Preparing a House to Sell
Top Turn-Offs to Avoid

Want to sell your house fast? Learn the top turn-offs to avoid in your home when preparing a house to sell...

...get prospective buyers in and impress them once they're there - find out how...

Are you struggling to find out how to sell your house fast? Has your home been languishing on the market for months?

Or do you just want to find out the best sell your house tips for preparing and staging a house to sell?

With the current economic climate and difficult downturn in the housing market, you really have to keep on your toes to attract the buyers...

Of course, you've firstly got to get your marketing itself right ... click here for some practical tips and ideas on how to sell your house fast...

You certainly shouldn't consider putting your house on the market without:

• a thorough clean
• a full declutter

But, if you are having trouble knowing how to sell your house fast, you can go a little further in staging your home to make it more attractive to buyers...

Top Turn-Offs to Avoid When Preparing a House to Sell

• Avoid too much clutter - it makes your home look too small for your/their needs
• Avoid paring down too much - for an unlived-in look - this makes your home look cold, unfriendly and unwelcoming
• Don't hide, cover up or disguise attractive original features - such as nice, old fireplaces.
• Avoid outdated and tired features such as old fitted kitchens, bathrooms, cupboards etc. These can give your whole home a tired, outdated feel, and give the buyer the idea there's too much work to do. Renovate or replace!
• Avoid dirty, old or worn:
  • carpets
  • carpet tiles
  • flooring
  These give the impression your home is dirty and unloved. Sand original floorboards, steam clean carpets, or invest in new.









• Avoid carpets in:
  • bathrooms
  • kitchens
  Even if brand new, these will apper unhygienic, which is not the impression you want to be giving about your home!
• Avoid:
  • bright colors
  • garish colors
  • dark colors

  These may be ugly, or may just convey too much of your own personality to the buyer - pale, neutral colors:

  • show your home off in its best light
  • make it appear as large, bright and airy as possible
  • appeal to most buyers
• Avoid:
  • over-large furniture
  • too much furniture

  Keep it simple and minimal too make your home appear more spacious.

• Avoid smells - stale or stinky homes can be an immediate turn off to your buyer - and you may not even realise your home smells - living there you'll be used to it!

  To make your home smell fresh and clean investigate:

  • pet smells:
    • bedding
    • 'accidents'
    • litter tray areas
    • does your dog need a bath?
  • old carpets
  • old shoes

  A thorough cleaning can help - open windows and light subtly scented candles.










• Avoid leaving repairs unattended to:
  • shabby paintwork
  • knocks, scrapes
  • unfinished DIY and repairs
  ...all give the impression that your home is shabby, unloved and uncared for.
• Avoid confusion - is your home confused?

  When preparing a house to sell make sure each room has a specific purpose - especially dining rooms, spare rooms etc - and that you make this clear to buyers through your choice of furniture and accessories in each room.

• Avoid dirt:
  • mold on tiles/window frames
  • bits on carpets
  • washing up
  • clothes waiting to wash or dry
  • stains on furniture
  • cobwebs









• Avoid a bad first impression - first impressions do count! So make sure you pay particular attention to:
  • the front entrance to your home - inside and out
  • make sure:
    • pathways are clean, tidy, safe
    • doors are clean or newly painted
    • hallways appear spacious an welcoming

It can be difficult to look objectively at your own home, so if you aren't sure how your house shapes up and looks to visitors, ask a trusted friend to look at your home as a potential buyer, and not be afraid to be perfectly honest with what they see...

Now you know just what to avoid when preparing a house to sell, but you can also go further, actually staging a house to sell quickly, and to be more attractive to buyers...

Check out these homestaging - sell your house tips

Click here for your room by room guide to staging a house to sell

More practical tips and ideas on marketing and how to sell your house fast...

I hope some of these sell your house tips have been helpful for you in identifying turn offs to avoid when preparing your house to sell...

Get your informative e-book on sprucing up your home to sell for just $1 - easy, instant download - click here for more information

Have you got your free subscription to my interior design ezine yet? Receive your free, monthly, email newsletter, packed with interior design information, tips and ideas, straight to your inbox.

Return from this Top Turn Offs to Avoid When Preparing a House to Sell page to the Home Page

Top of Page

Search for words or phrases inside my site:

Custom Search

New! Comments