8 Turns Offs for Calgary Home Buyers and the Best Ways to Avoid Them

Well, it is not that simple. Families always need a land and home, but as the Calgary home buyers could attest, they have high expectations and specific needs. After all, their future will revolve around this purchase. And there are things that turned them off. Below are the lessons real estate brokers have learned through years of doing business in Calgary: what are the turn offs for home buyers and what are the best ways to avoid them.

Avoiding common turn offs is easy when you know what to look for.  - Photo by martiniko.

1. Unfinished projects

Those unfinished repairs – missing floorboards and cracks in the sidewalk – are a big turn off for potential buyers, so finish them. Besides, they cost less to fix than the deduction buyers will insist.

2. Dirt and odor

Calgary home buyers buy with their eyes and their noses. Nothing turns them off quicker than a dirty and smelly house. Sellers should aim to present the best condition of their properties, and it means going the extra-mile in making the house look and smell fresh. Focus areas should be carpets, tiles, bathrooms, and pet houses. For bathrooms, low-cost accessories like baskets, candles, and rolled-up towels can make buyers feel like they’re entering a spa.

3. Old furniture and fixtures

Unless they are part of a historic theme or of the turn-of-the-century appeal that characterizes houses in such communities like Mount Royal, no one wants to buy Calgary homes that look like second hand items. If you can’t afford to change the whole cabinet, invest in making it look new. Simple stuff like a new doorknob and or a new light fixture will make a big difference.

4. Old Wallpaper

It is big-time turn off. No buyer today wants to spend the first week removing that wallpaper you carefully selected five years ago. So, remove it yourself. Give the new owner a clean palate for them to choose their own wallpaper.

5. Popcorn acoustic ceilings

Yes, there was a time it was trendy but not today, at least not in Calgary. If you can’t afford to have it changed, then prepare to offer a discount based on the cost of removing and changing that popcorn acoustic ceiling.

6. Personal items of sentimental value

Stage your house as if it is not yours anymore. Do not decorate to live; decorate to sell. Those family photos and shell collection may look good to your eyes, but they make potential buyers feel like they are intruding. Neutral decors will do the trick like vases and candles. One important trick is to place a mirror in a strategic location so that potential home buyers can see themselves living there.

7. Misrepresenting your home

It is true that home staging is about illusions – creating an ambiance and a mood that fit to the buyer’s wishes. But it doesn’t mean that you will misrepresent it in the Calgary real estate listing. Tell the truth but highlight the best points.

8. Clutter In and Out

The fundamental rule for Calgary real estate: less is more. Most people look for a new home because they have outgrown their previous one. So, sellers should show them room to grow. Garage, closets, kitchens, and bookshelves should showcase space by using the rule of three. One-third full, one-third sparse, and one-third empty.

Selling a house is like dating for the first time. Put your best foot forward and just let the buyers discover the flaws later. Hopefully, they have grown in love with the place that they can live with the flaws, unless your buyer is Lex Luthor himself.