Christina Rordam: Top-five buyer complaints and how to avoid them

Over the years I've repetitively heard some concerns from purchasers that have caused them to keep looking rather than presenting an offer.

By Christina Rordam
| 6:53 a.m. December 10, 2015

Photo: Courtesy of freeimages.com - You can still decorate your home when it's on the market during the festive season, but be sure not to overdo it on the clutter. Too much stuff can impact how sellers feel about the layout of a home.

Winter Park - Maitland Observer
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Whenever I list homes, I walk them with their owners first to formulate a plan to bring the homes into showing-ready shape. Of course I have my own checklist of items that are basic requirements to position a home in the best light to potential buyers. Over the years I’ve repetitively heard some concerns from purchasers that have caused them to keep looking rather than presenting an offer or seriously consider the home in question.

I thought it would be fun to do a quick BuzzFeed-style cheat sheet for all those potential sellers to look over as we head into the spring selling season, a time of year considered by most to be one of the more popular times to buy a house.

Without further adieu, here are the top-five complaints relayed to me by homebuyers and future homebuyers about the homes they view, as heard by me and in no particular order.

1) It smells like…

Dog, cat, food, cigarettes, there is no right answer here! If you have pets, smoke or love to cook, you may have become noseblind to the odors in your home. Ask your Realtor or even a trusted friend or both to be honest with you about the smell of your home. Take action as needed.

2) I don’t like the layout.

This concern may well be specific to the buyer and not something you can fix, however it may be related to a crowded house (great band, bad décor style). De-clutter and remove or store any excess furniture. Add fresh bright light bulbs as needed and direct eyes towards the prettiest and most appealing parts of your home.

3) The neighborhood is too crowded/not well kept/loud.

The best way to combat this is to care for your lawn and keep in touch with your HOA to make sure any hired landscapers or groundskeepers do their respective jobs and keep things in tiptop shape. Report and ask repeat parking offenders to park in designated areas. Crowded streets and patchy grass are big turn offs for buyers. Work with noisy neighbors in a polite way to keep neighborhood noise to a minimum.

4) It needs too much work.

As stated in previous columns, it’s not a bad idea to pay a home inspector to do a pre-listing inspection and then fix any issues before welcoming buyers into your home. Fix any major issues you are aware of whenever possible; less work equals more interested buyers.

5) It’s overpriced.

This one is fixable for sure. Make sure your home is priced in line with other homes in the neighborhood and area of similar condition, style and features. Granted, you may have upgrades, a larger lot, a better pool, etc. Remember these items don’t always translate to a price increase of the exact amount you paid. You and your Realtor can formulate a plan for proper pricing. Improperly pricing a home over market value can result in missed opportunities with buyers. Take advantage of those first days and weeks on the market by honestly evaluating your homes market value and not your emotional attachment to it for a higher and faster sale.

Knowledge is power, so take note all ye potential home sellers and best of luck!

Christina Rordam is a licensed Realtor and Central Florida native with 10 years experience helping Orlando area buyers and sellers achieve their real estate dreams. She is a member of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s Top Producer Club and holds the CDPE, CNE and CSP designations. Do you have any questions or a topic of interest that you’d like to read about? Contact Christina at 407-928-8294 or [email protected]. View homes online at ChristinaSellsOrlando.com.