Most of my clients listen to my advice when I tell them what they HAVE to do in order to sell their home. Just because you don’t like what I have to say doesn’t mean that it isn’t true.

So what are buyers biggest pet peeves when looking at homes?

1. Smells.  The number 1 thing buyers hated when house hunting was smelly houses.  Pet smell was the worst offender, but smoke and cooking smells were up there too.  There are some nice houses that smell like cat litter box, urine, sweaty teen boy, etc.  None of these are appealing and buyers worry about how much it costs to get rid of the smell.
2. The owners being home.  It just feels invasive to walk through someones home and open cabinets with the owner staring at the TV in the living room.  It feels creepy to most people.
3. Clutter.  Toys, books, collections, the family wall o’photos…nada.  They don’t want to see your stuff.  Way too distracting and they can’t see the house.
4. Dirty homes.  I’m guessing with some of the smelly homes they really didn’t stick around long enough to see the dirt, but dirty homes are a turnoff.  Not everyone has the same standard of clean, but there is a base level that we all agree is minimally adequate.
5. Wallpaper.  People cringe when they think about having to take down wallpaper.  The occasional border and maybe one wall doesn’t seem to bother buyers, but lots of wallpaper sends many buyers scurrying.
6. Bad DIY projects.  Know enough to know what you can and can’t do well.  I had seen so many of these that I just shake my head after a while. I know that you may think it is “updated” but when someone else has to rip it out because the tile cuts don’t line up, it isn’t really an update.
7. “Puffing” on listings.  Agents that state a home is “move in ready” only to get there and see falling off cabinets, pink carpet, and pet damage all over the house.  The photos and description need to match the reality of the home.  People will figure it out when they walk into the house so it doesn’t make sense to lie.