REALTORS tour homes every day. After many years, we’ve seen almost everything! We are not licensed inspectors, but having been present for hundreds of home inspections, we can see potential issues pretty quickly.
From the minute a REALTOR® arrives on the first day of the interview with a Seller, we are ‘ON’. We drive up the driveway and immediately take in the overall condition of the property and its curb appeal. We already have mental notes started. We’ll tour your home and will be able to tell what needs to be organized, cleaned, painted, moved, and upgraded before we go back to the table and finish our presentation. I always have pages of notes that I’ve taken at every meeting. It’s very important to take our feedback to heart to get the most money for your property. Some take that advice, some don’t.
Here are 7 ways a homeowner destroys the value of their home:
Neglecting maintenance
Maintaining your home is essential. If you let things go, it will be apparent that there was neglect. Cleaning and organizing is important. Get rid of any clutter. Make sure the kitchen and bathrooms are sparkling clean. Dust. Mop. Vacuum. Wash windows and shampoo carpeting. Have your furnace and AC serviced. If these things aren’t maintained, it shows you did not value the home.
Over personalization
Over personalization refers to the excessive use of personal touches that can deter potential buyers. Although personalization can add character to a home, it can also make the home feel too specific and turn off potential buyers. Examples are unusual color schemes, themed rooms, or unconventional floorplans. Removing personal photographs throughout your home is also a good idea. A buyer wants to picture themselves living there and that can be difficult with too many family photos displayed.
Ignoring curb appeal
A home that has overgrown shrubs and grass is a sign of a home in distress. If the outside is in chaos, then the inside will most likely be the same. Always have the exterior of your home in good shape. Trim the shrubs, mow the grass, edge the walkways/driveway, paint or touch up areas that need attention, and put away items like toys and tools into a shed or garage. Curb appeal is the first impression of your property – make it the best it can be!
Not making energy efficient upgrades
Appliances within your home that are energy efficient are important. Upgraded appliances like the furnace/boiler, hot water heater, AC unit, refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer, and dishwasher all contributes to the energy costs or your home. The lower the energy cost the better!
DIY’ing beyond their abilities
Did you have an unlicensed friend or family member add to the electrical panel, and the panel is a mess and now overloaded? Did you paint the living room, but you didn’t properly sand any imperfections or have clean cuts? Did you replace a door, and now it doesn’t close correctly? The best of intentions can be a mistake. Bad or shoddy work needs to be repaired.
Overimproved property for the neighborhood
An overimproved house is one that has been significantly enhanced or upgraded beyond what is typical for the neighborhood. Having a home that is superior to the neighborhood will not see a return on investment proportional to the money spent since they often appeal to a niche market and may not attract to the anticipated interested buyer. This will result in a longer time on the market.
Setting an unrealistic asking price
Price your home within market value. Listen to your REALTOR®. Usually, the market speaks for itself within the first few days of your listing going live. If no showing requests, calls or offers are received within the first 5-7 days, then you are most likely priced too high. Setting an unrealistic price can cost you thousands of dollars both in time and in reduced final sales price. New listings get the most showings within the first 30 days. Don’t waste them!