Could you please answer this for me regarding looking at houses

[lynn]

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear___________.

 

What I like when I walk into a house_________________.

 

I can't stand to ______________________in a house.

 

_____________ gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

 

 

We are in a buyers market and I want to know what we can do for our house to stand out.

[WTMCassandra]

I just want the house to be CLEAN, and empty of people.

 

All three houses we have bought, for some reason or another people were there when we looked at them. I really hate this.

 

And for various reasons, none of the three were clean when turned over to us. Grrrr. And for various reasons, we had to suck it up.

 

Pet peeves!

[Freckles]

When I walk into a house I was to see a clean environment, feel peace, hear__birds chirping or silence_________.

 

What I like when I walk into a house__Is for it to feel organized and functional_______________.

 

I can't stand to ____see pet hair or smell cats________________in a house.

 

__Clean, organized, well smelling space___________ gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

 

 

We are in a buyers market and I want to know what we can do for our house to stand out.

 

 

I have a home for sale in East Texas that is sitting empty. Let me know any secrets to getting sold if you have any.

[GailV]

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear__cool temperature_________.

 

What I like when I walk into a house_________________.

 

I can't stand to ____any sort of cooking smells, including vanilla or cinnamon, nor any heavy artificial scents__________________in a house.

 

_Books, photos ____________ gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

 

 

We are in a buyers market and I want to know what we can do for our house to stand out.

 

 

In general, I'm attracted to "fresh" and "tranquil".

 

I know many people say to use cinnamon or vanilla, but I want to leave a house ASAP if those scents are in the air. Same for most potpourri. I have a friend who is outright allergic to the stuff, especially cinnamon.

 

Also, my MIL (a realtor) thinks everything should be as bland as possible, but I like personality such as personal photos, fun paint jobs in the kids' rooms, etc.

[Momof3littles]

Like to see: well maintained, no half arsed repairs, no bad smells, nobody home, depersonalized and decluttered (the last two aren't deal killers, but it is at times hard to not be distracted by those). We always paint whatever home we buy, but it is still easier for me to picture things if there aren't crazy, badly painted colors all over the walls.

 

Most important to me: floor plan/overall layout, right # of bedrooms/bathrooms, good, flat, playable yard that is a size that works for us, yard that doesn't appear to have drainage issues or other concerns. We live in suburbia for better or for worse, so I do consider the type of neighborhood, amount of traffic, etc. pretty heavily.

 

Things that have helped when we sold (in both up and down markets): clean, clean, clean, declutter massively, pack up out of season clothes, shoes, etc. and put in storage (hanging in wardrobe boxes ready to go for move), store any long term storage things. Declutter linen closets to the minimum needed for your family so that everything looks clean and organized and not bursting at the seams. THose things make your house look bigger, organized, etc. and the cost isn't much at all (other than if you are paying for a storage facility). Buy a new set of towels and hand towels, maybe a new shower curtain if you don't have shower doors. You can take those things with you and they do spruce things up a bit IME. Ditto nice duvet or comforter on your MBR bed, nice pillows (not overdone, but ones that make your bedroom look like an adult lives there, you know?). Depersonalize family photos, get rid of or pack knick knacks. Pare down kitchen so drawers, pantry, etc. are not overflowing. if you have an infrequently used dining room and nice china, stemware, etc. stage the table with china, glasses, etc. if you can swing it (can be tough with young kids). Again, using what you have to stage things.

 

keep things as immaculate as possible. Pare down kid toys drastically (just rotate out or put in storage temporarily) to make cleanup easier for showings. Have a check sheet of last minute things to do for showings. Wipe down appliances, countertops, vacuum quickly, whatever. Have a stash spot for those things you can't do much about until the last minute before a showing (a friend's realtor gave them two lidded, wicker hampers for a stash spot)

 

Fix any and all deferred maintenance items possible. Neutral paint if you can (I don't object to colors but sadly some people are turned off if they think they'll "have to" paint).

 

No smells. I mean, we baked cookies for an open house but I would be hesitant to add fragrance. The first house we sold we bought those things that look like little hangers but have a small slice of cedar hanging from them. Sand them and it makes your closet smell good. That's pretty subtle. But I would not spray, etc.

