You’ve decided to sell your house. Before those showings start, it makes sense to invest a little time into making sure that you do not send the wrong signals to buyers. These signals can be the difference between a positive experience when buyers open your front door and one that makes them say “next.”

Three Potential Deal Breakers

Wrong signals can be the difference between a signed contract and negative feedback from the REALTOR® showing your home. You will want to dissect your home’s signals like a buyer does to ensure that you have the best chance of selling your home quickly and for top dollar. To help you rid your home of these deal breakers, here are three deal killers that I see in many properties every day.

Out with the trash

A Place for Everything and everything in its place. That’s a saying that I find myself saying every day when listing, selling and showing homes. Leaving a garbage can, even a spotless clean one, in plain sight in the kitchen sends the wrong signal to buyers. It tells them that there isn’t any other place to put it. According to the website REALTOR.com this is one of the biggest things that gross out potential buyers.

While your home is on the market. Keep that trash out of sight. Keep a small garbage can under the sink and empty it before any showings. I know this is a pain in the neck but you will reap the benefits of this when your home sells quicker than the one down the street.

Water water everywhere

A water cooler and the service that goes with it is something many people consider a necessity. Ice cold filtered water is something we enjoy here in Jacksonville, especially with our hot and humid

climate. However, this sends the signal to buyers that the tap water here is inadequate. I’ve even had some buyers tell me that the water must be unsafe when they see one of these set up on display in the kitchen. Even worse than the water cooler are cases of bottled water stacked up in the kitchen corner.

Nothing says “don’t drink the water” like prominent displays in living areas. While your home is on the market you will want to keep excess bottled water in the garage. Move that water cooler out of sight as well. Even better cancel the service. Your home will sell faster and that will be one less thing on your moving “to-do list”

Fans in the bedroom

Many homes in our area have ceiling fans in almost every room. It’s considered a basic necessity for coping with our hot weather. However, floor fans, table-top fans, and other portable fans send the wrong signal to buyers. Buyers see these fans as a sign that the home’s cooling system isn’t up to the job. Given how costly it can be to repair or replace a home’s air conditioning system, many buyers will just cross your home off their list.

Take a minute or two before each showing appointment or when leaving for the day to put these fans away. Don’t allow this potentially negative signal trip up your chances to sell your home as soon as possible.

Need Help Spotting the Wrong Signals to Buyers in Your Home?

Those are just three obvious signals that trigger your buyer to move on to the next home on the list. One trick that I learned from a professional stager is the value of photographs. Simply taking a picture of a room instantly reveals its negative signals. It’s like the difference between seeing yourself in the mirror and seeing a photo. How many times have you asked yourself when looking at family photos, “Do I really look like this?”

Your buyers are seeing the photo version of your home not the mirror version. It can be hard to see it when you are surrounded by these negative signals every day. They just creep up on you.

Need More Expert Advice About Selling Your Home?

I pride myself on giving homeowners advice they can count on when selling their home. While other agents are telling you to replace counter tops and take on big unnecessary jobs, I prefer to help my clients get the most money by focusing on the fixes that actually matter. Let me know if I can help you navigate through any issues you may have.