Before you sell your home, there are several mistakes homeowners make that can actually decrease their home value. However, sometimes sellers don’t know they are hurting the value of their home. That's because what a buyer sees as a mistake is not always the same as what a seller considers a mistake. When you're selling your home, you should do your best to put yourself in the position of the buyer and make your home more appealing to them.
Here are some of the mistakes that sellers can make that unintentionally decrease the value of their home or scare potential buyers away.
Following trends. This is a difficult one because we can get caught up in home decor that is trendy, but following a trend that may not be around for that long or doesn’t appeal to everyone can hurt your sale price. If the trend is difficult to change, it could decrease the value when you put your home on the market. Buyers will think about all the money they have to put into the home to get rid of the not so appealing trend. Give your home your style, but if you have plans to sell it in the future, think about how any specific renovations may impact the sale of your home.
Not updating appliances. You can sell a home "as is" meaning in the condition that the buyers initially see it but appliances that have a lot of issues and even potential repairs needed will decrease the home's value in a buyer’s eyes. Making sure your appliances are extremely clean is important too. If they're dirty in any way that can make the house feel “lived in” and ruin a potential buyers feeling for the house. It should go without saying that not maintaining the entire home is a huge way to decrease its value.
Not keeping it cool. A great way to get buyers out of your home in a hurry is to forget to put the a/c on when there’s a showing. Make sure on hot days that the home is aired out and the a/c is on so any stale air can escape. Stifling, hot or muggy homes are not fun to look at and could affect how much of the home a buyer looks at. Turn the a/c on to a comfortable temperature to ensure your potential buyers take their time to see every room of your home. If you don't have a/c and it's blazing hot, turn on ceiling fans and open windows. Also, having something cold for them to drink will likely encourage buyers to stay a little longer.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Okay, you don't have to "sweat it", but you should care enough to fix even the smallest of issues such as a broken light switch or replacing burned-out bulbs. Buyers go through homes and turn on lights, flick switches, open closets, cabinets, drawers, and even look in medicine cabinets. Keep small things like these in good working order. It's as easy as hiring a handy man (if you’re not the handy type) and it can help lead to an overall better opinion of your home.
Going crazy with color. You may love that bright pink wall but generally speaking, buyers like paint that is neutral. That's because it's like a blank slate that buyers can paint any way they like. Extra bright or non-traditional colors can turn off buyers that don’t realize a simple can of paint can change the entire feel and look of a room. So opt for something other than funky purple walls and shag green carpet.
Avoiding some of these simple mistakes can help prevent buyers from thinking your home should be worth less than you do. A home is worth as much as someone is willing to pay.
