Greed
Right now the Houston residential real estate market is hot, meaning that there are more buyers than there are sellers. That puts sellers in a strong position and they can ask for premium prices when they put their homes up for sale. Many times there is a “buying frenzy” and potential buyers will offer more than the listed price for a home. This is the point where some sellers get too aggressive with their pricing and ask for more. This should not happen at this point in the process. Home sellers should carefully analyze their real estate market, the trends, the prices, and determine a realistic price. They can hold firm on their price but when the listed price increases potential buyers feel they are being taken advantage of. Don’t get greedy.
Smoke
Smokers should understand that their cigarette or tobacco smoke will permeate their entire house. The smell of smoke will be in the carpet, the drapes, the ventilation ducts, the walls – everywhere. Since a majority of people are non-smokers, this will definitely turn many of them away from a house that is for sale. Smokers should seriously consider a “deep clean” which would include steam cleaning or replacing carpets, repainting the interior, replacing or cleaning all heating and air conditioning ventilation ducts, and more. It will require a lot of effort to “deep clean” a house but the effort will make the house acceptable to a majority of the potential buyers.
Pets
People love pets but strangers don’t care for your pet odors. And homes with pets will have the smell of animals – some worse than others. Ask for an honest opinion for family members or neighbors and then do what you can to reduce these odors. Carpets are one of the best known pet odor offenders so either replace or steam clean the carpets. Buy new dog and cat beds and throw away the old ones. And wash the pets frequently if the house is being presented to potential buyers. And most important, keep dogs away from potential buyers.
Carpet
Carpets are still desired as flooring for Houston homes but more buyers are choosing to go with tile or wood floors because they are easier to maintain and keep clean. Any home that is displaying signs of wear in the carpeted areas should replace the carpet or consider a new floor covering. Today’s Houston buyer is more discriminating and there are a variety of different types of floor coverings.
Out-Dated Kitchens and Bathrooms
Many of the homes in Houston have functional kitchens and bathrooms but they have the look and feel of 20, 30, or 40 years in the past. Now is the time to consider an update. Updates can be big or small and the advice of a remodeling contractor might be helpful. Keep in mind that most buyers want to move in and start living in their new home immediately. They don’t want to start a remodeling project. So consider replacing your cabinets, counter tops, and kitchen floor. Stainless steel appliances are also highly desired by today’s buyer.
Remember these Buyer Turn-offs When Selling Your Houston Home and you will have more success in the future.
