How to turn off (or on) a buyer or a renter
Damp, bad DIY, little natural light... some things are an obvious hindrance to selling your home. But what about the little tips that can make the all difference?
Thinking of splashing out on snazzy new Scandinavian-style furniture? Or maybe you’d like to add in some nice modern art to give a spacious contemporary feel to your home. Well, go for it! Such a makeover will enhance the value of your home and could more than pay for itself when the time comes to sell your house.
Other house-price enhancing features include pantries, smart-home technology, wooden flooring and walk-in wardrobes.
But think twice before splashing out on fake, weird, dated or overly large decorative items.
Artex fake plaster ceilings, garden gnomes and chandeliers and will decrease your home’s value despite costing you a lot to instal.
All this is revealed in a new survey on what home features appeal to buyers – and what puts them off.
Damp, lack of light, structural deficiencies are in the top three turn-offs. No surprises there, and there is little that can be done about them.
However, most other pricekillers on the list are selfinflicted by homeowners, often, ironically, at considerable cost.
Others are eminently fixable or avoidable issues such as bad DIY, clutter and outdated kitchens.
‘The most important thing to do when selling a home is to clear all surfaces and get rid of clutter and private belongings,’ advises Manny O’Hara, director of House & Garden Furnishings, a company that transforms second hand homes into showhomes for a fee.
‘A lot of people are hoarders and keep a lot of stuff for sentimental reasons,’ which just makes the living space feel smaller, untidy and cluttered.
Too much personal stuff on display doesn’t inspire potential buyers either.
‘Your personal life is important to you but people feel they are invading someone else’s space,’ she said.
Another sly tip from Manny is to spray a subtle brand of aftershave on the architraves. ‘Scent is very important,’ she advises.
But why not perfume? ‘It’s to appeal to women, who make most of the house-buying decisions,’ she reveals.
Irish estate agents we spoke to agreed that the UK survey by insurance firm Privilege was equally valid in Ireland, but with one notable difference. We have less of a gnome problem and more of a religious artifact issue.
Yet this is all just paraphernalia that can be easily and cheaply disposed of (see panel). In fact, wouldbe buyers should seek out a home that isn’t well presented but is structurally sound. Guy Doherty of Sherry FitzGerald’s Sutton office in Dublin, cited two almost identical homes he sold recently.
One had dated decor; the other classy Scandanavian-style furniture. The latter achieved nearly 10% more. Yet the actual furniture didn’t cost half as much to buy. So splashing out on decent furnishings could pay off for vendors in the long run – while buying a home full of rubbishy seats and sofas may prove a bargain purchase.
‘You’re not buying the couch. People can be a bit spoiled with showhouses and find it hard to look beyond the contents,’ said Guy.
‘I have found over the years that small things which could easily be rectified can put buyers off – like dark coloured walls or odours of pets or smoking, for example,’ said Adam Clarke, branch manager of Lisney in Killester, Dublin 5,
‘Poor lighting is easily fixed but surprisingly not done by many vendors, especially at this time of year,’ he said.