I know, your mother always told you to “focus on the positive” and that is stellar advice. But it’s possible your house includes all the “Top Ten Homebuyer Turn-Ons” (OK, guess I have to create this list next) but what if it also has some significant “turn-offs”? Have no fear, here is a great list of blacklisted items (OK, most of this is hopefully intuitively obvious to someone just above moron stage) but here’s the list nonetheless…

1. Smelly, smelly, smelly. Should we emphasize that further? Smoke smell, pet odors, fresh from the rain (er, mildew) odor? A big no-no.
2. Similarity to a Cave. Translation: not enough light. Holy cow, open blinds, clean windows, turn your lights on (and make sure they have light bulbs installed?).
3. A Big Dog Party. Similar to the Dr. Seuss book (for you kid people): dogs are better not seen nor heard. Remove them from the premises if possible during showings unless the prospective buyer works for the animal shelter.
4. A Big Bug Party. Even Dr. Seuss thought this too gross to write a story about. Clear out the crunchy cockroaches and maybe even invite the exterminator over for happy hour.
5. Beauty and the Bathroom. Keep the beast out of the bath; people are disgusted with a filthy bathroom. Muscle up and make it shine.
6. Get Outta Dodge. That means you, home owner. Don’t be present at showings if you can avoid it; allow the potential buyer to go through your closets and insult (I mean praise) your home’s features without worrying about you in the next room.
7. Lack of Curb Appeal. We already created an entire list of items that homebuyers look at outside the home before even deciding to enter your home; review and use it!!
8. Items Growing Where they Shouldn’t be. This could potentially be disgusting, but really we are referring to those places like rain gutters, grout lines, etc. where plants have miraculously found footing. Even if they are beautiful flowers, you’ll want to squelch their presence ASAP.
9. Groovy Murals and Wallpaper Decor. OK, even though you love that picture portrait of Grandma Beatrice that Johnny Jr. painted on the wall, chances are Mr. and Mrs. Smith won’t. Restore the walls to neutral with a fresh coat of paint!
10. Water Stains. Red flags indicative of leaks and water damage, mildew and dampness are huge issues. Fix the issue first; then, repair the damage.

As I said prior, these are not rocket science items nor will the majority of them cost you a significant amount of money or effort, but are absolute necessities for preparing your home for the best possible chance for a successful sale.

If anyone else has something to add to the list, the input is welcome!

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