Several Ways to Chase Away Potential Buyers

The following are several things you can do to scare away any buyers who may have otherwise been interested in your home:

• Have the potential buyers walk into a smelly home, one that reeks of old food, cigarette smoke, or strong pet odors.
• Pets that greet the potential buyer at the door either growling or crawling all over them.
• Dirty, stinky bathrooms are a guaranteed turn-off. Unclean toilets, dirty fixtures, and scum in the tub will chase away any potential buyer.
• Darkly-lit rooms with dusty light fixtures, and burned out bulbs will make any room look dirty and unappealing.
• Rooms or closets that can’t be shown – what lurks behind those doors?
• Cluttered rooms with stacks of newspaper, knick-knacks everywhere, and busy wallpaper patterns will turn away most buyers.
• The sight of bugs – spiders, roaches – any insects, will frighten away even the most determined buyer.
• A run-down appearance on first glance – a home needing paint, an unkempt yard, toys strewn around, leaves and weeds everywhere – watch the buyers run!!
• Full drain gutters – it is amazing how many buyers notice if the drain gutters have not been cleaned. They will often wonder what else hasn’t been cleaned.
• Hovering sellers will make any potential buyer nervous. Staying around while your home is being shown is a good way to discourage buyers.

Follow these suggestions, and you are almost guaranteed to not sell your home!