Top Things Buyers and Realtors Hate to Tell You When You’re Selling Your Home

Selling your home can be a daunting task with a million details to consider. You want to sell your home for the biggest return on your investment. But, you may or may not have realized how much the tiny details will affect how much a buyer is willing to pay for your home. 

The little details that affect your home’s desirability are quite obvious to a buyer and your Realtor. But, they tend to be a little uncomfortable to talk about. 

Luckily you have this list to guide you on how to make your home the most enticing it can be to potential buyers. 

Smells (good or bad) can be a deal breaker

Probably the last conversation an acquaintance (like your Realtor) would want to have with you is about how your home smells. It’s unfortunate because it is a valuable thing to be aware of and it can really make or break your chances of selling your home at a great price.

Try your best to make your home smell neutral — like fresh air. You can do this by cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms thoroughly, steam cleaning carpets, and neutralizing any pet smells or smoke smells. 

It’s best not to try to cover up odors with candles and room sprays. You won’t want to mix too many fragrances together. Remember, just because a certain candle smells great to you, doesn’t mean the buyers will enjoy it.

Smells that you can try out when selling your house are lemon-scented cleaning products, cinnamon, or freshly-baked cookies.

Home buyers don’t want to see clutter

Cleaning and decluttering is your best strategy to sell your home fast and at the right price. Buyers are more likely to want to buy a home if it is tidy and appealing. It provides a more serene atmosphere versus the feeling of stress that is caused by seeing a lot of random personal items and clutter. 

Your Realtor won’t want to mention to you that you really should clean up your children’s toys. Even if the buyer also has children, it’s still not ideal for them to see the current family’s toys everywhere.

It’s also best practice to remove personal photos, most of your decor, and any excess furniture. Many home sellers find it easiest to rent a storage space. It’s a small investment to make in comparison to how much it could bring up the value of your home to buyers. 

For advice on staging your home to appeal to potential buyers for the highest price, see How to Stage Your Home to Sell for Top Dollar.

Curb appeal, curb appeal, curb appeal!

Potential buyers won’t even step out of their car to see the inside of the home if the home’s front yard is unappealing. If the yard is messy and needs to be cleaned up or raked, buyers can assume (often without consciously thinking about it) that your yard requires too much work to be worth the effort. 

Some Realtors might not want to advise you to clean up your yard, even if it’s something they really want you to do. To avoid an uncomfortable conversation about it as well as avoid missing out on a home sale, make sure you take an hour to tidy up the yard. That alone will do wonders for your odds of selling your home at your preferred price. 

For more tips on what’s worth investing in contractors and landscaping for home sellers (and what’s not worth it), see What to Renovate for the Best ROI.

Those little damages you don’t notice anymore? Buyers definitely will.

You might be used to the things about your home that are imperfect, if they’re not large and looming. Damages done by pets, children, or results of minor mishaps that your eyes drift over are definitely noticeable to others. 

Buyers will show up in the home ready to nitpick and weigh the pros and cons of buying your home. They’re carefully considering if your home is worth the money and time it will take to fix the home to their liking. If they see damages that look like easy fixes that aren’t fixed, they might assume you don’t care about the house (meaning, they might fear that there is also important structural damage they might not see now and will have to deal with later). 

This is a time when you should lean on your Realtor to be that extra pair of eyes for you because they are someone who doesn’t live in your home. 

For advice on what else can lower your home’s value when selling, see 6 Absolute Worst Mistakes When Selling Your Home.

Bathrooms should look brand new (and unused)

Bathrooms should look similar to display bathrooms in a home improvement store, or as close to that as possible. Seeing a stranger’s bathroom is uncomfortable. If there is an illusion of it being unused, it is easier for buyers to picture it as a clean slate for their own family. 

If your home is currently on the market and being shown to buyers, you might consider buying a shower caddy to store your shower essentials. Trash cans that are in use should also be hidden under the sink. If possible, you should also store your toothbrushes in a cabinet and out of sight.

Although it’s not required, you might want to consider making some small renovations on your bathroom before putting your home in the market. Here is a list of things for your bathroom worth renovating in What to Renovate for the Best ROI.

What’s the best way to get your home ready to sell (and avoid awkward conversations)? 

Try your best at cleaning, staging, and repairing wear and tear on your home. When in doubt about anything, be sure you have a good Realtor on your side to look over your home and offer any advice that could help your home sell at the highest price. 

If state safety guidelines are still required, check out the Coronavirus Real Estate Guide on how your Realtor and potential home buyers can view your property safely. After that, discuss how the process will work with your Realtor, as guidelines can always change.

Navigating the home selling process can be a daunting task. The idea of selling your home can feel intimidating and uncertain amidst a pandemic. But, you can still have a successful home selling experience when you have a good Realtor in your corner.

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in the Sacramento area, contact us at Quantum Real Estate to schedule a free consultation. We’ll help you through each step of the process.