What would turn you off in a house for sale ?

[chuckabone]

I am totally in the minority here, I am under the opinion that anything can be fixed. We bought a total dump of a house and yes it has take a while but it is so worth it. I knew that even thought it was really bad it was going to be perfect for us so I overlooked the smells, clutter,the popcorn ceiling falling down, no door, too many dogs, bad carpets,no walls in some rooms, bad cabinets and the list could go on and on, I knew my house was perfect for me when I looked outside and saw my dd running thru the fields. We are totally about the location. I could literally see myself pulling up in the driveway every day.

 

[Buckalew11]

I would think taking all the pictures off the wall (ceiling, practically!) and painting would be a great help inside. The brown in the dining room is really dark. In bedroom #2, the walls need a coat of paint, as well as the ceilings, IMHO.

I know one can say people can paint it themselves whatever color they want but I think a fresh coat of paint would really help the initial reaction people will have to this home. I love older homes but I do not esp. want to look and only be able to see "work"--I want to see some charm. The layout looks nice--closets/ storage...

 

[Baliezer]

Really???? You wouldn't buy a house because the sellers had their table against a wall??

Wouldn't necessarily turn me off from buying the house, but it would confuse me as to the sizing of the room and how my furniture could be placed.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I wouldn't want to be here for showing. This is how most of the rooms look. You can see colors. There are also floor plans, I know that is one thing I would love to know about a house I am buying before even looking. Some of the new houses just flow weird.

http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a125/pyrxtc/5bedsnewburyNH/

No smokers in the house and not allowed by visitors. Most windows have been replaced and all appliances and furnace and other stuff are less than 10 years old.

I would take down most of the pictures in the living room and put up a mirror or something there. I would also consider moving the big entertainment cabinet out - I think it makes the room look smaller.

I think the rest looks fine, except the outside paint, but you said there wasn't anything you could do about that right now.

It looks clean -that's a big plus! Especially in an older home.

 

[Social Worker Sue]

Can you post pictures of the bathrooms and kitchen? A house can be bought in a day or sit for a year based on the kitchen and baths.

 

[faith]

Clutter and odors are a turn off.
If your older basement has mildew smell, Damp Rid is a great product.
Available Home Depot, probably lots of other stores.
Hope your house sells soon.

 

[SC Minnie]

wallpaper. If your house has a lot of wallpaper I'm not even going to give it a second thought especially wallpaper in the stair well.

 

[Janepod]

Having looked at the pictures, your home looks very cluttered. I would take everything down from the walls -- all the photos. Clear off the dresser in what looks like the daughter's room. Maybe even get rid of the ceiling fan - it looks out of place, it makes the room look smaller, and you don't need it in New England (at least not enough for it to be a selling point.) That thing that looks like a red and blue star - take that down. There's a room that looks like it's missing a closet door -- maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it looks in the photo. Either put a door on it or straighten out the shelves. And by straighten out, I mean empty them completely. Don't have anything on closet floors. Get rid of the chairs on your front lawn.

The pic that says hardwood floors, what is that? Three types of flooring? I can't tell what I'm looking at on the monitor but it looks weird.

Anyway, all of these changes are easy to make and will cost you $0.00.

 

[pyrxtc]

Can you post pictures of the bathrooms and kitchen? A house can be bought in a day or sit for a year based on the kitchen and baths.

both are outdated completely but everything matches.

 

[sunshinehighway]

wallpaper. If your house has a lot of wallpaper I'm not even going to give it a second thought especially wallpaper in the stair well.

Good point. With an old house I'd be really concern about what the wall were like under the wallpaper. I've known quite a few people that thought they were in for a weekend wallpaper removal job and ended up having the horsehair crumble right off with the wallpaper.

 

[threeboysmom]

I'm going to be brutally honest after looking at the pictures - mostly just nitpicky things.

1) Love love LOVE the master suite area!!! That gives you a huge edge over other homes.

2) The pictures on the walls have to go. They are cluttered and not even hanging straight, adding to the confusion. As another poster suggested, hang a mirror instead to create the illusion of a larger room. I'd go with a light neutral paint color too - that room is way too dark.

3) Do you have a plant and some books or something to go on the coffee table? The room just really looks too cold and stark.

4) The bedroom is way too cluttered. Stuff just stuffed into closet and in nightstand. Can you get some boxes and put that stuff away (under the bed or at a friend's?)

Really need to see your kitchen and bathrooms. That's what the majority of people will focus on.

 

[Granny square]

Get rid of all pictures and personal items and anything smaller than a shoebox. As well as the ceiling fan. I'd paint a different color also.

I hated depersonalizing but when we went for a staged look the house sold. Good luck!

 

[pyrxtc]

Having looked at the pictures, your home looks very cluttered. I would take everything down from the walls -- all the photos. Clear off the dresser in what looks like the daughter's room. Maybe even get rid of the ceiling fan - it looks out of place, it makes the room look smaller, and you don't need it in New England (at least not enough for it to be a selling point.) That thing that looks like a red and blue star - take that down. There's a room that looks like it's missing a closet door -- maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it looks in the photo. Either put a door on it or straighten out the shelves. And by straighten out, I mean empty them completely. Don't have anything on closet floors. Get rid of the chairs on your front lawn.

The pic that says hardwood floors, what is that? Three types of flooring? I can't tell what I'm looking at on the monitor but it looks weird.

Anyway, all of these changes are easy to make and will cost you $0.00.

