Power Through Networking
Things I Find Important to Home Buyers When Viewing a Home
I work with TONS of buyers and there are some things that seem so simple and logical that sellers should do, but don’t, when showing their home to potential clients. Of course, there are many things that buyers find important, like the floor plan, size of bedrooms, closet space, etc. But, what I am focusing on here are the things that the seller can do given the home they own as it is, without remodeling and/or changing the floor plan and such.
You have 30 seconds to make a first impression…The curb appeal is VERY important. It is the first impression a buyer has as they walk up to the home. As a homeowner, maintain the front yard, first and foremost. Mow the lawn, sweep, maintain nice flowers, have a nice welcome mat, make sure the front door is appealing, sweep away cob webs, etc.
Clean your home…I know this sounds so obvious, but you would be amazed at the amount of homeowners that actually show their home with crap all over the place. Homebuyers get so turned off by a messy home. The most important rooms that buyers want to see sparkle are the kitchen and bathrooms. Make the kitchen and bathrooms as clean as possible. Buyers get grossed out when bathrooms have fungus and mold in the shower/bath along the edges. Buyers do not want to see mildew in the kitchen and bathrooms, that is just the biggest turn off. Clean off the couters in both those rooms as much as possible, put everything away, no dishes in the sink, just make it sparkle. Clean up the bedrooms, clothes off the floor, and vacuum. You get the picture, right? Clean, clean, clean!
Less is more…The less you have in the room, the better. Less makes a room look larger. If you have too much stuff in a room, it looks crowded and small and the buyer can not gauge the room at all if they are trying to avoid running into your stuff all over the place. That includes too many pictures on the wall, too many trinkets, too many throw rugs, etc.
Smell matters…When a buyer walks into a house that smells foul, almost regardless what the home looks like, the buyer will be turned off and may not even go through the entire home. I have had buyers just walk out of a home that smells without even viewing the home. You love your furry little friends, but the smell of a dog and/or cat can really turn off a buyer. Plus, their mind starts wandering about possible fleas, if the furry friend ever makes a “mess” so to speak in the home, etc. So, when you have a pet, it is crucial to ensure that there is not a strong “presence”. There are some spices and such that are very strong that people use to cook and some tend to cook a lot of greasy foods. If you are selling your home, not everyone likes the smell of certain spices or grease, so be careful. Try to cook with the fan on and windows open and air out the home as much as possible. Some homes smell like a football locker room. If you have a home of atheletes, at least throw their dirty clothes in a sink full of soap and water if you aren’t ready to do an actual wash. Or, put them in a plastic bag. If your home smells like mold or mildew, good luck to you, the red flags that causes is more than I care to review. You don’t need to necessarily make the home smell “good”, neutral is fine.
These are the tips I find to be the most important based on my 14 years of experience working with home buyers. Clean, clean, clean…and clean….and….clean!
You have 30 seconds to make a first impression…The curb appeal is VERY important. It is the first impression a buyer has as they walk up to the home. As a homeowner, maintain the front yard, first and foremost. Mow the lawn, sweep, maintain nice flowers, have a nice welcome mat, make sure the front door is appealing, sweep away cob webs, etc.
Clean your home…I know this sounds so obvious, but you would be amazed at the amount of homeowners that actually show their home with crap all over the place. Homebuyers get so turned off by a messy home. The most important rooms that buyers want to see sparkle are the kitchen and bathrooms. Make the kitchen and bathrooms as clean as possible. Buyers get grossed out when bathrooms have fungus and mold in the shower/bath along the edges. Buyers do not want to see mildew in the kitchen and bathrooms, that is just the biggest turn off. Clean off the couters in both those rooms as much as possible, put everything away, no dishes in the sink, just make it sparkle. Clean up the bedrooms, clothes off the floor, and vacuum. You get the picture, right? Clean, clean, clean!
Less is more…The less you have in the room, the better. Less makes a room look larger. If you have too much stuff in a room, it looks crowded and small and the buyer can not gauge the room at all if they are trying to avoid running into your stuff all over the place. That includes too many pictures on the wall, too many trinkets, too many throw rugs, etc.
Smell matters…When a buyer walks into a house that smells foul, almost regardless what the home looks like, the buyer will be turned off and may not even go through the entire home. I have had buyers just walk out of a home that smells without even viewing the home. You love your furry little friends, but the smell of a dog and/or cat can really turn off a buyer. Plus, their mind starts wandering about possible fleas, if the furry friend ever makes a “mess” so to speak in the home, etc. So, when you have a pet, it is crucial to ensure that there is not a strong “presence”. There are some spices and such that are very strong that people use to cook and some tend to cook a lot of greasy foods. If you are selling your home, not everyone likes the smell of certain spices or grease, so be careful. Try to cook with the fan on and windows open and air out the home as much as possible. Some homes smell like a football locker room. If you have a home of atheletes, at least throw their dirty clothes in a sink full of soap and water if you aren’t ready to do an actual wash. Or, put them in a plastic bag. If your home smells like mold or mildew, good luck to you, the red flags that causes is more than I care to review. You don’t need to necessarily make the home smell “good”, neutral is fine.
These are the tips I find to be the most important based on my 14 years of experience working with home buyers. Clean, clean, clean…and clean….and….clean!
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