How to turn off buyers without really trying
Agents say it all the time: When you’re selling a house, clear out as many of your personal possessions as possible. And, above all, make sure the home doesn’t smell bad.
Those pieces of advice may sound trite, but they really do make a difference. Don’t believe me? Well, maybe you’ll believe my friends. (OK, I know you don’t know my friends. But trust me, they’re good people.)
A few years back, these friends — who are now married – were searching for a single-family home north of Chicago. They toured a lot of dumpy places during their search, but one stood out.
The residents of the house, even though they knew a showing was scheduled, were frying hamburger meat as my friends stepped into the residence. Give them credit for not whipping up a meal of salmon and cauliflower, but in this instance the fried meat was just as bad: My one friend is a vegetarian. The scent of sizzling meat just doesn’t do much for her.
Later during their tour, my friends discovered several reverently displayed Confederate flags. Again, this didn’t enthrall either of them to the house. Both my friends are proud to call themselves flaming liberals. They weren’t exactly thrilled to see the old Stars and Bars flying proudly.
There was no way that my friends were going to purchase that house. Even if it had been perfect for them, the lingering memories of fried meat and rebel flags would have kept them from appreciating any of the house’s other charms. (And as an aside: Don’t get offended when someone thinks you’re a goof when you fly the rebel flag. I’ve seen homes in the Chicago suburbs with Confederate flags in their windows. For one thing, the Civil War is over. For another, Chicago isn’t south.)
This is an extreme example, but a good one nonetheless, of how easy it is for sellers to turn off potential buyers. Real estate agents aren’t kidding when they tell homeowners to put away most of their family photos, religioius symbols, collections of ceramic cats or University of Michigan banners. Who knows if the potential buyer touring the home is a dog person or a fan of Ohio State University?
I was once touring a home on Chicago’s North Side for a short feature I was writing for Metro Chicago Real Estate Magazine. The home was amazing: It had two full-size kitchens, beautiful trimwork, home office space, a sprawling recreation area in the basement and more amenities than I could fit into my story. The owner, though, had a passion for erotic art. On the day I toured the house, I couldn’t help but notice the series of nudes hanging from the walls. Some of the art was especially risque.
The agent touring me through the house had obviously seen these paintings more than once: She sighed as we walked past the first. I don’t remember her exact quote, but it was something like, “We’re working on getting some of these put in storage.”
For a story I was writing for the Washington Post, a Realtor told me about how she almost lost a sale becuase her client insisted on portraying a large photo of Vice President Dick Cheney. The perfect buyer for the property happened to be a Democrat. It wasn’t easy for her to put that smirking image of Cheney out of her mind. (Even if you like Cheney, I can’t imagine having a photo of him adorning your wall. It’s not like he’s George Clooney.)
The buyer eventually did purchase the house. But that photo of our second-in-command didn’t help.
Tags: confederate-flag, selling-a-home, the-smells-of-a-home-for-saleRelated Stories
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