What nickname would your house get? Would you put an offer on the stinky one?
When I go on home tours with buyers something funny usually happens in the process. Unless your house is on a street with a sweet or funny name, it will get a nickname. It makes sense if you think about, looking at 10, 20 … 50 homes many do not remember the house on 1234 Hanover Parkway or 5678 Old Columbia Pike.
What they will remember, however, is the one thing that really stuck out. That can be something flattering in reference to a wonderful feature, something not-so-nice referring to that one flaw that stuck out like a sore thumb or just describing the overall condition.
I can’t possibly recall all the nicknames my buyers and I came up with over the last 8 years but here are a few examples:
Typically, the buyer will choose a home from the left column. Depending on their budget and whether or not they are okay with a project, a house from the middle column may also be an option. Most definitely though, will they not choose a house from the right column. 
There are some very basic things that need to be done before you put your house on the market. No, these should not be optional unless you plan to price it accordingly. A thorough cleaning from top-to-bottom, decluttering and neutralizing for example may cost you some time but not much money. Please note that neutral does not mean boring, it just means that the purple wall with the lime-green stripes will not appeal to the masses.
If your budget allows try to bring it up-to-date a bit: vertical dentist blinds come to mind or shiny brassy light fixtures or popcorn ceilings. Make sure everything is in good repair and try, try, try to emphasize the assets. If you have a great fireplace, don’t block it with stuff. If you have a fantastic deck, please don’t hide it by closing all the curtains. If you have some nice counters, show them off. Don’t make us guess what’s under the clutter!
When you get ready to put your house on the market, take a moment and think about how it looks, smells and feels and what a buyer would be most likely to remember.
Would you put an offer on the stinky house? I didn’t think so.
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