You’ll Never Guess These Unexpected Turn-offs When Showing Your Home

In the past, I’ve shared some tips on how to get your house show ready, but today I want to share some unexpected turn-offs when getting your home ready to show. Some of these items on this list will surprise you since they are tricks that you’ve probably heard of in the past that were used to help entice buyers when selling your home. What you don’t know, is that a lot of those tips and tricks are out-dated and no longer have the appeal that they used to. 

1. Baking Treats
While the smell of freshly baked goodies used to be a real estate agent go-to, potential buyers now see this as a sales ploy. This little trick was over-done and buyers no longer need the smell of baking cookies to envision themselves in your home. 

2. Overpowering Candles and Other “Pleasant” Scents
Unpleasant smells and pet odors are an obvious no no, but what you might find surprising is that seemingly nice smells can be unwanted too. That candle you bought from Anthropologie may be the perfect blend of coconut and vanilla, but even too much of this heavenly scent can deter buyers. When it comes to the smell of your house, less is more. Ideally, buyers will enter to a neutral smell. 

3. Ambiance Music
You might think it would be nice to have music playing in the background when a potential buyer comes to look at your house, you know something to set the mood. But watch out, music tastes can be particular, and what may be the ideal soundtrack for home shopping to you, may send someone else out the door with a headache. When it comes to music, it’s better to pass. 

4. Over Accessorizing
In many online staging guides you’ll see tips to styling and accessorizing your coffee table, bookcase, side table, kitchen counter, mantle… you name it. While staging your home with a few key pieces can be great, it can become easy to overdo it and create unintentional clutter. Keep things neutral and simple when styling your home. This also applies to furniture. Keep the essential furniture, but anything else should be moved or put in storage. 

5. Playing Up the Holidays
Decorating for the holidays can seem like an easy way to create a staged, picture-perfect home for buyers to imagine themselves celebrating Independence Day, Thanksgiving and New Year’s in; however, it also has its downsides. Decorations can feel too personal or religious for some buyers and you don’t want to potentially discourage a showing or offer. This is especially something to keep in mind if you’ll be having professional photos taken of your home for the listing. More than likely, your photos will be up past the holiday and can potentially date the listing. 

6. Dark Paint or Accent Walls
While darker paint or accent walls have become very trendy, you’ll have a better chance of selling your home if you forgo these fads. A well done accent wall has the ability to transform a house, but they are not universally liked. In addition, they can be limiting when a buyer tries to envision how they would use each space of your house. Using darker colors or accent walls may discourage a buyer who feels they would have to do a significant amount of repainting after purchasing your home.