A landlord will always have a list of preferences separating the good, bad and absolutely unacceptable tenant. A property owner will have an ask price, a deadline to sell the property and perhaps have a certain plan to go about it. Likewise, a homebuyer will have a list of preferences. Based on that, homebuyers may be attracted to a property or be disinterested. Beyond the personal preferences, there are some elements that would turn off any homebuyer.
Here are a few things that turn buyers off. Take care of these if you are looking at selling your home.
- Let us begin with the absolute first interface that homebuyers will come across. It could be an online ad, a newspaper ad, a sign on the yard or an agent pitching a home to them. If there is no price mentioned in the ad, if the location is not detailed, if there is no photo or if there is an overall lack of information, then it would be an immediate turn off. No homebuyer wants to work with limited information.
- The behaviour of your agent will also determine whether or not the homebuyer feels excited. There are many pushy agents, some are rather unprofessional and some simply don’t have enough time for every buyer. Any attitude or attribute that is in a way unbecoming of a real estate agent will affect your potential buyer.
- As a seller, you too can turn off your buyer. Most people are fond of their property, some are too close. Those who have spent a long time or have many memories associated with the place tend to become clingy. As a seller you need to step aside. You must allow the homebuyers to inspect the home, the agent to do their job and everyone else to go about their tasks. You cannot keep intervening or playing spoilsport. Once you have decided to sell your home, start to disassociate yourself emotionally and physically.
- Dirty, smelly, cluttered and unpleasant settings would immediate turn off any buyer. Smell of cigarette or ash, pungent smoke of any kind, dampness, stains, visible dust and dirt, grime and mould, algae and any such unpleasant sight will be off-putting for most buyers. A cluttered home is also a major turn off. It not only makes the place look dirty and poorly kept but also smaller than it is.
- Lack of adequate light, stale air, greasy floors, cracks on the walls, damaged doors and windows, signs of significant damage and evidence of no maintenance would also turn off a buyer.
