Don't "scare" Your Buyers Away - Hallowe'en Edition

Every house has a few ghosts in the attic, but as you try to sell your Chatham-Kent home this Hallowe'en season, remember not to scare away buyers intentionally. This resource section is filled with the does and don't of home buying and selling, but it's time to revisit some of the key points to avoid in order to successfully capture the attention of the Chatham-Kent real estate market...in a good way.

Trust this Chatham-Kent realtor when I say, make sure the skeletons are out of your closet, that you wipe away all of your cobwebs, and that you clean up your dungeons before the first viewing.

Here are your top five ways to scare off Chatham-Kent home buyers this Hallowe'en:

  1. The haunted forest approach to gardening: It's simple, one of the fastest ways to turn buyers away from your home is to neglect your curb appeal. Overgrown gardens, long grass, and trees and bushes hiding your home will give your Chatham-Kent home more of a haunted forest appeal, than a welcoming place to live. Curb appeal doesn't stop at your lawn maintenance; it involves your porch, windows, mailbox, walkways, and driveway. If you make a solid first impression, your chances of securing a sale will look less devilish.
  2. Welcome to our graveyard of boxes: Over the years you will accumulate a lot of “stuff,” that doesn't mean however that you can pile this “stuff” in closets or your basement before you move. Chatham-Kent home buyers want to see every inch of useable space in your house and cluttering it up hides all of your home's best potential. Rent a storage space and clean out all of the skeletons in your closets. Clutter, whether it is boxes or just your souvenirs and photographs, is one of the biggest-turn offs for a home buyer in the Chatham-Kent real estate market. Clean it up, clear it out, and give home buyers a "treat" this Hallowe'en, not a dirty "trick."
  3. Take the werewolf with you: We love our pets, but a loveable pet can often be a nightmare for Chatham-Kent realtors and home sellers. When your home is open for a viewing or open house, get your pet, and all evidence of their existence out of the house . Believe it or not, many home buyers in Chatham-Kent don't want or like pets. Even worse, if they know a pet has lived in the home and they struggle with allergies, they might begin to worry about their health, instead of whether or not their furniture will look good in the living room. Finally, you need to make every effort to make sure any pet smells are gone. Steam clean your carpets, shampoo your furniture, and even slap on fresh paint if necessary. As a simple fix, try cooking a fresh apple pie or batch of cookies before a viewing to freshen up the air. Smoking and pet smells are two of the fastest ways to lose a sale, so be sure to make these odours vanish, before the home buyers do.
  4. Don't scare them away before they arrive: Money, money, money. If your Chatham-Kent property isn't priced properly, your deal is dead and likely won't come back from the grave. Trust the advice of your Chatham-Kent realtor when pricing your home. A price that is too high (or even too low) will scare off many prospective home buyers in Chatham-Kent. As well, make sure your pictures that get posted on MLS and your Chatham-Kent realtors website showcase the best features of your home.
  5. Put away the vampires and witches: Are you known in the neighbourhood for having the best Hallowe'en decorations? Festive decor is fine, and can even help a home sale, however; this doesn't mean you should hang vampires and goblins in your windows and hallways, or even worse, purchase one of those 20-foot inflatable lawn ornaments. Festive holiday decor means using warm fall colours and putting a pumpkin or colourful corn stalks on your stoop, not creating a haunted house complete with coffins and cauldrons.

Happy Hallowe'en everyone. Just remember not to scare away your holiday Chatham-Kent home buyers. If you need help selling your home, feel free to check out my latest Chatham-Kent real estate listings, give me a call at 519-360-0141, or email me via my real estate Contact Page.