In real estate, we all know that buyers like to see homes that are pristine, huge and well-located. And effective marketing requires that you understand the mind and priorities, likes and dislikes of your target buyer. Sometimes, though, it's much harder to recognize when our own homes might actually be triggering buyers' distaste - or disgust. The prospect of selling your home effectively makes you a marketer.
Gold bathroom fixtures. For instance, the popularity of Mad Men has driven a massive amount of interest in all things mid-century modern, bringing the 50's and 60's decor and design aesthetics that just seemed plain and old when I was a child back into vogue - but somewhat more in urban than suburban taste zeitgeists. Gold bathroom fixtures are part of a larger category of buyer turn-offs perhaps best described as things that are old, but not old enough to be vintage, retro, classic or historic. As a general rule, this includes household appliances, finishes and decor that dates from the '70s and '80s, give or take a decade, depending on where you're at.
A huge backyard seems like it'd be a big draw. Elaborate gardens and/or vast landscaping. Same can go for elaborate, high-maintenance food gardens or even super-large front and backyards: some buyers simply know they don't or won't put the time, money and water into their care, so would rather not take them on. So do the flower and botanical gardens that the seller obviously spent hour upon hour designing and tending to. Not long ago, a buyer I know actually de-prioritized a home they otherwise loved, because it was surrounded by an enormous Japanese garden, bonsais and all, that the buyer admired, but knew they could and would never be able to care for. But they also seem like a lot of work to today's time-strapped and cash-conscious buyers.
Work with your agent to research where local buyers who would love your home's unique or high-maintenance features, then market your home to them via publications, websites or organizations in which they already participate. 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.
And if your home has San Diego carpet cleaning over hardwood, talk with your agent about exploring the idea of ripping it up - it might not be as expensive to repair or refinish as you think, and in many areas, buyers prefer even an imperfect hardwood floor over nice carpets. 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 wood or a similar finish.
It might be ambitious of us to already have grilling on the brain, but it never hurts to be prepared. The next time you grill and you're left with chunks of food on your grill rack, use a crumpled up ball of aluminum foil to scrub the surface of the grill rack.
More: While you've got the onions out, caramelize some and make dinners for the whole week. The one you cook on -- we can't help with cleaning this kind.) Cut an onion in half, and rub the grill grates with the cut side (It goes without saying to hold the onion with tongs or a fork -- not your fingers -- right?) to remove stuck-on remnants of your meal. An onion can help you clean your grill too. And, as AntoniaJames suggests, ideally you can use aluminum foil that has already been put to use tenting meat, or saved from another non-messy use.
The majority of home buyers express a desire to have hardwood floors in their next home; other hard floor surfaces, from bamboo to tile to concrete to cork, are rapidly outpacing the popularity of carpets (though some buyers do still prefer the softness and warmth of carpets in their bedrooms).
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. Work with your agent to research where local buyers who would love your home's unique or high-maintenance features, then market your home to them via publications, websites or organizations in which they already participate.
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 wood or a similar finish. And if your home has carpet over hardwood, talk with your agent about exploring the idea of ripping it up - it might not be as expensive to repair or refinish as you think, and in many areas, buyers prefer even an imperfect hardwood floor over nice carpets.
We've talked a lot over the years about the idea of simply pre-packing, staging by boxing up everything but the very most basic daily essentials and get them ready to move - some sellers find that to be a much more effective way to think about the project of decluttering. Also, you can reset your own perspective on what you need to get rid of or move out to put your home on the market by visiting professionally staged Open Houses, hiring a stager just for an hourlong 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.