8 Hidden Reasons Why Buyers Don’t Choose Your Home

Sellers will often get frustrated when their home has not sold.  They will usually blame the real estate agent.  While, admittedly, not all agents bring the same level of professional marketing, often it is one of these seemingly small things tripping the seller up.

In some cases, the buyer can’t even tell you why the home was not desirable to them.  After all, if they could pinpoint exactly what was “not quite right”, an adjustment to the offer could be made and the home could sell.  If you are considering a move, make sure you get these things right.

1. Fragrance:  Some homes smell like the local candle shop with overwhelming “pleasant” smells.  Two things happen when a buyer enters the home.  First, they either love or hate the seller’s choice.  Fragrance is a personal thing.  Even when they like the choice, you don’t want the smell of your home to be the thing they remember about your home.  You know what happens when they don’t like the smell.  All fragrance needs to be subtle and pleasant to most anyone.

2. Odors:  We are still talking about smell here.  But the smell of the kitchen trash or a litter box is an immediate turn off to all visitors.

3. Pets:  Cats and dogs can be a source of unpleasant odors, but they can be even more problematic.  In this brisk market, it is feasible to find alternative places for your animals.  Doggie daycare or help from friends/family can be the best solution.  When those solutions won’t work, at least confine the animal to a small portion of the house when you are gone.  While a barking dog confined to a kennel does not help your home look best, it is much better than one who is jumping on the buyers in a friendly way.

4. Lived-in Look:  When you place your home on the market, it becomes more than a place for you to relax at the end of the day.  Tidiness counts.

5. Lighting:  No one likes a dark house.  An open view to the back yard has sold many homes.  When you have lots of brightness, the home looks more inviting, larger and can make potential buyers swoon.

6. Too much “YOU”:  This is one of the hardest things for an agent to discuss with sellers.  A highly personalized, beautifully decorated home or cases filled with precious collectibles or galleries of family photos – they all can be a detriment to the buyer imagining their life in the home.

7. Hints of bad maintenance:  You may have replaced the roof or repaired the plumbing long ago.  But if the buyer sees a water stain, they will worry about whether the home has been well maintained.  Ask a friend (or your real estate agent) to walk around the house looking for tell-tale signs of bad maintenance.  Find all signs of water intrusion, cracked caulking, hairline settlement cracks and get them repaired.  (Of course, don’t try to cover up a real defect.)

8. Inflexible showing availability:  Life sometimes gets in the way of having the house perfectly ready for showings.  It’s perfectly understandable when you have reasons to deny showings.  Just remember, the buyer will probably NOT come back to look at the house later.  So inflexibility can very well drive your best buyer away.  It’s better to take your chances with less-than-ideal showing conditions.