5 Surprising Buyer Turn-Offs

In regard to real estate, we know that buyers like to see homes that are pristine, huge and well-located. But sometimes it’s much harder to recognize when our own homes might actually be triggering buyers’ distaste – or disgust.

Whether you’re preparing to sell your home, or you’re in the market to buy a home, here are five home features and characteristics that can be big-time turn-offs for today’s home buyers:

1.  Pools. Twenty years ago having a pool was seen as a luxurious amenity, however in today’s market some home buyers are turning down homes specifically because they have a pool:

• people who know they won’t swim enough to use a pool, and think that maintaining one would just be a waste of their time, energy and money
• people who would rather have a yard, and are looking for homes in areas where they either have a pool or a backyard – but not both, and
• people who have young children and see a pool as a safety hazard.

If you happen to have a pool, your best bet is to market your home to those buyers who truly want one:

• ensure the pool has a well-functioning fence and cover.
• stage the rest of the backyard in a way that maximizes the non-swimming activities.
• offer to pre-pay for a year of the buyer’s pool maintenance as an added incentive.

2.  Your stuff.  Your taste might be immaculate but it’s your taste. What buyers are really looking for when they come to view a home is a palate on which they can envision easily applying their tastes. So a primary goal of smart home preparation is depersonalization or neutralization.  Hiring a stager for an hour long consult or even asking your agent to walk through your home and stick mini-Post It notes on things that need to be moved out before the listing goes live will prove to be time well spent.

3.  Carpet.  Obviously, old, dirty, pet-impacted and bizarrely colored carpets are not a draw for buyers. But this generation of home buyers takes the carpet conundrum even further, exhibiting a distaste for carpet – period.  The majority of home buyers express a desire to have hardwood floors or other hard surfaces in their next home.  If you were thinking about replacing your carpets before you put your home on the market, consider replacing at least the living and dining areas with hard woods.  The best plan is to consult your agent before you make any costly changes to your home.

4.  Gold bathroom fixtures.  Gold bathroom fixtures are buyer turn-offs, perhaps best described as things that are old, but not old enough to be vintage, retro, classic or historic.  Similarly, gold bathroom and lighting fixtures are seen as dated by buyers, who much prefer sleeker, matte-er stainless, brushed chrome and even bronze or white finishes where metal finishes are necessary.  Even though this is another trend it is an inexpensive way to update your property.

5.  Elaborate gardens and/or vast landscaping.  A huge backyard seems like it’d be a big draw.  So do the flower and botanical gardens that the seller obviously spent hour upon hour designing and tending to. But they also seem like a lot of work to today’s time-strapped and cash-conscious buyers.  Once you understand that the average buyer might find these features to be less-than-desirable, it’s time to get creative about finding the buyer who will find them to be just what they’ve always wanted.

I hope these suggestions will be helpful for you as you prepare your home for sale.  As always if you have additional questions I am only a phone call away!