is dirty, it won’t be appealing. It
doesn’t have to be sterile, but the home should never show remnants of this morning’s
breakfast and yesterday’s muddy soccer cleats. Having to keep your home in tip
top shape for showings is a huge inconvenience, but the less time your home is
on the market the less time you have to spend cleaning every day.
3. Disrepair.
Your home should be in sound condition, if not for safety then for appearance.
Anything that you try to let slide during the selling process will more than
likely be found during the final inspection, so save you and your future home
buyers some headaches and take the time to ensure that all necessary repairs
have been made.
2. Location.
Unfortunately, we aren’t all able to live in gated communities or out in the peaceful
country. But if your home is in a high traffic/high crime area, don’t price it
like it is in a Green Acres. Be realistic to the location and desire of your
home so you can price accordingly.
1. Price.
Keep up with current market trends in your area so that you don’t shoot
yourself in the foot with a bad price. Get a conservative appraisal instead of
pricing with high hopes. No one will ever buy their dream home if the price isn’t
right.
