Pet peeves aren’t always about pets but that’s a place to start

I saw a great article this week on how home sellers having pets can be a 'griping point' for prospective home buyers. Not only did they talk about the mere presence of animals during showings, but they went into the issue of pet smells, dander, and damage. This got me thinking about the things that seem to matter most to buyers, besides price, of course.


The #1 ‘red flag’ for buyer prospects is the condition of the house when it’s shown. Sure, people understand that laundry piles up, dishes need to soak and mail piles up the house is currently being lived in. But it gets to be a bit too much they have to step over mounds of ‘stuff’ to get across the room. And dirt is different from clutter…it it’s dirty, they won’t come.


The need to repaint immediately, be it for covering nicks or to tone down the wall color makes buyers uneasy. Sure, it is cosmetic. But cosmetic re-dos cost money, too. Most buyers want to envision their belongings placed and livable immediately, not after they spend hours and/or mucho dollars redoing the walls, baseboard and trim. And pray that there isn’t wallpaper anywhere because I can’t think of a single buyer during my entire career who wanted to keep someone else’s floral print in the bath or the sea shell border in the bedrooms.


For better or for worse, we live in hurricane country. We need to be prepared and have supplies on hand and an exit strategy ready if we need to move fast. And we need storm protection for the windows and doors. If a house doesn’t have that it’s a detriment to the sale. First and foremost, the insurance rates will be much higher for a home without storm protection for all openings. And buyers are aware that the cost to add the shutters, panels or windows is high so they shy away from homes where that protection isn’t’ already installed.


Homes without some curb appeal don’t attract buyers. If the shrubs need trimming, trim them. If the driveway and walkway is black with the typical mold and mildew we get here, remove it with a good pressure wash. You can do it yourself or hire someone for under $100 to do the job. Same goes for the house itself.


Sellers can’t physically move their homes to different lots, neighborhoods or towns, but they can be aware of the issues that buyers raise when looking at properties and attempt to mitigate the issues described above that are in their control.


And…buyers might do well to rethink some of the issues that are strictly cosmetic. Even new homes have their problems. No house is perfect and brand new homes need something, too. Why, the cost of window coverings alone can make your head spin.


Life has its challenges…so does real estate.