When I was a kid, our bathtub overflowed, badly damaging the flooring. My grandfather helped install a new subfloor and new vinyl flooring. All was well again, and on the ceiling of the laundry room directly beneath that bathtub, the mitigated water damage dried into a faint, if unsightly, ring just above the washing machine.

When it came time to sell, the buyers walked into the laundry room and laser focused on that faint stain. They were understandably concerned. My parents kept our home incredibly well maintained, but they had become blind to that stain and hadn’t thought to paint the ceiling before putting the house on the market, not to hide anything, just to make it look nicer.

The average buyer makes a decision to buy or not to buy, literally, in seconds. That means the chips in your mailbox’s paint can put a buyer on high alert before they cross your threshold. They can’t help but ask themselves, “What else is in disrepair?”

If you, like most of us, have become “house blind,” I have five suggestions to help:

1. Take “before” pictures
Open cupboards and closets and garage doors and the front door— the door buyers will walk through. What is the first thing they’ll see? Snap a picture. Snap a whole lot of pictures of the rooms in your house. If after you look at the pictures, you still can’t see any issues, adjust the photos to black and white. I think you’ll be amazed at the little things you just didn’t see before.

2. Think like a stager
Are electrical cords ruining the ambiance of your office? Unplug all but the essential ones and put them away.

Is there an overflowing quilt basket by the couch? What you think of as cozy, to a prospective buyer might suggest poor insulation, heat escaping through the windows or the roof, even the need for a new heating system.

Do you keep a plunger beside the toilet? Even if you’ve never had to use it, the sight of it might set off alarm bells.

What is on your kitchen counters? I’ll give you a hint, the answer should be “nothing but a small vase of flowers.”

3. Take a whiff
Leave your house for a while, and when you get back home, take a deep breath. Is your home fresh? If not, why not? Buyers have noses too. The solution might be as simple as opening the doors and windows, emptying the trash, or re-running a load of laundry you forgot in the washer. However, if you have a bigger problem, address it head on.

4. Invite Blunt Betty over and instruct her to do her worst
Ask her, “What do you see that I am not seeing?” She’ll probably be thrilled to finally tell you just what she thinks. Your Blunt Betty (or Brandon) could be a relative, a trusted friend, or your realtor. 😃 And when they point to issues you might not have seen, don’t try to defend yourself. Thank them and ask for more.

5. NEVER hide problems from your buyers!
Disclose, disclose, and then disclose some more — big stuff AND little stuff! Honesty pays off! If it is clear to the buyer at the beginning of the transaction that you have done your level best to be transparent about any and all issues with your home, that honesty will go a long way if and when they see something you missed.

Our team is well trained in helping our clients prepare their homes in this increasingly competitive housing market. We know what helps a house sell and what absolutely does not!