 

At one house in a down market we sold in two weeks. We did 2 mini bathroom updates before listing, and wondered why we didn't do it sooner. Painted the dated wood tone cabinetry (did this well. A poorly done job would be worse!) Replaced the bathroom mirrors with thrifted but awesome looking oval mirrors. Changed faucets out (just over $20 but much nicer looking than the ones on there). Painted the bathrooms, changed a shower curtain. It really did freshen things up taken together, and for a very low cost.

 

can't stand: smoke, people home, clutter so extensive I can't picture my stuff, tell how roomy or not the rooms are, dirty house, bad yard, bad neighborhood. Don't trust things if I sense there is shoddy construction, water damage, poorly draining yard or anything else that after owning several homes I am on alert about.

[Swimtaxi234]

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear ... a clean, staged house void of any clutter and ZERO nasty pet smells or evidence of smokers. I don't want to see a glass aquarium with your MONSTER pet SPIDER! :eek:

 

What I like when I walk into a house ... all the work already done since I don't want to have to consider all the work I will have to do (painting, gutting anything with small tiles in the kitchen, nasty bathrooms, etc.)

 

I can't stand to see wild colors on walls in a house. I know paint is cheap, but I don't want to have to paint, replace carpet/floors, etc unless there is a decorating budget involved.

 

Warm colors on the walls, zero clutter, gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

[Swimtaxi234]

Double post

[Swimtaxi234]

Triple post

[Guest inoubliable]

When I walk into a house I was to see clean!, feel clean!, hear normal house sounds - no weird electrical pops or wheezing a/c or heat.

 

What I like when I walk into a house is to not have to dodge clutter and/or pet mess.

 

I can't stand to see clutter and/or pets (or their messes) in a house.

 

Clean lines, neutral colors, open space gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

 

 

We are in a buyers market and I want to know what we can do for our house to stand out.

 

 

 

We were looking for a house earlier in the year and we're supposed to go back out again in August to look again. What was a huge turn off for us when we were looking was the pet issue. Really. I'm not anti-pet exactly, but people would have obvious cat boxes out, or pet hair all over, or big bags of dog food spilling onto the floor in the kitchen. The smell of pets always gets to me, too. Some houses smell very much like an animal. This isn't a bad thing sometimes, but some houses smelled like several pets lived there and no one had open a door or window in 20 years.

Space. Oh my. Have some space to walk around. I may be in the minority but having a ton of photos displayed on every table surface, piles of shoes or coats, books stacked to the ceiling - makes me feel claustrophobic. I can't picture myself living there. I picture the OWNER living there (and I'm silently wondering if this is how it always looks...).

Oh, and artificial scents. There were a few houses we went into that had some sort of air freshener in there. I don't know if it was a plug-in type or a candle or what. One house smelled like sugar cookies. The other was like some wildflower. Both very overpowering.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear cleanliness and peace.

 

What I like when I walk into a house - bright, areas of natural light

 

I can't stand to smell pets in a house.

 

??? Depends on the house ??? gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

[gingersmom]

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear not see funky paint colors that must be changed before I move in, I don't want to hear neighbors barking dogs or neighbors screaming children

 

What I like when I walk into a house neatness, no obvious smells, not overly cluttered with your stuff and pictures all over the walls

 

I can't stand to smell cigarettes, incense, potpourri, strong spices, pet odors in a house.

 

gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.All going to come down to does the house have a good useable layout and everything I am looking for (# of beds, bathrooms, finished basement, etc).

 

I recently sold/purchased a home. My house was so decluttered that people thought I had moved out already (we hadn't). The house I purchased had no smells, neutral paint colors, kitchen counters were clutter free, whole house was clutter free, neat, tidy and very clean.

 

I did pass on a house that reeked of some kind of incense or something. I was not even swayed by the incredible movie theater room (complete with real movie screen). The smell was so bad I was getting a headache and had to leave.

 

Then there was the house with the lime green walls with purple polka dots. I couldn't even walk into the room it was so crazy.

[Tita Gidge]

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear the illusion that this house will offer me a clutter-free, organized life.

 

What I like when I walk into a house is to see "the pride of ownership" - little things taken care of, leading me to believe larger things have been taken care of, as well. So, no nicks in paint or tiles, no wet telltale signs of leaking faucets, no running toilets, doors and windows open/close easily, yard is maintained, etc. Clean, yes, but more importantly, CARED FOR. I'm looking for a home, not a project. Projects elicit different emotions, and therefore different bids (from me).

