Value Of Your Home
“Bad Taste Affects the Value of Your Home”
Do you know the saying ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder?’ This may be true but unless all of your prospective purchasers are legally blind you need to give some serious consideration to how your décor can affect the selling price of your home.
After talking with a bunch of my fellow Langley real estate agents about some of the worst problems that we’ve seen (problems that can literally turn off buyers or needlessly cost you thousands of dollars off of your asking price) I’ve come up with a check list of some décor issues that you should be alert to when it comes time to show your home.
Furniture suffering from ‘gigantism’ – A few years back ‘oversized’ was the trendy new style for furnishings. But like most other trends ranging from polyester leisurewear suites and keyboard ties to ‘Huey Lewis and the News’ what was ‘in’ then is most definitely out now.
The problem with oversized pieces is that they can make even a spacious room feel cramped. Sofas on steroids, dominating entertainment stands and yes guys, the massive TV taking up ½ the room – these are all things that make your space feel small, and space is one of the main things that buyers are looking for. So do yourself a favor and remove some of these gigantic pieces of furniture before you list.
The mark of the ‘not so handy’ handyman – All those design shows on the Home and Garden Channel make home repairs look like a breeze. Apparently all you need are a box of Popsicle sticks and a glue gun and you too can create an indoor sauna… who knew?
Seriously though, all of these shows use professionals, and the results that they achieve are the end product of a very steep learning curve. Home repairs and finishes where the results fail to look professional rarely add value to the sale of your home. In fact, when potential buyers spot a poor repair job it may raise concerns about what else you may have tried to ‘fix’. So, unless you really are a skilled craftsperson you might want to step away from that hammer…
Laundry piles should not be a part of your décor – This one keep cropping up from time to time, usually from under the bed. When an agent brings a potential buyer through your home the sights and smells of old dirty laundry are a great way to turn off buyers.
Carpeted bathrooms – This one is just plain wrong on so many levels. The bathroom is a moist humid place with, well… with a toilet. Having a carpet in your bathroom is like having a giant Petri dish growing goodness only knows what. In my years as a Langley realtor I have never had a potential buyer react favorably to this. In fact, most potential buyers won’t even set foot in there.
Vertigo inducing patterns – Does the tiling in your bathroom shower evoke feelings of queasiness? Have you made a bold statement with paisley wallpaper in the dining room? Did you fall in with the 90’s sponging craze and sponge paint your entire home? Strong patterns can be a serious selling turn off. There are always the carefully chosen exceptions, but more often than not bold personal pattern statements can alienate viewers, making it harder for them to see themselves living in your space.
Bad extensions – they aren’t just for hair. If you are thinking about adding an extension on to your property in order to make it more attractive to buyers, I urge you to put down your plans and resume watching the game on TV. Most home extensions never wind up looking like a natural part of the existing structure. In fact, they are a bit like a large goiter – they are clearly attached, but they sure don’t look like they belong there. Unless professionally done, most extensions just raise unnecessary questions about the structural integrity of your home in the minds of your potential buyers.
Signs of smoking – ashtrays are definitely not accent pieces. Smoking is one of those things that can really evoke a negative response with potential buyers. The smell is problem enough, but did you know that the active culture in a nicotine stain on your wall means that these stains will actually grow over time? Yuck… If you want to hang on to thousands of your hard earned dollars when it comes time to sell then give some serious thought to kicking the habit and having all signs of smoking in your home vanish.
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