What are buyers looking for?

This is a partial list that I share with home owners to help them get their home ready to put on the market. If you have ideas or additions, please send them my way. Hope you find it helpful, gentle readers.

What are Buyers looking for?

There's no way to generalize what will please every buyer, but there are some general trends that can help you get more buyers interested in your property. Here are a few tips.

Buyers like homes that are easy to see:

1. Make arrangements for aggressive pets to be out of the way. House hunters often leave a house quickly because of a dog snarling inside the front door.

2. Doors should be easy to open. Make sure that loose doorknobs are tightened, and sticky doors are corrected.

3. Be aware of odors, particularly pet odors. Keep litter boxes cleaned. If you need to cover a bad odor, avoid perfume smells, and try to create homey smells by baking cookies or a cinnamon cake.

4. Make it as easy as possible for agents to show your home. Listings that say "Courtesy Call Owners" will get a lot more showings than those that say, "24 hour notice required."



Buyers like homes that are ready to move in:

1. Appearances matter. Paint any soiled areas. Pay particular attention to the front door, trim, and railings. Consider having your carpet cleaned

2. Clean the gutters of leaves and debris.

3. Fill in your yard with fresh pine straw where needed.

4. Take a look at the ceramic tile in your bathroom. Clean or re-grout if needed.

5. All toilets should flush, no faucets should leak. A $.25 washer can be an excellent investment.

6. If you have kids, take a good look at the paint in your halls and stairwells. A “Magic Eraser” or fresh coat of paint will pay for themselves when you sell your home.

7. Make any obvious repairs that might distract a buyer. Holes in screens, stains in ceilings, garage doors that don’t work will all distract a buyer from the good qualities of your home.



Buyers like well-lit homes.

1. Be sure drapes are open.

2. Replace low-wattage light bulbs for brighter ones.

3. When preparing for a showing or an open house turn on lights, especially in hallways and darker rooms.



Buyers like homes with lots of space:

1. Your closets should be neat and organized. Bulging and messy closets give the appearance that there is not enough storage space.

2. Arrange your furniture to enhance the flow of your house. You might understand that the chair is in the middle of the floor because it’s the best view of the TV, but I buyer tripping over it might think that it’s a bad floor plan.

3. If you have too much furniture in a room you might want to store some of it so that buyers don’t think that there is not enough room for their furniture.



Buyers like homes with nice features:

1. If you have an attractive dining room or kitchen area, call attention to it by setting the table.

2. If you have a working fireplace, make a fire for showings and open houses when the weather is cool.

3. If you have a patio, front porch, or deck, show it off with a table and chairs. Buyers will include that square-footage when they imagine the usable space in the house.