Nobody wants negative feedback ... especially when they are selling their home.
As a Burlington Stager, my job is to help clients prevent negative feedback about their home. Sometimes, I'm called in because of the negative feedback and I address the issues.
Issues of late:
- Unique features - metal spiral staircases. They took away from the feel of a family home. There wasn't much I could do about them. They are a unique feature that will be staying and only appeal to a family with older children. What I could do was recommend they be painted so that they looked well maintained.
- Bedrooms on different floors. Buyers can have trouble seeing a house with half the bedrooms in the basement as a family home. My recommendation is to show them as a 'tween's room making sure there is that emotional tug of family.
- Shower in need of repair. Often I see grout stained with mold. I recommend cleaning the grout or replacing it. Replacing shower heads is usually affordable. Inserts can be done but you can't just cover up the mold without dealing with it.
- Medicine cabinets with glass doors. Buyers don't want to see all that personal 'stuff'. I recommended frosting the glass.
- Not enough light. This can be as simple as changing light bulbs. Sometimes it involves upgrading light fixtures or taking down window treatments.
- Needs work. This is not a good response. Fresh paint and minor repairs can go a long way to correcting this conversation.
- Basement kitchen. This can be a plus or a minus. If the buyer wants an in-law suite or a rental it's a plus. If they are looking for a single family home it is an oddity. I suggest setting it up as if it is an entertainment center ready for the big game.
- Damaged carpeting. If the cat has shredded the carpet edge or you have a pet stain etc it's time to bite the bullet and replace the carpeting.
- Neglected yards. Your yard can be another room to the buyer, especially in small homes. Weed that lawn, keep up the maintenance, show them how to enjoy it.
- Half finished areas. If you didn't want to finish an area, neither will the buyer. Tacked up drapes in front of a closet? Install doors or at least a rod to hang the curtains. Breaker box with a broken door in the 4th bedroom? Fix the door or use a piece of art on a piano hinge as the door but fix it.
- Odors. This can be a big one. Food odors, pet odors, mold odors or damp odors .... no matter what kind they all have to be addressed. Avoid cooking spicy foods, remove the source of the pet odor, deal with the mold, use a dehumidifier in that basement.
Remember, you are not there for viewings so your house is doing the talking not you.
What is it saying to buyers?
Comments(24)