Selling house - what turns a buyer off?

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1

We are selling our house & have our first showing tonight with a buyer the realtor claims to be 'very, very interested.' (yah, not getting my hopes up too much. been there, done that, and even if a person is interested i've had about everything go bad in a real estate transaction i think possible. sigh.)

Anyway, my question for today is "What turns off a buyer?" What do you look for when you view a house, what turns you sour, and what has you running for the backdoor?

We've only looked at one replacement property so far, and I realize I am a horrible judge of this stuff. I will buy anything, it seems. Whereas my husband is too persnickity, I can only see the good & potential in stuff. And I don't think we balance out to be even close to 'the normal' buyer. We have twice bought a place we thought to be perfect for us, only to end up gutting it and redoing it all. And then found out that after all the work, we are still missing features 'a, b, & c' that we really desire in a house.

Thanks ladies!

2

It's gotta be clean, clean, CLEAN!
Closets & cupboards should not be STUFFED full...they should show that there is room for more.
Streamlined & neat!
Did I mention Clean?

3

Hi! First, good luck selling your house. What turned me off when looking at houses first, was the smell. I was able to tell if an owner had pets inside. Also, when they mentioned not to open certain room for the pets were there. I would instantly scratched it off the list. I would not buy a house that can not see "completely"'. Another was the kitchen, it really had to be clutter free, same for the bathroom. And last, the backyard, we have lived in houses with big and little backyard. At the end, I could just "feel" it. Just keep it clean and smelling good and keep your hopes up. Good lick!

4

I can't speak from a professional point of view, but I remember some things when we were looking to buy:

-the maintenance of the entryway. I remember the real estate agent (who was awesome!) warning us that if the seller hadn't even bothered to keep up the front door of the house, it was a pretty good predictor that the rest of the house wouldn't, either. In this particular example, he was right.

-Obvious pets debris. I like animals, I really do. But we looked at one house that had been empty for a month, and still smelled like cats and even had tufts of hair lying about. Which my husband is allergic to. Houses where folks frequently clean up after their pets, he's fine, but we couldn't imagine how long it would take to make that house liveable for him.

Those are the things that come to my mind.

Good luck!

5

The yard sold me. It seriously was the most important thing after the basics (number of bedrooms, bath).

Wallpaper or other very particular decorations that are hard to change.

6

Clutter! Keep it clean, no super personal items or no items that are really personal taste wise. The less stuff you have on counters, in closets, in cupboards, the bigger it looks too. The other turn off was it being really outdated esp if all areas are outdated. If yours is, there are some inexpensive ways to perk it up. In my old place, I painted the bathroom cabinets and put a modern vinyl tile in that made a world of difference and nobody noticed the clamshell sink designs that much then.

7

1st impressions are everything, so I agree, no clutter and the yard/landscaping should look nice (grass is cut, trees and bushes trimmed, no weeds). I've heard that having a vanilla candle burning or the smell of something just baked is appealing to buyers.

I have moved a lot in my late teen/adult years. I have an ongoing list that I keep to remind myself what I hated and loved about each place. It helps when looking for a new place because I can be reminded of the things I can't live without, and also the stuff that I really can't live with.

8

Bake cookies before they come.

Haven't seen your house, so have no idea what would turn buyers off besides the norm (cleanliness, odors, locked doors). But I do know an old trick - back a batch of cookies just before they arrive.

You can set them out for your buyers to nibble on, or put them in the fridge, or throw them away. The smell of baking cookies is highly nostalgic for most of us, and as the nose is closest to the brain and will be one of the first senses affected - it's a good bet to help influence your buyers.

9

Even though buyers are not supposed to look at your decor...paint, room arangement etc they do! Get rid of the clutter, pack up everything personal (pictures, nic-nacks, etc) empty trash cans and pay attention to the SMELL of your house. If your house smells bad (cigarette/cigar smoke, cat litter, dog pee, diaper pail, trash) people can't get past that. Clean carpets and a nutral "hotel" look give people a chance to see themselves in the space. Hope that helps! Best wishes.

10

Clean - by clean - I look for baseboards wiped clean, no cobwebs, minimal clutter and not a lot of furniture or kids toys laying around.

Structure issues- yellow spots/stains on ceiling, cracks in drywall or foundation, doors that don't close properly, any pulling or leaking.

good luck!!

