Last weekend I spent showing properties to a lovely family from New York. They are relocating here for a job and our days were spent in several different communities around the Nashville area. Most of the homes were lovely and in great condition. However, there were a few that I don't think were really ready to be shown to potential buyers. So here are my tips to sellers to make your home more appealing to buyers.
TOO MUCH STUFF - Ok, so I understand if you are an avid cook and love kitchen gadgets. But three free standing racks full of cookware is too much. It says to the buyer that you don't have enough storage in your kitchen. The same goes for dolls, hockey pucks, whatever it is you are into. Box it up and put it in storage. You're moving anyway.
SMELLY DIRTY HOMES - I haven't yet had a buyer walk into one of these and say "Gee this is fantastic! When can I write an offer." Ok so maybe you aren't a great house keeper and you have a busy life. That's okay. We can't all be good at everything. Hire someone to help you out. It will be a lot less costly than sitting on the market day after day with no offers.
TOO MANY RULES - One seller in particular had lots of instructions for me, the buyers agent. Take off your shoes but don't go barefoot; don't turn on the lights, if you do turn on the lights, turn them off; stay with all your clients all the time; don't touch anything; etc. By the time we got there, the buyer already knew they weren't welcome. There was no way they were going to buy that home.
DISREPAIR - If you are selling your home and you know there are things that need to be fixed, fix them. Don't expect the buyer to overlook rotten wood, damaged flooring, broken windows or a house that is too hot or too cold because the HVAC system isn't working properly. That says to the buyer that you don't care about this home so why should they.
