10 Ways to Make Home Buyers Hate Your House 

Selling a Home? Avoid these Home Buyer Turnoffs

Are you selling a home? Did you know that even though home buyers are all looking for something different, the majority of them will turn around and walk back out of your door if they notice one or more of these Top 10 problems.

1. Poor Curb Appeal

You must grab a buyer's interest from the curb if you want to sell the home for top dollar. Home buyers often refuse to go into a house with an unkempt yard, sagging doors or peeling paint. You say you can't afford to paint? Okay, but get that yard in tip-top shape and grab a screwdriver to fix those doors.  You want buyers to have a positive feeling when they walk through the front door.  Don’t turn them off before they get there. 

2. Odors

House odors are number one on the home selling uh-oh list. And narrowing it down, odors from cigarette smoke and pets take top billing, with mildew not far behind.

If you smoke indoors--the house smells like cigarettes. If you have pets, the house might smell bad--even if you don't notice it. Ask someone who doesn't live there to take a sniff, and don't get angry when they tell you the truth.

Eradicate the odors so that you can present potential buyers with a clean, fresh atmosphere--not a house that's full of perfumes to cover up the odors.  

3. Dogs that Meet You at the Door or in the Driveway

You may love dogs, but they frighten some people and irritate others. You'll have a much better response from showings if you control your pets--dogs, cats, whatever.

You say you plan to put them in a bedroom or garage and then ask people not to open the door to that area? Bad idea. Would you buy a house you can't inspect? Of course not.

Remove pets during showings if possible. If you can't, contain them in crates for their own safety and to show respect for the feelings of potential buyers.  And, if your dog smells, get them out of the house.  Cages and crates will not help.

4. Dirty Bathrooms, Kitchens and Dirty Carpet.

Grimy bathrooms and kitchens are an instant turnoff. Scrub them, paint them.  Buy a new shower curtain, rugs and towels--do what it takes to make them shine. Get rid of the dirty dishes and clean the oven, microwave and cook top.

Carpets are another overlooked area that turns buyers off.  If it is dirty and/or worn out or has spots that will not come out you may be better off replacing.  Clean carpets with spots or worn areas don’t help much.     

5. Dimly Lit Rooms

Dark homes are a turnoff to most home buyers, so try to brighten them up:

Dirty and fogged windows are another buyer turnoff. Clean them inside and out to bring in more light. If possible, replace any double-pane windows with broken seals. You can find them by looking for a foggy residue that cannot be removed.

And remember to turn on the lights before each showing. 

6. A House Full of Busy Wallpaper

Busy wallpaper in every room turns off most buyers, and even people who love wallpaper rarely like what you've chosen. It's a personal decorative touch that they want to select themselves.  

It's the masses you must appeal to when you're selling a home, so take a hard look at your wallpaper and decide if it should be removed and replaced with paint. Don't paint over it, because it will be obvious that you did--and buyers know that makes removing it even more difficult.

7.  Wild Paint

Buyers need to visualize themselves in your home.  Sure, there are some buyers that like purple walls or ceilings painted to look like the sky, clouds and all.  And some like shag carpet but most do not.  Ever wonder why a new home builder almost always paints spec homes in beige?  Beige carpet too. Beige is a neutral color.  Most anything will go with beige and it doesn’t turn anyone off.  So, if you have worn paint and/or wild colors, get out the paint brush and go to work.

8. Bugs and varmint

Roaches, spiders, any insect that shouldn't be in the house.  And don’t forget the mice.  Get rid of them.

9. Gutters with Plants Growing in Them and Other Maintenance Issues.

I'm serious. Some people never clean their gutters, and it always makes buyers wonder what else hasn't been maintained.  Fix anything that you know about. A dripping faucet or a door that sticks are red flags that the house has not been taken care of.  If you do get an offer, it may be low because the buyer thinks that they will need to do a lot of repairs.  Change the A/C filters too.

10. Sellers Who Hang Around for Showings

Yes, you... leave the house during showings. Home buyers feel awkward about opening closet doors and lingering for a really good look at the house if the seller is home. Give them some space, don't hover.  Leave. 

Another reason is you may say something that gives a buyer a feeling that there is something wrong with your house when nothing is.  You also may say something that gives the buyers a negotiating edge.  Let your agent do the talking. 

Parting Words

Most of the Top 10 problems are home selling issues you can correct without spending a lot of money.  Do it now, before you put the house on the market.  Remember, all it takes is one buyer.  If the buyer rejects your home then make the reason be something you cannot control. Like the floor plan or the location in your neighborhood, not because of dirty carpet or wild paint colors or a filthy house.   

It is also not a good idea for your house to develop a reputation among agents as the house that smells, the house with the huge barking dog or the house where the owner won't leave people alone, it will be too late. Your house will be last on their list to show potential buyers.

Remember.  Once you list your home, it is on stage.  Keep the dirty clothes picked up and the dishes out of the sink.  The buyer are not grading you on how you live, they want to see a house they would like to buy. 

Give them a helping hand.