Keeping your eye on the big picture

Reasonable minds can find middle ground. Even when on opposite sides of a sale and hoping for the most financially friendly terms.

But occasionally, a person can become fixated on a small point that then poses a huge problem. You might not believe that the inclusion of a gaming table worth a hundred bucks could make or break the sale of a $1 million home, but it happened.

Human beings tend to be emotional. So, what I’m about to tell you is a true story. It didn’t happen in Memphis, but that does not mean it couldn’t have happened here.

An agent told realtor.com that a $1.2 home sale actually came down to whether the buyer could get the $100 foosball table as part of the deal. Seems like the pettiest request for a purchase of that magnitude, but that was the point of the larger realtor.com story: Petty things can send an otherwise smooth transaction sideways.

And as a seller, this is critical information to have. The realtor.com story lists several small things that can become huge impediments to closing a sale. They are worth noting.

Missing window dressings: Even after a walk-through, this has the potential to move the emotional needle the wrong way. Suddenly, the house looks less like a home. The place can feel unfinished and the buyer can get cold feet.

Unpleasant odors: Personally, I wouldn’t categorize this as petty at all. As the seller, you may be used to all the aromas that accompany your cat or dog, but to a buyer this can be a first impression that overwhelms all manner of beauty. If you have pets, please treat the odors that come with them.

Missing cover plates: I’ll admit this one does sound petty. But think about it: How do buyers interpret seeing a home with missing cover plates on outlets and light switches? It might just hit them as a red flag that the home has been poorly maintained and trouble lurks.

Dead batteries and burned-out light bulbs: Same scenario as immediately above. But if the dead battery is in a smoke detector, the concern level goes up. People want to feel safe in their new home.

Mismatched paint, jiggly door handles and other annoyances: In and of themselves, they aren’t a big deal, right? Not to you because maybe you’ve lived with them for years. But you’re an insider. An outsider otherwise ready to buy your home, will see them differently.

An outsider also will start keeping a running mental tab of all these “little” things. At some point, it reaches a number that isn’t so little.

Floor chatter: One small creak in one floor of an old home might qualify as charming. Or maybe not. Multiple creaks again plant a seed of doubt about the home’s bones. That doubt might be totally unfounded, but it’s another thing that can spook a buyer.

See through the buyer’s eyes: I’ve added this one because I think this is the culmination of everything we’ve discussed here. When it comes time to close your sale, put yourself in the buyer’s frame of mind. Feel the excitement they feel. If they want your $100 foosball table or $500 pool table, don’t let that stand in the way of achieving your goal of selling your home at a good price.

Don’t lose sight of the big picture.