Avoid these major turn-offs when putting your home in the market. Follow these tips for selling your homewhen you work with real estate companies in Colorado.
Not neutralizing odors
It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when preparing your home for a sale but scent plays a huge role in open houses. But before you start buying scented candles and diffusers, you’ll need to deodorize your home first.
You can neutralize food and pet odors with baking soda or charcoal. Open the doors and windows to air out the rooms. Avoid smoking, burning wood, and cooking rich foods inside the house before a home viewing.
Wash your covers, curtains, and linens to get rid of any lingering smell. If you have dog pads or litter boxes lying around, give them a good wash and keep them out of sight.
It’s generally advisable to use just one scent for the entire home. Researchers from Washington State University have also found that simple scents work better to motivate spending compared to blended scents.
The researchers observed over 400 customers in a home decoration store scented with orange and an orange-basil-green tea blend for 18 days. The ones who shopped with the simple orange scent spent 20% more money on average.
Home Warranty also states that the following scents trigger positive reactions from buyers:
- Citrus
- Lemon
- Green tea
- Vanilla
- Cedar
- Basil
- Pine
Keeping the interiors dim
According to Viridian Glass, a 2014 survey with second and third home buyers as participants found that natural light was a top priority among seasoned property investors.
The survey also established a link between natural light and a home’s resale value – roughly 80% of respondents were willing to fork over $5,000 to make sure that their new acquisition would have plenty of natural light.
That’s why it’s imperative that your home is well-lit. The amount of natural light a home receives largely depends on its orientation, but there are a few changes you can make to light up the space.
Consider having skylights installed. If this isn’t possible, simply draw the curtains and keep the lights on during the open house.
Not water-proofing a damp basement
Even if you don’t get flooding in your basement, moisture can still make its way down through the stack effect. The stack effect is a natural phenomenon where hot air escapes from the attic and upper levels of the home, creating a vacuum below. When this happens, air goes upward through the basement and crawl space.
When humidity levels in the basement or crawl space rise to 60%, mold will thrive and reproduce, releasing allergenic mold spores into the environment.
As air from these parts of the home move upwards as a result of the stack effect, these mold spores will be released into your living space.
Though the walls and floors of the basement appear dry, moisture may enter through the concrete as water vapor.
A sheet of white powder that forms on the walls is a tell-tale sign of damp and moisture, rust in pipes and hardware, and strong musty smell.
You can waterproof the basement by having a company install a vapor barrier, perimeter drainage system, sump pump, or weeping holes, depending on which is most appropriate.
You can also take measures by sealing vents, installing airtight doors, and covering exposed dirt or concrete.
Bringing in a crawl space dehumidifier can also help control humidity and keep the space dry.
Letting bugs and rodents run free
Nothing will send a buyer running faster than a pest infestation. No one wants to shoulder the costs of pest management, no matter how beautiful the home.
Even if you don’t have a full-blown infestation, a single bug sighting can still put buyers off, particularly those who have phobias. Moreover, the presence of bugs can cause them to think that the house is not all that clean and well-kept, and therefore not worth the offer.
That’s why it’s worth calling pest management before listing your home. Keep the property clear of bugs by taking out the trash regularly, sterilizing various parts of the home, and storing food in proper containers.
Not maintaining the yard and home exterior
Curb appeal, or lack thereof, can make or break a sale. You only have a few seconds to make a positive first impression on buyers as soon as they step on your lawn, so make sure that the grass is trimmed and that there aren’t any brown patches. Clean your gutters, fix or replace cracked stepping stones, and make sure that the main gate is functioning properly.
Likewise, make sure that the exterior walls, exterior doors, and windows are in great shape. Fix those doors, make sure that the hardware is working, and remove cracked or peeling paint.
Attending the open house
Some sellers want to stick around for the open house in order to welcome guests personally and answer any questions they might have about the property. But it’s better to leave that to your Realtor.
Buyers feel uncomfortable opening wardrobes and inspecting cupboards with the owner of the home present. They may also be hesitant to discuss any outstanding issues with the home and voice their thoughts on the property. As a result, buyers might leave the open house earlier than intended.
If you’re selling your home, it’s generally advisable to move out of the home and find temporary board elsewhere, or at the very least, make yourself unavailable. Trust your Realtor to answer buyers’ questions and talk up the property in your stead.
King Homes and Land Realty can help sell your home for top dollar. List your home with us today.