Great post Jenn.
Disecting the owner is a big distraction. Potential buyers can off on their own tangent and lose interest in the home very quickly.
Jenn: Nice reminder regarding "purging" not only valuables, but other items that might detract from a sale. Congrats on the well-deserved Feature ..
Gene
Excellent post! I never really thought about the voter registration card in plain view. It does make sense. Buyers have very short attention spans, so it's important to remove any potential distractions from the home so they can focus, focus, focus on why they are there.
Jenn, excellent example of a few considerations every home seller should take. It's a fine line between decluttering and depersonalizing a home and making it feel too cold and antiseptic. However, the items you point out, from a safety perspective, are a must.
Alan - Thanks, you too!
Suzanne - Dissecting is a great word for it! Perhaps we should all assume buyers with ADD and go from there, huh?
Gene - also true. Valuables should be protected. Thank you.
Rosie - Perhaps we should all assume buyers with ADD and go from there, huh?
Matt - Agreed. Having warmth is important, for sure, and I have to say I've also seen a few stellar examples of staged homes lately that walk that fine line brilliantly.
Wow that is amazing that the country is so divided that a showing of the political party will hurt the sale.
Jenn, de-personalizing a house as much as possible take away the distractions and allows the house to ne seen for itself.
jenn, Good reminder to all of us not to leave certain documents in plain site especially if your house is being shown.
So I guess my "Don't give a democrat a ride" bumper sticker is a bad idea to keep up in the kitchen?
Great minds.....I just wrote a similar post yesterday! Security is a very important part of real estate!
It amazes me what sellers will leave out when their how is being viewed. I just showed a home this morning and the seller left money and what appeard to be an expensive watch in the master bath.
Jenn, simple examples but great reminders of how easy it is to get distracted from imagining yourself living in a home versus evaluating the current owner.
The house should really look as close to possible as a model home. No personal paperwork, etc. in sight. And really, not everyone is honest, so keeping anything that could be used against the owner hidden is a great idea.
Helen & Larry - Thanks!
Jay & Michelle - LOL - probably no.
Sharon - Too funny! Going to check that out now.
Shanequa - Yikes! Money?
Kelly - The little things really do make a difference, crazy as it sounds sometimes to sellers.
I was once in an absolutely fabulous home, but all the buyer could do was focus on all the photos of the seller with this celebrity, or that politician. Walls full of these little braggie photos. Needless to say, they couldn't remember a thing about the house.
I showed a home once and on top of the printer was a nasty letter to the attorney general's office complaining about all the things wrong with the house. Needless to say, the buyer said they would take a pass!
I've had buyers discount a particular house because of a college football preference. I found it silly, but it happens. Neutral is best and personal is a definate NO NO.
Hi Jenn,
Nice post. You could easily double it's lenght with a few other suggestions.
I'll only comment on the first one. Living in DC, "politics" does get people's attention more than it would in many other parts of the country. I've had buyers refuse to look at a home when we are walking through and it is clear the seller is from "the other party" due to photos with high level politicans (be that Clinton, Bush or Obama people). A home isn't only a piece of real estate to a buyer, it also has all the emotional baggage. Then can see themselves and/or their family living there...or they feel the home is practically haunted. Illogical, but that's how it is.
So...I always do remind my sellers to remove cash, firearms, prescriptions, personal (c/card & bank statements)...as well as anything which can be taken in any way other than intended. I've not figured out how to get a cat's home to appeal to a dog buyer, but everything else can be discretely removed.
Richard - Oh dear. I certainly don't want to know. :)
Chris Ann - Excellent point! What might seem like an ad for fabulosity will distract buyers.
Joan - That was quite an error, huh!
Tammy - Certainly silly, but worth noting for sellers.
Claude - Fair point. Living this close to DC might be part of what influenced me on these thoughts. As far as the cat's home, I've got nothing. I would think removing the cats and all signs of them is probably the best plan, though, so that nothing goes awry. My cat, for instance, likes to murder crickets. A dismembered cricket would NOT be a good "feature."
Jenn, I see so many "what could they possibly have been thinking" moments in homes for sale. There does not seem to be any logic to it and yet it certainly can affect how quickly the home sells it would seem.
Very interesting what people will leave out. I have seen so many people leave out their tablets and ereaders right by the door and I cringe.
Good tips! It must be hard to always hide things if you are in the middle of something.
The worst one I ever saw was a "personal sex toy" left out on the bathroom counter...
I always tell sellers to put all personal items away. Out of the sight of buyers. Had never contemplated a voter registration card though.
Jenn, excellent advice. These tips are practices that people probably don't think twice about, but should for all the reasons you shared. Thanks!
Jenn - Yes, great advice. You want buyers focusing on the house and not you. The less distractions, the better.
I love the breath-taking details you provided on this post. It serves as a refresher for us to gently remind sellers of their primary objective - getting the house sold.
The less personal effects in plain view, the better the chances of closing the sale. Thanks for the post Jenn.
Charles - When it is "your turn" in the home, it's also solid advice to keep things as they were. Inspections mean nervous buyers walking around. It would be a shame for something left out to tank the whole deal.
Kim - Those things are expensive! Bad idea, for sure.
Elise - That is for sure. Might be nice to have a catch-all bag for those moments when someone calls for a showing right then! A quick pick-up might mean no more showings are necessary.
Michelle - Yikes!
Tammie - It was a first for me. However that little card inspired this post!
Ralph - Thank you! Since sellers aren't as "experienced" as agents are, I think agents should bring it up. Always a good tip for our sellers.
Christine - Absolutely - bare walls are a bad idea. Having some artwork and photos to liven up the place are a good idea, just not the kind that will distract from the home.
Women of Winchester - Thank you, ladies!
Edward - You are welcome. I had fun writing it, and it's a good reminder to myself as well.
Margaret - Thank you! Always happy to have a contribution on Focus on Crofton. As my mentor, you have taught me much of these principles. :)
Some homes make for a living museum..yes to this post...People will notice too
it's always best de- personalize so potential buyers can pictures of themselves in the home.
Richie - great description!
Michael - precisely.
thanks so much for all the great comments, everyone!
Jenn, I am always amazed when stopping by an Open House or working with an agent helping out at one, the personal info (a file box marked Taxes 2006-2012?!), bills, small electronics that are left out and about. It is difficult to remove everything when still living in a home, but a little precaution will make a world of difference ...for safety's sake! Great post!
Maryland Mortgage Mama
Jenn:
Nice post and good information. Hope you have a great weekend.