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Around this time last year I wrote “Dead Men don’t Tell Tales (Part II)”, a blog about gruesome surprises found in homes that real estate agents were showing. Here are some more home seller no-nos for you.

Home owners. One of the top offenses cited by buyer’s agents was home owners still lingering around when agents arrived with clients to preview the home. Awkward encounters ranged from buyers finding sellers taking a shower, asleep in the bed, to even the “stalker sellers” who liked to follow buyers and the agent all over the home to see what they thought. Many of the owners still at home blamed their listing agent for not giving them enough advance notice about the appointment. This is one reason why I believe it is better for the owner to make the appointment with the buyer-agents so these encounters don’t happen.

Pets and/or their messes.  Obvious pet stains and accidents are a huge turnoff for almost every buyer. And many agents have had not-so-friendly dog and kitty encounters. An agent in Raleigh, N.C., says she was given showing instructions that said the family’s “friendly dog” would be at home. But when she unlocked the front door with her client, a pit bull was staring down at them from the top of the staircase, growling. Needless to say, they closed the door and left. Even pets left in a crate can pose a distraction if they bark, whine or make noise the entire time others are in the house. Plus, if they seem unfriendly, the buyer might not even step in the room.

Bad smells.  In a previous blog “Smoking Kills You and Your Home”, I’ve showed how cigarette smoke affects both value and marketability of a home. I’ve also mentioned the importance in a seller showing tips article of eliminating any displeasing smell that could turn buyers off. Common offenses include animal smells and cooking smells, such as garlic or fried fish. The problem is sellers get immune to the smells in their home.  But anyone opening the door will smell them immediately, often over air fresheners trying to cover up the smell.  Intensive cleaning, new paint, and replacing carpeting can go a long way towards solving the problem.

Watch out for part 2 of this article for more property showing disasters.

If you would like to know more how to prepare your home for sale, contact me at 480 675-0112 or mark@simplysoldaz.com.