Deferred Maintenance
Sometimes it’s about the the things you’re NOT doing that make a difference. Maybe it has been a while since you painted the trim, cleaned the pool, or serviced your furnace? It’s sometimes hard to keep up with home repairs and maintenance, but it’s important to not let items get worse or neglected altogether. Things that seem like a normal irritation to you may be a deterrent to a homebuyer. In fact, it may even affect the buyer’s loan qualification for things like cracked windows, chipped and peeling paint, or other health and safety items that you’ve written off as “honey do’s” over the years.
Smoking Inside Your Home
Whether you smoke cigarettes or perhaps your taking advantage of the recent Colorado rights to smoke pot, these and illegal drugs may turn off potential buyers. Cigarette smoke can stain and seep into surfaces creating an odor that’s tough to remove. Even smoking pot can cause some buyer’s heartburn if they smell or get an official test through an industrial hygienist.
Pet Smells and Damage
We all love our furry friends – they’re part of the family! But could you pets be jeopardizing the sale of your home? Cat urine in particular is very noticeable to buyers, as well as dog odors and visible stains. Even if they are potty trained, the damage caused by pets on both the inside and outside of your home might detract potential buyers.
Over-The-Top Decor and Colors
Did you paint your kitchen cabinets bright orange? Great! You loved it while you lived there, but chances are it’s not what your future buyer is looking for in a kitchen remodel. It’s important to make your home your own and pick the colors, designs, and amenities that you want. However, once it’s time to sell, consider painting or changing some of these very unique features. Both inside and out, have your experienced real estate agent suggest potential updates that could save your home from being eliminated from a buyers search.
DIY Homeowner Repairs and Finishes
The good news is upgrading electrical, adding a room, and finishing off a basement actually add value! However, if you are mister “I’ll Take Care of It Myself To Save Money” and you’re not pulling permits through regional building department, this upgrade might backfire when the buyer’s inspector pulls permit records. Also, these visible self-repairs can make buyers question how many other things you’ve “fixed” that they can’t see or don’t yet know about.
It Didn’t Bother Me…..
Burnt out light bulbs, dust on fan blades, missing light switch plates, dirty windows, noticeable odors, and simple repairs can make a major difference when buyers are seeing your home for the first time. Don’t neglect the easy final steps in putting your home on the market. Have your real estate agent walk through with you and direct you of important items. Sometimes, you just need a second set of eyes to notice things you’ve overlooked.
Unfinished Projects
We’ve all done it: you start a project that takes more time or money than expected and it gets put on the back burner for a while. Partially-laid flooring or baseboards that never got reattached, unfinished landscaped features, or maybe something more major like an unfinished bedroom addition. Ignoring these issues might be easy for you, but they are some of the first things buyers notice when your home is showing.