 

I can't stand to see wallpaper in a house. I'd rather not re-paint or re-floor, but I will. But I'll pass on a house rather than remove wallpaper. Or worse, lowball my bid because I've BTDT and have zero desire to remove wallpaper so I assign a higher value to what it would cost to have to deal with that.

 

Good staging gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there. Some balance between totally lived-in and empty adds to the illusion that this house will meet my needs for space, will accommodate my furnishings, and is a blank enough slate to put my own mark on it. It spoon-feeds me an ideal.

 

We are in a buyers market and I want to know what we can do for our house to stand out.

Good luck! Focus on selling a dream, not a house. That's your key.

[Orthodox6]

[see insertions, below]

 

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear. . . I want to see no clutter, no wall posters of "celebrities" or of popular musicians, no unmade beds. I want to hear silence, not television, radio, or music player.

 

What I like when I walk into a house: Flowers and/or green plants -- live, not plastic. Shelves filled with books, CDs, DVDs. Ceiling fans.

 

I can't stand to smell the presence of animals (or of animal waste), smell the odor of cigarettes, cigars, or of any other "smokable" substance, or smell food (from cooking or from the trash bin). , ______________________in a house.

 

Musical instruments, books, photographs, and LOTS of natural light coming through windows (please pull up the blinds!) give a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

 

 

We are in a buyers market and I want to know what we can do for our house to stand out.

 

No loud paint jobs on the walls. Wallpaper is just fine, so long as it is clean and not torn/dog-eared.

 

If you, your husband, and/or child are/is refurbishing an automobile/boat/airplane in the front or back yard, could you find a temporary home for it?

 

I don't care how messy your garage is. Stuff it full with everything you don't want in the house while you are on the market. You will receive my sympathy, but absolutely not my negative judgement!

[Catwoman]

We're planning to buy an apartment in the city to use on weekends, so I have been looking at a lot of listings lately, and the things I notice most are cleanliness, neutral paint colors (no wallpaper,) modern kitchen and baths, lots of sunlight, and an overall sense that everything has been well-maintained.

 

I'm looking at the online listings for every single place available in the buildings we like, and I have noticed that even though the floor plans can be identical, the same basic apartment can look gorgeous or hideous, clean and appealing or dingy and depressing, and like a place we could picture ourselves buying or a place we wouldn't even want to visit even if it's much less expensive than a nicer one.

 

We don't want to do any remodeling, but even if we did, we would still lean toward a place that was clean, bright, and well-maintained, even if it was otherwise dated.

[Galatea]

My husband and I just had a contract accepted on the house we're going to buy, so I've recently been through the buying process. The most important things for me are that the home is clean and free of clutter. If it's dirty, I'm simply turned off. We have walked in doors and immediately walked out because of cleanliness. I include cigarette smoke smell in this. If I can smell that, it's not for me. Clutter is bad because it makes it hard to see the bones of the house, or to see how many outlets there are or things like that.

 

I also notice how much light there is. If you have heavy curtains, pull them back and let the light in. Weird paint colors don't bother me because that is easy to change, but wallpaper does because it involves work if I don't like it.

 

I don't like scented things like candles or wall pluggers because I always wonder what they're trying to cover up.

 

Sometimes I'm not sure what sells houses. I've been to a lot of houses lately and some that I hate sell faster than ones that I've loved. Different people have different needs.

[Dahliarw]

Definitely cleanliness and how organized it looks. I would highly recommend having a stager come out to rearrange your furniture and possibly rent you items to make your house look bigger. Put everything you can live without into storage until you move, including books and bookcases, extra toys, etc. Do not just shove them into closets. Buyers will look in your closets. It's a huge turn off to see one stuffed to the gills.

 

For cleanliness, fresh paint can go a long ways. Beige or off white may be boring to you, but it makes a house look warm and it's easy for the buyer to customize paint if they want when they move it (everythign goes with those colors, and they are easy to paint over). Clean walls (which fresh paint will leave you with) helps makes the house look well maintained and clean. Also have the carpets cleaned, no stains, etc. Replace carpet if you have to. Light is key, replace any burned out lightbulbs, open all your drapes (or take them down if needed), etc to get the light in. Leave the lights on when you leave the house and you know it's going to be shown. All of the lights.

 

Smell is huge for me too. I'm really sensitive to smell. When we bought our house the owners had baked some chocolate chip cookies right before our showing. It smelled so good and homey, and not fake (unlike air freshners). I think she probably just kept the refrigerated dough in the fridge and baked a few before a showing, but it worked.

