If Your House Is Not Selling - Check These Five Things
Is your house really clean, tidy, and de-personalized? Are your windows washed, the grout in the tub sparkly, the carpet freshly steamed cleaned? No dirty dishes or dirty clothes out. Clutter banished? Make sure there are no family photos covering the walls or papers and magnets covering the fridge.
Does your house smell? You may need to have an honest friend tell you the truth because as owners you just can’t smell your house anymore. Do you have animals? Enjoy cooking with spices? Have babies in diapers? A house that has an odor is the biggest buyer turn-off.
Can buyers see your garbage? Buyers hate to see garbage or wastepaper baskets out in the open. It smells and it is nasty to look at. Make sure your wastebaskets are under your sinks and out of sight. (While you are at in make sure your toilet is flushed and lids are down)
Does it have paneling? This wood (or wood-like) wall board is not listed as a selling point anymore. Paneling makes the rooms feel dark and dated. Considering having it removed or painted to help your house appeal to more buyers. If your house has paneling it may also have other dated décor elements that are discouraging a sale.
Is there wallpaper in more than one room? Buyers know that wallpaper can be tough to remove. This labor intensive task turns buyers off. Wallpaper is very taste specific. Wallpaper borders are a no-no too. Maybe you like it – or liked it once upon a time – but wallpaper can kill a sale.
Julie Dana is a professional Interior Redesigner and Accredited Staging Professional. Her company, The Home Stylist, offers expert decorating and home staging consultations to do-it-yourself. She is the author of the Complete Idiots Guide to Staging your Home to Sell. Visit http://www.thehomestylist.com to take a style quiz, vote on a color poll, comment on the blog, and sign up for e-newsletter.
Tags: decorate to sell, home staging, Real Estate