11

the first thing i look for (having been house-hunting with my son for months now) is anything wet. if your house is good and dry, that's a great start.
other red flags for me are ripply roofs, tons of bugs in the window sills, cracks in floors or uneven door frames that indicate foundation issues, gross stained tubs, mouse droppings, and bad odors.
obviously being clean and uncluttered is a plus. an educated buyer will not be fazed by dust bunnies or fingerprints around doorknobs or any other quick fixes like that, but some first time home buyers might be.
good luck!
khairete
suz

12

Turn offs for us:

*Smell- We won't even consider if there is a smell of cigarette, animal, or mildew.
*Cleanliness- I can look over bad design if the house is actually clean. I notice dirt on doors, counters (esp. in the bathroom), and entrance ways.
*I can usually look past clutter and poorly organized rooms, but many people can't. If it looks like you have a hard time making your stuff fit, others will too.
*The same goes for your storage areas. Highlight them. Show them off as a great place to keep extra stuff. Steamline them if necessary. It may be worth finally installing some shelving in your garage, basement, and closets.
*The yard is also important to us. We have young kids and want a flat area for the swingset, pool, or other outdoor games. Highlight your yard if possible, especially if your house is ideal for young families.
*Unfinished projects. My question would be..."Is this a person who does it themself? Are they really good at it? What else did they touch/fix?"
*Outdated electrical. Must be current wiring/circuit breaker on 200 amp.
*Lastly - Safety for young children. If you house is ideal for young families, highlight the safety in the home.....install a gate or fence around things that are potential problem.
*Location - which you don't have control on. But, if you seem like you are way out, you could put a nice typed list of places that deliver to you on your fridge. Maybe even have a list of local services and telephone numbers on your fridge....as though it was your list to use or for a babysitter (food places). :)

Good luck!!!!

13

clutter- I hated when there were junk/paper piles no matter how neatly stacked.

decor-it matters a lot. It is really hard to see past what others have done. I hated a house full of knick knacks and thotckes (sp?) Most people do not know how to do this correctly and it comes of junky. It should make 'sense' to work. I esp hated the little country touches that a lot of people have. And photos of their kids-esp school photos. Photos should be black and white and tastefully framed.

Crappy rugs are a huge turnoff as well as too much ceramic. If you have ceramic you can cut the coldness of it by an area rug.

Wallpaper that is outdated and especially borders. Wall paper is in now but more on the damask take than mauve flowers KWIM?

So my advice is if you haven't already, take down most of your decorations and knicknaks. Check out the HGTV rooms where they use simple decor that is neutral and works. A bowl of fresh lemons, mirrors, modern glass candlesticks in odd numer grouping (no even groupoing in decorating)
A few houseplants are nice to fill areas that look blank. A huge fern on a pedestal in an empty corner for example.

Ask your agent for a candid assesment of your house and what you should to assuring her that nothing will hurt your feelings. Maybe her firm has someone available to help you stage-I would ask.

Lastly-make sure it doesn't smell!

14

My husband and I have bought two houses. We probably looked at over 125 during the course of shopping for the first and then second house.

Here is my list.

  1. Bad smells (food smell, basement, pets -especially cats, cigarettes). Our neighbors are trying to see right now. Their house looks great, they put a ton of work into it, but I went to the open house, and it smells like cigarettes. They've had over a hundred people through the house, it's still for sale.

  2. Wet basement or weird stains on walls in the basement. We had one house we wanted to bid on, but there was a window that looked like it had leaked water in (and there were some drainage issues in the yard). That was a deal breaker for us. I don't want to have a water issue in the basement.

  3. Cleanliness is huge for me. I cleaned EVERY surface before we put our first home on the market. Then the stager came and she moved furniture around and asked me "is your house always this clean?" Ha! No. But for selling a home, I think that should be a question people should be asking.

  4. Your front door is really important. It's the first impression. Make sure it's clean (wipe off all the foot marks at the base), sweep your front step, wash your welcome mat, etc. It should make the entrance to your home feel welcoming and warm.

  5. Take your pets with you. I'm not interested in seeing them.

  6. Clean your cabinets so they look tidy and spacious. When I am interested in a home, I open every single closet, kitchen cabinet, bathroom cabinet so I can see how clean, big, functional they are.

  7. If you haven't already, use a stager to help you rearrange your furniture. It really does make a difference.

Good luck!

15

Debra:

The first thing I notice is curb appeal. Ours was "under construction or rehabilitation" (it had been a rental property) when we bought it - so I wasn't expecting "wow" in the front because of the work being done.

