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
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.