It’s not the usual time of year that you would think an article with this title would appear…like maybe around Halloween instead? To me though, it’s the perfect time of year to bring this up. But, it’s not ghosts, spirits and poltergeists that are possessing houses. The houses I’m referring to are haunted by their current owners.
OK, maybe the word haunted is a little dramatic, but I see time and time again a home on the market or one that a Seller wants to put on the market, that has so much personalized decor and is so full of clutter and personal belongings, mementos, keepsakes, family photos and nick-knacks that to me is like a haunted house…possessed by the owners overpowering spirit.
If a Seller truly wants to sell their home, it’s not easy but they have to look at their own home as if they were a Buyer. When their home goes on the market, it has to be prepared for the market, not left in the condition the Owner is comfortable living in it. When a Buyer looks at a home on the market, they are trying to project themselves into it, to see if their life would fit in that home. The house has about 30 seconds to make a favorable impression or the Buyers will not look any deeper to see what it has to offer. So it needs to be in top condition and free of all clutter, personal items, personalized decor, etc…anything that will distract the Buyer from seeing themselves in the home. This also means wallpaper needs to come down, have walls feshly painted in neutral earth-tone colors, and carpet replaced if not neutral or has different colors in each room so it flows together.
The market will not be kind to any home that needs repairs, major updates and lots of cleaning, or has disfunctional features and personalized decor. So, exorcise the demons if you really want to sell. Otherwise, be prepared for the home to sit on the market and take a real beating on the price. It’s always been like that but even more so now in today’s market.