We have two different colors of rug squares on the floor and that one just shows what it looks like without the rugs. They will be up as soon as winter is over. All rugs will be pulled up as soon as it's warm enough. Much easier to clean then. Already cleaned out those shelves and it has a curtain over the front of it but it was down in the picture. The door next to it, to the right, is a walk in cedar closet.

I took these pictures this summer so it's not exactly how it looks now, bedrooms have been moved around.

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

I don't understand where the master suite is: is it UNDER THE GARAGE? If so, I'd turn and walk out. Sorry, but it's true.

Edit: or is it an addition in the back? I can't tell.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Pets, Cigarette smell, filth. If the house is dirty and smelly it is an instant no. I don't mind clutter as people have to live. I don't mind toys as I thought it was nice to see how others set up the kids rooms as inspiration if I bought the house. Pictures and stuff didn't bother me either. I know this sounds weird but I liked to see that the people who lived there were happy. I wouldn't want a miserable house. Insane I know, but it's one of my "things"

 

[DisneyCrazyMomma]

Having looked at the pictures, your home looks very cluttered. I would take everything down from the walls -- all the photos. Clear off the dresser in what looks like the daughter's room. Maybe even get rid of the ceiling fan - it looks out of place, it makes the room look smaller, and you don't need it in New England (at least not enough for it to be a selling point.) That thing that looks like a red and blue star - take that down. There's a room that looks like it's missing a closet door -- maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it looks in the photo. Either put a door on it or straighten out the shelves. And by straighten out, I mean empty them completely. Don't have anything on closet floors. Get rid of the chairs on your front lawn.

The pic that says hardwood floors, what is that? Three types of flooring? I can't tell what I'm looking at on the monitor but it looks weird.

Anyway, all of these changes are easy to make and will cost you $0.00.

I disagree. I live in an area where it snows and is cold all the time, and I love ceiling fans and would be disappointed if a bedroom didn't have one... would be something I'd have to do.

 

[badblackpug]

I don't understand where the master suite is: is it UNDER THE GARAGE? If so, I'd turn and walk out. Sorry, but it's true.

Edit: or is it an addition in the back? I can't tell.

I can't either. If the master is in the basement, that's a total deal breaker.

Honestly OP, the house would either have to be a steal, as in wayyyy under market price, or you would have to do a lot of work.

Total remodels of bathrooms and kitchens are very expensive. It's an older house that has had relatively little maintenance.

First, in order to make up for the half painted exterior, the interior would need to be pristine.

Minimally I think you should paint. That one room is very dark. It's a small room and that dark color closes it in more. The bedroom that is shown should be painted, too, and the wallpaper removed. Pick light, neutral paint colors that make the smaller rooms look larger. Clean out the clutter and the tchotchkes. Put a door on that closet.

If you have nice hardwoods, pull up those carpets and refinish the floors.

I don't even know what to tell you about the kitchen and bathrooms. Kitchens sell houses. If you watch any of the HGTV shows it's all about the kitchen.

Improve the curb appeal. Finish the painting. Clean up the yard. Add some landscaping.

The housing market is terrible. You either need to have something very special to offer, or a very cheap price.

 

[Hrhpd]

I wouldn't want to be here for showing. This is how most of the rooms look. You can see colors. There are also floor plans, I know that is one thing I would love to know about a house I am buying before even looking. Some of the new houses just flow weird.

http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a125/pyrxtc/5bedsnewburyNH/

No smokers in the house and not allowed by visitors. Most windows have been replaced and all appliances and furnace and other stuff are less than 10 years old.

Just a few things I noticed in your pictures:

The ceiling in the first room shown has visible buckles in it. I don't know if it is shadows on the picture or if there is water damage. If I was looking at your house through realtor.com or some other one, I would probably continue to look and would only view your house if there were none others that looked better.

Straighten your pictures. Maybe it is the OCD in me, but seeing pictures hanging at skewed angles takes the focus off the room. Better yet, take them all down.

Put a nice vase of flowers on the coffee table to warm things up when you take the "official" pictures. Put a couple of pretty pillows on the couches. It is very brown, so looks a bit bland.

Take some of the personal stuff off the walls, such as the butterflies on the closet door. It is distracting.

Other than that, I can't see any major issues that would turn me off.

 

[Kathi OD]

Odors are a biggie with me. I can overlook a little clutter. I think it depends on what you are looking to put into the house. I am not against a little post-purchase reno, so I can overlook paint, wallpaper, carpet, etc. unless it's just really weird and hideous.

Odors would be a huge turn-off for me (smell of cigarettes, pet odors). Clutter, wallpaper, paint colors, too much furniture don't bother me. The owners will be taking their stuff with them, and I can paint and strip wallpaper with the best of them. The "bones" of the house are more important - does it have a good roof, good furnace, is the structure sound - that kind of thing ranks highest for me.

This is me. Strong odors are pretty much the only turn off for me. Depending on the house itself, I can deal with almost everything else. DH and I even bought a house that had wallpaper on the inside of the exterior doors (to match the decor) and all the solid interior doors, including the one to the bathroom, had been replaced with 2 piece doors. It also had a new driveway that was about 5 inches higher than the floor of the garage, rendering the garage useless for its intended purpose. There were quite a few other funky things going on, but...it had good bones, was in a decent neighborhood, and had a GREAT price!

 

[Social Worker Sue]

If I may, how much do you plan to list your home at?