7 home seller mistakes to avoid and how to fix them
Repurposing your garage may have seemed like a good pandemic project but if you are thinking of selling, realtor Marnie Bennett, says it’s not the best move.
“Changing a garage to a ‘man cave’, gym, home office, or playroom isn’t a good idea. You need to show it as a real garage.”
That’s just one of what Bennett calls “home seller mistakes” that can affect the sale of your home and decrease its value.
If you have a big personality and it’s all over your house, it may need to be toned down to attract a buyer.
Bennett reflects on a client who loved Mardi Gras.
”They had their exterior painted lavender purple and green. Wow! They agreed to repaint it neutral.”
Sometimes the colour isn’t the only aspect that needs to be toned down a little.
“We have had a couple of homeowners with personal boudoir photos in their bedroom. This was very awkward with our agents and we had to delicately say TMI or too much sharing,” says Bennett.
Even the family friendly aspects of showing a home sometimes need to be addressed.
“Don’t have too many family photos spread around. People don’t want to feel they are invading (your space). You have to have buyers’ eyes.”
While you are decluttering the family memories, Bennett suggests to pack away the personal collections too.
“If you have a collection of perfume bottles or bobble heads or sports memorabilia you should probably put that away until your next move.”
Before you call the realtor or stager, you may need hire a few other talented people as well, perhaps a painter and a handyperson.
Bennett says she once visited a home up for sale and her foot went through the front step.
“A first impression is a lasting impression.”
Fix the leaky faucets, tighten railings or loose door handles, says Bennett. These things are simple to fix but if they aren’t, it can decrease the value of your home.
Sometimes a first impression isn’t visual buy an affront to the olfactory “scents-ibilities.”
“Cigarettes, barbecue grill smoke, pet odours, the scented things you plug in, strong food smells, a musty smell. These odours must be addressed. People may be allergic, or may find the home dirty,” says Bennett.
Bennett says remediate the smell, especially that of cigarettes.
“Any smoke lowers value by 30 per cent,” emphasized Bennett.
MARNIE BENNETT’S 7 HOME SELLER MISTAKES TO AVOID & HOW TO FIX THEM!
#1. SMELLS THAT MAY DRIVE BUYERS AWAY & LOSE YOU A SALE:
- Cigarettes
- BBQ grill smoke
- Pet odours
- Musty smells
- Food odours
#2. DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ISSUES
- Loose hand railings, steps, or door handles
- Rusty mailboxes & numbers
- Dented garage doors, brass lights & doorknobs
#3. EXTERIOR PAINTING
- Peeling
- Fading
- Off-beat colours—don’t be Rainbow Bright! House buyers prefer neutrals, grey, beige, cream, black, white
#4 TOO MUCH PERSONALIZATION / TOO MUCH CLUTTER
- Quirky wallpaper
- Loud wall colors
- Extreme wall art
- Boudoir pictures
- Family photos
- Personal collections
#5 GARAGE CONVERSION
- Changing a garage to a ‘man cave’, gym, home office, or playroom—you need to show it as a real garage, a place to park your car. That adds value.
#6 CURB UNAPPEAL/MESSY YARDS—85 PER CENT OF BUYERS ARE TURNED OFF BY UNKEPT EXTERIORS
- Remove debris, toys, bikes, and sand
- Dress up the entry
#7 DIY JOBS GONE BAD
- Leaky taps
- Ripped carpets
- Holes in wall
- Broken tiles
Hire a ‘handyman’ to fix the obvious problems.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.