9 Things Buyers Should Ignore While House Hunting Written by Trulia Staff For many buyers, looking for a new home can be a challenge. As agents, we see homes daily and are well-trained on how to see past the superficial problems and see a home for its potential. But when clients are looking for the home in which they plan on building their lives, it can be hard to envision how a home could truly be ‘mine.’ Many people choose to remodel and stage their homes prior to putting it on the market, but then there are the vast majority of people who choose to sell their beloved home “as-is.” While a turn-key home is ideal for people who want to move right in and make no changes, there are those “time warp” homes that are actually incredible gems that just need a little polishing. As you walk your clients through their house hunt, here are 9 things about a for-sale home that you should remind clients to ignore in order to keep them from passing on a what could be the perfect home for them. 1. An “Older” Home Old isn’t always synonymous with bad. Some homes built decades ago have stood the test of time because they were built with solid, quality materials and have a classic style. Don’t let your buyers always assume that new = nicer, either. Some newer homes are “affordable” because they were built cheaply. Buyers should remember that there are many simple fixes for dated homes, and the plus side of an older home is charm and character you can’t find in a brand new build. 2. Paint Colors Things that may not be a huge deterrent in the long run can distract buyers. Remind clients to ignore the existing paint choices and focus on the structure of the room, the placement of the windows, and other more permanent features. Paint is an incredibly easy and a cheap fix in a home and something that can be changed in just a couple hours. 3. Wacky Wallpaper Like paint, wallpaper is easily replaced or covered over. So no matter how designed challenged the walls seem to look—it’s an easy fix. 4. Kitchen Appliances And Accessories The kitchen is the heart of the home and often, the appliances aren’t going to live up to most buyers’ dreams. As long as the buyer leaves some room in the budget, or has a timeline to replace the existing appliances, a seller’s yellow fridge shouldn’t be a deal breaker. 5. Ugly Carpet Flooring options are getting more and more diverse and there are now so many low-cost options that look exactly like their higher-priced counterparts. Don’t let a client walk away from a great house just because the floor is a bore—or a mess. 6. Funky Smells Except for a serious mold problem, there’s nothing a deep cleaning can’t fix. Prep your buyer and remind them to focus on the home’s bones and the potential it has when they give the home their own touch. 7. Curb Appeal If your buyer is not saying “wow” when you first drive up, that’s ok. Give the client a heads-up and let them know that reward awaits inside. Tell them to close their eyes and envision a different colored front door and some new landscaping, and presto—it might just be their dream home! 8. Popcorn Ceilings It’s great at the movies, but not at home. No worries! A ceiling specialist can come in and have it all that scrapped off. It can be a messy issue and can be pricey, but it’s not the end of the world. 9. No Privacy If the house feels too exposed and lacks privacy from next door—there are ways to fix that. Remember “hedges make great neighbors” and you should be prepared to offer your clients smart solutions as to how to remedy the issue.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 18:26:24 +0000
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