What things put you off when you're viewing a house that's for sale?

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   sarahsherlockposted 13 years ago

   I am sitting here trying to avoid tidying my house! I have a viewing this evening and have had a myriad of advice about the dos and don'ts of making the house look attractive.
   
   What things do you notice when viewing a house?

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      dutchman1951posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      bad repairs, things cosmeticaly smoothed over, like there hidden, and a Realtor who just acts like an air-head when you point it out
      says stuff like well thats a minor thing that can be fixed. Makes me feel like they are pulling a con.

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   Rose Mariposted 13 years ago

   How did your showing go?
   
   Beyond the obvious - the size of rooms, etc... I look for the little cleaning details that tell me if the owners took care of the obvious things. If they did, then chances are they also took care of the things I can't see either. Regular maintenace type stuff.

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      sarahsherlockposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well they put in an offer and then withdrew it a week later (heard today). Back to square one for us!

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   GoldiStringposted 13 years ago

   The structure of the house. The body and bones. It has to have a good foundation. What good will it do if it's newly painted but  what is underneath is crumbling down. The rest, are minor details that can easily be replaced.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   When showing a house it's always a smart idea to declutter and depersonalize your rooms as much as possible. Strip down to the minimum. No one wants to see your wall full of family photos or kitchsy nickknacks....
   They want to visualize the space as it would/will be when they live there.

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      This is a good tip, and very true.

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   ryankettposted 13 years ago

   A couple of pointers:
   
   - Dont stand in front of ANY windows, and draw the curtains or blinds as far as possible. If you have nets take them down. As much light as possible entering every room is imperative.
   - If you struggle to sell then consider the colors of the walls. Yep, believe it or not it makes a huge difference. The cost of repainting is minimal, anybody can do it themselves, but anything over than nuetral colours (whites, creams, etc) is a huge turn off.
   - Point out only positives. Discuss negatives only if the prospective buyer points them out or asks you about them directly. Don't deny a negative, acknowledge it and then proceed to point out another positive. Denying a negative comes across as hard sell. They dont want to know if it is your perfect home, they will know if it is theirs. Leave them plenty of positives to stew over on their journey home though.
   -If you have nice neighbours then make a point of telling them so, maybe even go as far as introducing them. If you have bad neighbours then don't mention them. If they ask about them, say something like "we haven't had any problems with them."
   
   I actually used to know 9 of these off of the top of my head, thanks to a work experience placement in an estate agent (a real estate vendor in the US). Those are the only 4 that I can remember There were 15 that we had to learn.

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      Ultimate Hubberposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't know that it was a pointer and used to think that its just me who likes it this way. I have already sold a house and bought one and considered this element in both.

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   ryankettposted 13 years ago

   Another thing. If it is a couple visiting then the chances are that one will be enthusiastic about the property and the other will not.
   
   Many people will turn towards the positive one and begin to ignore the negative one. This will kill all chances of a sale, continue to address them both like you haven't noticed. Don't let it put you off either.
   
   It is almost always the man who is not enthusiastic, as it feels just like shoe shopping for many of them... after the 10th house... Sometimes an unimpressed viewer just wants to get home to watch a game or see their kids, it doesn't always mean that they are not taking it in. Most offers are made in reflection, not on instinct.

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   triosolposted 13 years ago

   The structure of the house
   Price of the House
   Mortage

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   waynetposted 13 years ago

   Clutter....I hate that! i there's clutter then I'll walk in and walk straight back out and run for the hills lol!

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   Joe Badtoeposted 13 years ago

   When you see broken windows and you realise it was from an object that came out of the house not something thrown in.
   
   Blood on the walls
   
   Makeshift crosses stuck in the ground in the back garden
   
   The present owners answering the door buck naked
   
   The burnt out basement still smoking.
   
   
   I'm determined to sell the house though!

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      Amanda Severnposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      Good luck with that, Joe!

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         Joe Badtoeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Why thank you Amanda
         
         I wonder if the half starved rottweilers chained to my front gate are contributng to the lack of interest!

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