 

Before someone even walks into your house, they are going to be judging it by what it looks like from the curb and will be forming impressions. So make sure your yard looks good, the trim on your house is touched up if needed, etc. and that there is no junk/garbage laying around. Make sure the garbage cans are not visible too.

[Slartibartfast]

Pet odor and smoke would be a huge issue with me. If the house had carpet and cats I probably would not want to buy it.

[Venia]

No one home!!! & crate/fence the pets if possible.

 

Clean and free of obvious smells. Strong incense or potpourri makes me think you are hiding something (like musty smells or pet urine).

 

Open up ALL the curtains an get as much light in there as possible. If you have a dark area, put on a cozy light.

 

Im OK with a bit of clutter, but if I am walking into an episode of hoarders there is no way Ill even put an offer. In essence, if I cant see the condition of the walls/floors/garage/etc, i'm not going to buy the walls/floor/garage/etc.

 

Fairly well maintained inside and out. I do not want to buy something someone has neglected for 10 years. Plus I like the idea of buying a home someone once loved.

 

Oh, and yes, I totally look in closets!! Im not being nosy, I want to see where I will be able to hide my "stuff" if I buy your house. I don't care if you collect toupees, or hang your underwear on hangers. Storage in a house is way too important to overlook for the sake of the owners privacy! Do not neglect the "closet of doom" I will find it and be horrified about how you crammed so much stuff in such a tiny space........make it look huge by organizing that stuff!

[Myeightkiddies]

Clean with minimal items - If it isn't, I am reminded of all the work that I need to do just to move-in to it.

No strong potpourri, air freshner, baked cookies, etc. - If I smell anything such as those, I instantly know you are covering up something, and I began to figure out what it is (and usually find it).

Keep it cool in the summer - If it is hot in there (or rather warm), I begin to wonder if the A/C unit is not working well or can't keep up with the house. At that point I just see dollar signs.

No dirty underwear - Last summer I was househunting. Many of them had dirty underwear in piles in the laundry room, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. It really turned me off on the houses.

[Catwoman]

I agree with everyone who was anti-stinky-houses. Smoke smell, pet odors, and mustiness are no-nos for me, and I also balk at strong, spicy cooking odors -- I'm not talking about the way a house smells right after someone cooked dinner; I'm talking about when you walk into an empty home and the odors have permeated the carpet, the cabinets, the walls, or whatever. :ack2:

[elfgivas]

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear - see light and the outside, feel peace, hear quiet or nature or mozart.

 

What I like when I walk into a house: space, clear kitchen counters.

 

I can't stand to smell animals or have it be dirty. in a house.

 

The smell of baking and lots of light gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

 

 

mostly, i like lots of windows, lots of light, lots of doors and almost no walls at all...... but if there is lots of light and space flows, i can manage a few walls ;)

[merry gardens]

When I walk into a house I was to see, feel, hear_ relaxed/relaxation, soft piano music, views of nature_________.

 

What I like when I walk into a house____windows open to a nice view of the yard with lots of light_____________.

 

I can't stand to _____________smell weird odors_________in a house.

 

______A great kitchen with lots of space and light_______ gives a house a homey feel and I can see myself living there.

[matrips]

I want to see cleanliness, spaciousness (no clutter!), model home type feeling and extra decor touches. Nice inside but not personalized. I want to see myself relaxing there, having space for my stuff, better than my old home I'm leaving.

 

What I like when i walk into a house is to be left alone, I don't want to be shadowed every moment. Light and bright is good too, too dark and forget it. Depressing feeling. All curtains open and lights on.

 

I can't stand clutter. And that goes for too much furniture in a house/room too.

 

Many of the things above can lead to a homey feeling for me if the house has what I'm looking for. Of course it still needs to meet my basic needs/wants. I also love having an outside area, patio or porch that is inviting.

 

 

 

When we sold out home last year (in one weekend), we had put stuff in a storage unit, hired a stager, and removed all toaster ovens, microwaves, coffeepots, trashcans, toothbrushes, etc and hid them from view in cabinets. We had candles, fake fruit things, vases, and other fake decor stuff instead on the counters and walls. They took my pictures down even and replaced them with theirs. Same even with our bedding, towels, comforters etc. All lights were on and all curtains wide open for each showing.