Tough Love: 5 Real Estate Truths No One Wants To Tell Sellers
The listing appointment is a delicate meeting for real estate agents. They must balance offering advice to sell the house with sellers’ emotions. Since some of the best advice is often not easy to share, I’m here to deliver the tough love that will help you sell your house quickly and for top dollar.
1. Smell
The most powerful impression buyers have is the smell that greets them when they step inside. Here’s the thing; every house has a smell. Every house except your own, it seems. This phenomenon is called Olfactory Adaptation and it explains how we grow accustomed to our own scent. So, while you may be a very clean person, your house will likely still smell unfamiliar to a potential buyer and that is enough to put them on edge. Subconsciously, they feel they are intruding. The problem is, you want them to feel comfortable and imagine the space as theirs. The fix? Make it a priority to air things out and freshen up before showing your house. Wash bedding and blankets. Open windows. This is even more important if you smoke or have pets. Those circumstances require extra attention and elbow grease. Warning: beware of air fresheners or incense. Masking the scent isn’t fooling anyone and for some buyers, artificial fragrance may cause irritation.
2. Kids and pets
It’s important to minimize the evidence of either kids or pets in your home, both in photos and during showings. I know this sounds crazy but even buyers with kids or pets prefer to buy homes that have not been previously occupied by the like. This explains the appeal of new construction. It hurts to think that others may not find your babies as adorable as you do, but the end game is to sell your house, so make every effort to down-play their presence.
As mentioned earlier, odor control is paramount in this effort. Additionally, make sure that kennels, litter boxes, food bowls, and for heaven’s sake the actual pets, don’t show up in any of your photos. The same holds true for showings although it may not be practical to achieve the same level of discretion. If, however, you have a dog that barks when strangers enter, make arrangements to have them out for a walk or stay with a friend while your house is being shown.
As for kids, keep toys and play areas limited to just their rooms. You are advertising the spaces in your house and most buyers are attracted to adult spaces. Remember, we’re creating a dream here. In the children’s rooms, pare down their toys; even if this means putting some in storage. Also consider toning down bright walls and curtains to something light and neutral. Take down any wall décor with their name and remove all baby photos. It won’t feel like their room anymore, but ideally, it really won’t be theirs for much longer anyway.
3. Small repairs and cleaning
Many sellers eagerly share with me plans to renovate a room before putting their house on the market. I love the enthusiasm but more often than not, the best bang for your buck is simply a deep clean, and to do many, small repairs throughout. Buyers often have different plans for your house than you imagine, so while laying down new flooring is a nice improvement it may not return your investment as the buyers plan to replace it before the ink dries on the deed. (A classic exception to this rule is badly damaged carpet in which case I’d advise going with an economic replacement.) Fresh, neutral paint is always a win as well as taking a trip around your house with a tool box. Tighten up and oil hinges, replace old bulbs, tack down any surface that is coming up, and replace your air filter. Failure to address these simple fixes gives the impression that the home isn’t well cared for and that is a big turn-off for buyers.
4. Depersonalize
Less is more so don’t be shy about taking down family photos and any memorabilia that hints to you, your hobbies or your affiliations. The benefits are two-fold: first, your buyers are able to more clearly see the house (and them in it!), and second, they stay focused. You would not believe how easily side-tracked buyers can be by playing detective. They can’t help but piece together where you work, the size of your family and what type of person you are. I’m not sure if they feel this gives them an advantage at the negotiating table, but the point is, they are not focused on the house. They are there to buy your house, not get to know you so keep the focus on the house.
5. Photos must have a point
Lastly, make sure each for your listing photos includes at least one feature of the house. Confession: I LOVE pursuing listing photos even when I’m not in the market to buy. (It’s probably a good thing I’m in real estate.) Not a day goes by that I don’t come across photos of nothing but the seller’s furniture. What on earth is a buyer supposed to get out of such a photo? Paint color? If you hire a good agent this should be less of a problem but always ask yourself of every photo, “What can the buyer learn about my house from this?” There should always be an architectural feature like a window, flooring, a closet, a fireplace or even a ceiling light in each shot. Detail photos that show off particular features like a high-end faucet or an antique door knob are fabulous, but if all the buyer can see is your entertainment center, delete it. On that note, make sure your furniture isn’t covering up a key feature. If your massive television is covering a window or if your sofa hides the fire place, rearrange or (gasp!) put the television in storage for a few weeks. These features are important to buyers even if they have not been important to you.
These tips can be emotionally difficult to process but they will put you ahead in the market and on the bright side, none of them are expensive so buckle down, get to work and happy selling!