7 Outdoor Problems Sellers Ignore
Too many times home sellers concentrate only on the inside of their home when prepping for a house sale. But the outside of the home is just as important, if not more, than the inside. It is the first impression a buyer will get of the home. Plus, there are many problems lurking in the yard that could be the make or break point for a home buyer.
Creepy Crawlies
There are some people that absolutely despise spiders. Many people look for signs of spiders inside the house and in the basement if it is not finished. Outside of the home spiderwebs can sneak into trees, between fixtures, and even onto the house or porch. A buyer who is scared of spiders is not going to enjoy running into one of these webs. They are likely to want to leave right away and go take a shower.
Anthills
Ants not only crawl over everything but they create unsightly anthills on the property. These anthills do not help the lawn look nice and can visually illustrate just how bad the infestation is.
Avoid this problem by taking care of any ants crawling in the home using ant traps. Many of these ant traps will help get rid of the entire colony so the ant hills will not keep popping up.
Personal Food Choices
This is a problem that applies only to hunters. Not everyone likes the idea of hunting. A homeowner that hunts should take care to pack away any belongings that would show that they hunt. They should take special care not to have any freshly hunted animals laying around. Process any fresh kills before the buyers are walking through and be sure to clean up after.
People
Consider the comfort and safety of home buyers. Depending on where a homeowner lives they may find themselves with loiters, squatters, or over-enthusiastic neighbors.
Any people wandering in the yard when a buyer is viewing the home is going to make them uncomfortable. If there are problems with people coming into the yard without permission a homeowner should take care of it with the authorities before the buyers are turned off.
Personal Preferences
Some sellers do not consider that a buyer will want to look in all areas of the house and property. It is invasive and they are going to see everything.
Buyers are usually not afraid to open any door or drawer. As a result, make sure any items that buyers should not see are packed away and out of the house. Running into someone’s collection of adult accessories is embarrassing for a buyer while accidentally finding a gun that has been left unattended can make a buyer feel uncomfortable.
Past Furry Friends
A lot of homeowners think that they are going to stay in their home forever. They may lose a pet that they loved dearly and want to bury them in the yard to keep them close.
While this is comforting to the homeowner it may not have the same feel for a buyer. Consider moving the animals if they were cremated and put into a box. Or remove the stones indicating it to be a site where animals have been buried and simply let the real estate agent know that they are there.
Avoid Being Creepy
This is a general statement that most home sellers would scoff at. Of course, a seller is going to be pleasant and avoid creeping a potential buyer out. However, there are many ways to make someone scared while walking through a strange property.
Keep all areas well lit. If the homeowner is in the home they should allow the buyer and agent to walk freely without hovering too close and avoid having anything that could be taken menacingly. While a hand saw and work boots make sense for someone doing some light tree removal it may feel a bit threateningly if placed on the kitchen table or in a dimly lit shed.