If I see broken shutters, dirty windows, grass not mowed, bushes not pruned? sorry - won't even get out of the car.

inside? I would like to see the rooms...not a ton of furniture but not empty either...I would like to see it CLEAN...and smell good...

we walked into a house that Indians had owned...it wreaked of curry - I love curry - mind you - but you could SMELL it on the walls - compared to cigarette smoke - it was stuck as they had lived in the home for 10+ years. they had TRIED the baking cookies trick - couldn't cover it up...if I see a lot of candles burning or a lot of the room fragrances....I wonder what it will smell like AFTER they move out.

The things that are conveying (washer/dryer, appliances) need to be clean. I know we mention CLEAN - but it's important to many of us.

I personally don't care if your family pictures are up. I know others do. But for me? I can look past that.

When I'm looking at a house - i look for what I need (at least 5 bedrooms or 4 with an office/library), two-car garage, 3 bathrooms, location - location - location - I'm funky in that I ONLY want a home at the END of a cul-de-sac...for many reasons...but if a home is NOT a cul-de-sac, I won't look at it. big or even galley-style kitchen with counter space...

Showcase your home - if you have energy efficient appliances and AC/heater - leave some copies of the bills on the counter so they can see what it has cost to heat/cool the house. You don't need to show your account number or name - but that is important to some people....knowing how much it will cost to heat/cool - it helps if you state - we keep our thermostat set at 73 or whatever you do.

If you have great views of the backyard or something else - pull those drapes/curtains back...blinds up!! Let people SEE the view!!

Closets??? If they are jammed with clothes? It tells me that there isn't enough space.

Cabinets? jammed with stuff? again - not enough space...

So de-clutter....use all the same hangers - I know - it's a VISUAL affect. but continuity....for those who are visual - it makes a difference.

Fresh paint goes a long way - neutral colors -

if you have carpeting - get it cleaned. (darn - there's CLEAN again!)

fix damaged screens or doors...some people look for the access to attic space...so make sure the attic is "straightened" not clean - but straightened up.

good luck!! hope your home sells fast!!

16

-Clutter

-dirty homes so clean up & repair anything necessary

-not being able to see a room's true use. So stage your home to not only
look nice but functional. (For example, take the treadmill out of the
living room, move the storage bins out of the dining room etc).

-curb appeal. Do what you can to spruce up your front door, front yard
etc. Some potted shrubs flanking the door, replace old bark if you have
that, put new house numbers up etc.

-repair anything broken, paint, replace (rock, bark etc) & stage your home.
That really helps.

Good luck!

17

I don't know what everyone else said but here's what I think:

  1. The owners being home when you go to see it.
  2. Unavailability to see the house. As a buyer, you want to go when you want to go, so making it VERY easy for your realtor to get in at a moment's notice is KEY.
  3. Pets in the house. And I have 2 dogs that I love! But I don't know your dogs or cats or whatever - so please take them with you to your mom's house or wherever you go when the home is being shown!
  4. Dirt.
  5. Clutter
  6. Broken things
  7. Weird things. So you love inflatable dolls? Good for you. But collect them up and hide them.
  8. Smells
  9. Overgrown or unkempt lawn
  10. Obnoxious realtor. Make sure yours is cool.

Try doing a major thorough cleaning, decluttering, and staging of every room in your house. I have even heard of things like baking an apple pie before buyers are coming so the house smells amazing. Make sure the yard and front look FANTASTIC. Make sure the kitchen and bathroom are perfect.

Good luck!

Good luck!

18

Redoing the house. I looked at a house in California and the owner had installed new carpet and floor tile and repainted the whole thing. It was neutral but totally his taste. White ceramic floor tile in a house with a pool. Ceramic tile is very slippery when wet ---- bad choice and brand new. If I had bought the house I would have ripped it out.

I would rather see a clean well kept house but let me do the improvements in my taste.

19

The 2 big no-no's for me are pet odors and CLUTTER!

20

we were more worried about the structure when we bought our house...I can clean! in fact no matter what before I move in I will clean it myself but obviously it is nice to have a clean house to look at.

anyhow, newer windows, doors, roof, siding, furnace, water heater..etc to me that is what is important.

Updated

we were more worried about the structure when we bought our house...I can clean! in fact no matter what before I move in I will clean it myself but obviously it is nice to have a clean house to look at.

anyhow, newer windows, doors, roof, siding, furnace, water heater..etc to me that is what is important.