Less You, More Them: Why Removing Buyer Distractions Makes Home-Selling Sense
March 13th, 2008 Categories: One Minute Realtor, Sellers
A Cautionary Tale, In Which We Begin at a Bungalow For Sale on the South River in Annapolis
So there we were, previewing a home for a client who wants to buy somewhere on the water in Annapolis. Walking in the front door, my attention was instantly seized by a Presidential citation on the fireplace mantle - one of many citations.
Clearly, the person who lived there was proud of the fact that his tenure in the Secret Service had been officially recognized by the Oval Office.
I was smitten, too! Had the owner flown with the Prez on Air Force One? What sort of heat did he pack when he was on duty? Did he wear those cool shades and earpieces like they do in the movies? It was fascinating to consider.
And a complete waste of my time, with respect to why we were there: to see if this home was a good match for our Annapolis waterfront buyer.
The point? If You Want to Sell Your Home, Then Depersonalize It
You want buyers looking at your house, not a museum of personal photos, collectibles, family history, stuffed animal trophies and other distracting items.
Sellers will sometimes bristle when they hear this advice. They think we’re discounting things that are a source of personal pride, beloved pieces of their family heritage. We’re not. We just know that buyers find them distracting, like one big YouTube video they can’t turn off long enough to figure out if your home is right for them.
Of course, it’s impossible and unnecessary to remove every vestige of personality from your home, so don’t even try. But do strive for a measure of neutrality.
Pack away 90 percent of the family photos. Put your lustreware collection in storage. Repaint the pink bedroom your granddaughter always loved with a blank-canvas beige shade that’s more modern and easy on the eye.
Remember that you want buyers to see your home as a mirror that reflects their dreams and potential, not as a gridlock of personal statements that brings the imagination to a standstill. That’s the way you get offers.
Ken, have you thought in the context of ‘empowering the buyer’? Empowering them, specifically, to imagine themselves in this space. You mention neutrality, but empowering goes a stop beyond to inviting the buyer to see themselves enjoying the real assets of the property. I always thought my place had the advantage of great indirect light during the day and soft lighting (lots of dimmer switches) at night, and bisque (not beige) walls and the invitation to enjoy the outside with the double French doors - and I know you and Bev see this potential, too. A stager helped me a lot with the bisque color choice, light fixture changes, and some picture rearrangements. The seller needs to look at their home as empowering the buyer and the seller’s rep can help. But, how do you get the buyer’s rep to see that? My rep turned on every light full blast when I bought the place - it took me several weeks to discover the real charm of the place with lots of dimmer, indirect lighting.
Don - You make a great point about “empowerment.” Like you say, it’s up to the seller and selling agent to make sure the stage is properly set so a buyer has a clear picture of the home’s assets and potential.
But the buyer agent’s role is key. The best buyer agents really understand their clients and know how to tell a home’s narrative through the buyer’s eyes. That’s key. What IF your original agent had shown you your condo with the lights turned down? You’d have discovered its charms right away. May seem like a small thing, but those little things can add up to a sale.
It also helps if a buyer agent doesn’t show too many homes in a single outing. That becomes a marathon and everything a buyer has seen - charms and all - becomes a big blur.
Incidentally, if anyone would like to see Don’s Riva Trace condo that’s for sale - in low light or any other light - just give us a call. Meanwhile, check it out at our website - www.HomeSalesInMaryland.com Just click on the Featured Property tab and you’ll find it, listed at $315,000.
I live and work in a very young community. Lot’s on newlyweds. I can’t tell you how many condos I show where every decorative piece is some sort of wedding memorabilia. Framed invitations, replica bouquets, bridal party favors, photos and more photos of the happy couple. It’s like the home has become a little shrine to the bride. When they have a baby or two, they add the 500 photos of Junior. Then they outgrow the place and want to sell. What a challenge we realtors have trying to convince them that nobody cares about their wedding pictures and icons and while Junior may be cute, the buyers probably have their own baby they think is even cuter. My approach is to try to get them to imagine thier home as a suite at a W hotel. Chic but clean - well designed but anonymous. The better they are at removing all their little personal touches and making the home welcoming without being family specific, the better it sells.
Good site with some interesting info!
Lori
Lori: Thanks for your comments. There’s a real knack to working with clients on the preparation of their homes. We have a stager on our team, and she’s the best. The first thing she says to a seller is this: “There’s a big difference between the way we live in our homes, and the way we present our homes for sale.” That’s the foundation she builds upon.
Almost all of our seller clients buy into the idea that - wonderful as these photos and things are - they really are buyer distractions and therefore an obstacle to a sale. They know it’s not personal, and that once they’re moved they can unpack them and display them in their new home. Meanwhile, I like your “hotel suite” analogy; that’s a concept everyone can easily understand. Best wishes to you.
Ken