Your house tour is probably one of the decisive factors influencing a buyer to choose. In other words, if you or your agent fail to have an outstanding home presentation, then your chances will diminish drastically. This is the stage where your client will say ‘Yes, I love it, I imagine myself living here!’ or ‘No! It wasn’t terrific! Nothing impressed me!’
Learning how to avoid the most common blunders is the starting point of selling your home, and it is easy to see why. But do you know them all? If not, here is what you need to know! Put your home in the best possible light and catch your visitor’s attention! Learn what you can do to increase your chances and fix your mistakes! There are minor changes that make a huge difference! Try not to fall into the following traps, and you’ll receive an offer in no time!
How to avoid turning off your clients!
It’s all about how you manage to present things. Even though your property may look spectacular, in your opinion, prospecting visitors may not believe the same thing. What you like doesn’t necessarily appeal to others, too. Remember: the house tour should invite a bigger audience, so no extravagances here, please! Let’s take a look at some mistakes you must avoid when having a house tour!
Exterior: not impressing at all!
The house’s exterior is the first thing visitors see, so it is needless to say how important it is. It would be best if you started with a good-quality paint job. Make it look fresh and appealing. Moreover, you can also cut the bushes and tidy up your lawn! First impressions always count, and you need to show a well-maintained property! On top of that, try to go for complementary colors. Otherwise said, you don’t want people to recall your home as in ‘The property in blue and green stripes!’
No house number
Well, this may be an awful start – imagine your visitors searching the neighborhood for your house and not finding it because you don’t have a house number. Not only will they lose their time, but they will surely get a terrible first impression. If you don’t want this to happen, you should buy some home numbers before the listing.
Take all necessary precautions to give your visitors what they are looking for – a great start, a perfect house tour. Don’t be stingy on these basic things, and you’ll find a buyer in no time. Small details do the trick!
Messy interior
Your house tour must impress at all costs and sparkle in every corner to convince your potential buyers. Therefore, among the first things you should do when preparing it for customers is to clean everything up. Check for dust and smell! The last thing you want is visitors walking away disappointed!
Too many personal items
This blunder is one of the most obvious ones. On the one hand, you don’t want strangers to discover personal information about yourself. On the other hand, it will also be challenging to see themselves in a house where your objects are scattered everywhere: photos, diplomas or collections.
The first thought they’ll have is – ‘I don’t belong here!’ Hint: Less is more when selling! Get your memories and personal belongings out of the scene; it will help you more than you can imagine!
Striking colors
Bold colors are not for everyone, so it would be a lot better to avoid painting your house red or your room pink, for instance. Try to adopt neutral colors so that you increase your chances. Don’t let minor details let your visitors down and get a false impression of the house.
Poorly equipped bathrooms and kitchens
People love everything that is brand new and can ease up their lives. As a result, they want functional appliances, that’s for sure. Thus, it is utterly understandable why real estate specialists state – ‘To earn more money, you first have to invest in your property!’ Your goal? Make low-cost upgrades that deliver a massive return on your initial investment! Get every chamber up to date as much as you can afford; it may turn out to be the best decision you have ever made!
Of course, many sellers may think – ‘I just want to sell it, not to put more money into it!’, but this way, you’ll get to sell it a lot faster!
Smelly places
No one wants to live in a place ranking of pet odors or mold. This is why it would be better to get some professional help to take care of these small but essential details. Not everyone can tolerate an awkward smell!
No storage space
When attending a house tour, people try to imagine living there, and you should make it look homely and cozy. Storage spaces are, without a doubt, one of the first things buyers look for and, as a result, you should avoid putting your stuff in plain view. The property should be well equipped and ready to welcome guests at any moment. No one wants to see tons of objects thrown in some corner!
Too crowded
Too much furniture can make a house look smaller. It would be good to take your time and study all rooms from an objective point of view. What do you see? The idea of open space and well-balanced arrangements may save the day!
No furniture at all
The opposite situation is to have no furniture at all, in other words, present an empty house. This may be both an advantage and a disadvantage; it depends significantly on your visitor’s needs and how they perceive the property. For some, it may give the impression of a larger space, while others may be concerned about how the furniture will fit in. However, the general opinion is that a staged house has more chances to sell faster!
Too dark
Take a look at your window treatments. You don’t want to give the false impression of a dark room! The place needs to feel airy, so get natural light inside.
Debatable art
Another issue that might affect your sale is having objects such as guns, nudes, religious or even sports items in plain sight. Remove these personal objects; you don’t want controversies to be born inside your property!
The bottom line
Selling your home should be a pleasant experience, so it depends mainly on you and your agent to deliver the perfect image to your target audience. Take a big breath and be careful with these small details. They can get to cost you the deal. What is more, you need to pay close attention to details and make your property appeal to a broader audience. Don’t rush and take your time to prepare your house for visitors before they arrive.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on March 4, January 27, 2015, and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.