Selling your home is a long process and it can be very frustrating if you keep showing people around but you aren’t getting any offers. In some cases, it may just be that the price isn’t right or there aren’t that many buyers out there right now. You may need to wait until the market changes or consider reducing the asking price if you want more offers. However, you may also be making some simple mistakes when you are showing the house.
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People are naturally very critical of a house when they view it and they are incredibly cautious. It’s a huge amount of money to spend, after all, so the smallest thing can put people off. A lot of sellers don’t realize that they are making simple mistakes that put buyers off and that is the reason that nobody is putting an offer in. These are some of the top things that put buyers off buying your home.
Textured Ceilings
Textured ceilings were incredibly popular about 30 years ago, but these days, not so much. You might like textured ceilings in your home and that’s fine, but if you are trying to sell, you should consider getting rid of them. A lot of people don’t like textured ceilings and when they see them in the home, they see it as another renovation job that they have to do. It’s not the most difficult job in the world but it can be quite time consuming, especially if you have textured ceilings throughout the house. If you want to increase your chances of selling, you should take the time to cover textured ceilings before you start showing people around.
Cracks In The Walls
Cracks in the walls are a problem for a number of reasons. First off, they don’t look great and it gives buyers the impression that you haven’t taken good care of the house. If the paint on the walls is cracking and you haven’t even bothered to repaint before showing people around, what other issues have you neglected? This apparent lack of care will really put people off, but where cracks in the walls are concerned, that is the least of your worries.
Sometimes, cracks in the walls are just caused by old paint and they are easily fixed. However, they can also be an indication of more serious issues, like foundation damage. Large cracks start to appear as the foundations of the building shift, and if you don’t repair it, the house will eventually become too dangerous to live in. If you notice cracks in the wall, it is vital that you get them checked out and call in a foundation repair company if necessary. Even if the cracks are not caused by foundation issues, buyers will not be willing to take their chances, so always deal with them before you show anybody around the house.
Damp Patches
Damp is one of the worst home maintenance issues there is because, once it sets in, it’s so tough to get rid of it. It will spread throughout the home and cause mold, which can be very harmful to your health. If you deal with damp when it first starts, you should be able to stay on top of it. However, if you leave it for too long, you will have to call in a professional company to help you dry out walls and protect from moisture in the future. Buyers are incredibly vigilant and they are always on the lookout for damp spots because nobody wants to buy a home with a serious damp problem.
That means that even a small bit of moisture on the wall will set the alarm bells ringing and they are unlikely to make an offer. It might be a bit of excess moisture or condensation from cooking or showering, but it doesn’t matter. Before you let anybody into the house, check the house, especially areas like the bathroom and kitchen, for any moisture and wipe it up. If you do find that you have a serious damp problem, get it dealt with before the house goes on the market.
Bad Smells
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When buyers view a house, they look for the size of the rooms and the features that the home has, and they also search for any signs of potential problems like damp or foundation issues. However, they are also trying to get a sense of how comfortable they feel in the home and whether they can see themselves living there or not. That is why it’s important that you make the place feel welcoming and homely, and that is a lot harder to do if there are bad smells in the home.
People don’t always realize that there is a bad smell because they get used to it when they live in the house all of the time, but outsiders will definitely notice. If you have pets, that is a common cause of bad smells, so you need to make sure that they are washed and the house is thoroughly cleaned before every showing. A clogged dishwasher or garbage disposal system are also common causes of a bad smell in the kitchen, so make sure that you clean out the filters regularly.
Try to avoid cooking any strong smelling foods, like fish, for at least a few days before a showing and keep the windows open to get some fresh air in. You should also get some scented candles or even bake some fresh bread to make the house smell nice and inviting when the potential buyers arrive.
A Messy Garden
A garden is a great selling point and if you have a large outdoor space, it should be a lot easier to find a buyer. However, the garden is only an asset if it is looked after properly. If a buyer turns up to the house and the first thing that they see is a messy garden, they already have a negative impression of your house before they have even been inside. No matter how great the inside of the house is, their viewing experience will be tainted and they will be less likely to make an offer.
A messy garden is also a lot of work to fix. Some buyers are happy to buy a home that needs some work and a messy garden won’t bother them too much. However, most buyers do not want to take on a big project, so when they see a messy garden, they are instantly put off. If you want to impress a buyer, you need to make sure that your garden is well kept and ready for the summer. That way, people will come to the house and imagine themselves relaxing in the nice outdoor space, instead of imagining themselves spending hours and hours cleaning up the messy garden.
Poor Lighting
The lighting in a space can make a huge difference. A dark room that doesn’t get much natural light will look tiny and cramped, whereas a room that is bright and airy will feel much more inviting. People often worry about small rooms in the house putting people off, but they shouldn’t do as long as you make sure that you get the lighting right.
The first thing that you need to do is remove any obstructions that block the natural light coming into the room, especially if the light is limited. If you have large bushes and trees in the back garden, they can be an obstruction and they may need to be cut back. The way that you arrange your furniture makes a big difference too but a lot of people don’t realize this. If you have bulky items, like a sofa, right in front of the window, you are losing a lot of the natural light. Try moving things around a bit and you will be surprised how much difference it can make. If you take all of the furniture out of a room and see where the light naturally falls, you can arrange furniture around it and avoid blocking it.
There are some great tricks to boost natural light in the home when you are showing it as well. People often advise placing lots of mirrors, but buyers will pick up on this and realize that you have a problem with natural light in the home. However, you can get a similar effect if you use furniture with reflective surfaces, like a glass coffee table, for example. Leaving all of the internal doors open is another great trick to improve the flow of natural light throughout the entire property.
Although natural light is important, you should also pay attention to the artificial lighting options that you have as well. If you add a few well placed lamps, for example, you can easily create a relaxed atmosphere in a room. By playing around with different lighting options, you can make every room feel welcoming and inviting, even if it does not get that much natural light.
When you are trying to sell your home, it is important that you avoid making these simple mistakes that put buyers off. Once you fix these problems, the offers will start flooding in.
Kori
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