There is endless advice for things that you should do when putting your home on the market. But there are also some crucial things you should NEVER do when trying to sell your house.
What can be a potential turn-off to most buyers?
- Don’t turn off lights. Dark homes are a turnoff to most buyers. Brighten up your home by replacing dim light fixtures, installing additional lights, removing heavy draperies, repainting rooms in lighter, neutral colors, and trimming any tree limbs that may shade the house too much.
- Don’t use heavy scented candles or plug-in air freshners. Many people have allergies to scents and a lot of folks simply don’t like them. Plus they usually emit very strong and overwhelming scents and buyers might wonder what odors you are trying to cover up.
- Be careful what you cook when your home is on the market. Anything with strong, pungent odors such as fish, garlic, onions or curry could potentially turn off buyers if you cook these foods before a showing and the odor is lingering.
- Don’t share too much on social media. For instance, don’t announce you’re putting your house on the market if it’s not ready to be shown and don’t talk negatively about your home, such as complaining about your small closets or outdated cabinets. With the immediate power of social media, any off-hand comment you make could be passed on to a potential buyer and cost you a sale.
- Don’t let your pets meet potential buyers. Not everyone is an animal lover, many people are allergic, and some people may be afraid or annoyed by pets. Your dog or cat or other critter should not be seen, heard or smelled in your home.
- Don’t ever leave a bathroom or kitchen dirty. You’ll have to do some extra cleaning daily while your house is on the market.
- Don’t keep up busy wallpaper. Remove it and replace with neutral paint. Wallpaper is the No. 1 turn-off to potential buyers!
- And above all, don’t hang around during showings. As inconvenient as it might be to leave on short notice, be prepared to do so as most buyers will feel very awkward looking at your house with you hovering over them.
