Before You Put Your Home On The Market
Selling a home is a long game, and staying on top of its true market value takes more than the occasional weekend tidy-up. If you’re hoping to lure in eager buyers and make sure your agent lists your place for what it’s really worth, it’s worth sizing up the sneaky factors that may have been chipping away at your home’s price tag over the years.
Outside Appearances Matter
The upkeep of the yard, exterior of the house, and curb neatness are all first-impression factors when a prospective buyer does a walk-through or drives by your home. If your home looks unkempt from the outside, or exterior repairs are too obvious, you may be repelling potential buyers.
Other Homes In The Area Can Impact Salability
Abandoned homes, or having a “zombie house” as it’s colloquially referred to, in your neighborhood can impact the desirability of your home. Dilapidated homes with untamed yards and boarded-up windows can scare prospective buyers from the area.
Cracks In The Pavement
This issue doesn’t seem as obvious or important, but an appraiser will factor in these signs of physical depreciation. Adrian Muller, president of Hudson View Appraisal Services says that “large cracks and potholes on the driveway surface raise a red flag in the appraisal process”. So, you may want to reseal these cracks on the driveway before putting your home on the market.
Strange Landscaping Designs
We get it: your unique expression must be creatively displayed on your landscape. But even if the upkeep of your lawn is perfect, odd or weird designs that are too personal could damage your home's selling appeal.
Strange Landscaping Designs
You should opt for more neutral designs to avoid repulsing a prospective buyer who wants to develop the yard to their taste. Also, large trees in the front of the house should be cut and trimmed to avoid falling onto the roof.
Not Keeping Up With The Joneses
Updating features of your home that reflect other houses in the neighborhood is a good habit to keep. Muller says that “homes without features that are common in the area such as a patio or pool in Florida, will have an overall lower value”.
Nearby Fracking Sites
Living near a shale gas well can do more than add a little background noise—it can quietly chip away at your home’s long-term value. Studies from Duke University and Resources for the Future found that Pennsylvania homeowners saw prices drop by as much as 24 percent when they lived within 1.25 miles of a well. The hit is even harder for houses that depend on groundwater, where every sip suddenly comes with a side of concern.
Explore Different Siding Options
Opting for aluminum siding may not benefit you in the long run. Aluminum siding has many advantages like insulation, durability, and helps to repel bugs but today’s homebuyers are not looking for aluminum siding as it cheapens the look of the house.
Explore Different Siding Options
It’s not just aluminum siding that gets a bad rap for homeowners looking to sell, houses with multi-colored siding are also an eyesore and can be a challenge for real estate agents to sell as a professional listing.
An Unkempt Lawn
According to the Appraisal Institute, landscaping your yard can possibly increase your home value. If you’ve let your lawn go, now may be the time to remove dead plants, shrubs, and unsightly weeds. Taking the time to care about your yard’s appearance and health will prove worthwhile in the long run.
A Fireplace That Is Filled In
Maintaining a fireplace over the years can be challenging, so instead of preserving the hearth, you’ve decided to fill it in with brick or decommission it in some way. However, according to Melissa Terzis, a real estate agent in Washington, DC, this choice could impact your home’s value.
A Fireplace That Is Filled In
Terzis says that “buyers seem to always want fireplaces, and when they come across a home where the fireplace appears to have been filled with bricks or otherwise taken out of service, they always question what needs to occur to bring it back into working order”. The overall costs associated with restoration may lower the overall selling price of your home, says Terzis.
Having A Pool On Your Property
You may have created happy memories around the family pool but don’t expect a prospective buyer to appreciate the same sentiments you hold about your pool. Many buyers don’t even look for a home with a pool, says Heather Kandawire, a real estate agent in northern New Jersey.
Having A Pool On Your Property
Kandawire points out that plenty of buyers eye pools the same way they eye high-maintenance pets: fun in theory, pricey in practice. Between insurance, upkeep, and paying someone to fish leaves out of the deep end, the costs can make shoppers think twice. But if you’re selling a luxury home with room to spare, consider this exception the rule—deep pockets tend to love a deep end.
Too Much Wallpaper
An easy way to improve wallpapered rooms before selling is to remove the wallpaper and repaint. Why? Potential buyers who aren't DIY-savvy may see wallpaper removal as costly and time-consuming, making them more likely to choose a home that requires less initial work.
A Bad Neighbor
No matter how beautiful and meticulously maintained your home is, having a neighbor on a predator offender list is generally a deal-breaker for potential buyers. Living near someone on such a list can significantly impact your property’s value.
Dated Kitchen Cabinets
The kitchen can be a sticking point for buyers seeking a modern space, only to find a large, beautiful kitchen with outdated cabinets. Even if your marble countertops sparkle, outdated cabinets can be an eyesore that overshadows the rest of the kitchen's appeal.
Brass Fixtures Everywhere
Brass fixtures are another feature that can affect a home’s overall appeal to buyers. Though subtle and easy to replace, they can make a home feel dated without buyers even realizing why.
A Dirty Koi Pond
If you have a passing stream or koi pond on your property, make sure it’s well-maintained and clean. Having one may increase your property value, but it should look immaculate before showing or listing your home.
An Unpleasant Layout
Today’s buyers tend to favor open layouts over the compartmentalized designs typical of split-level homes. These layouts can be costly to modify and often significantly impact a home’s value.
There Is Carpet Everywhere
Hardwood floors are in, and the carpet is out. Many older homes have hardwood floors under the carpet just waiting to be refinished and restored by a professional. So, before you sell, remove the carpet and wear slippers to keep your feet warm.
Your Property Is Located Near A Church
Not every buyer is thrilled about living in the shadow of a church, especially when Sunday traffic turns the street into a parking-lot pilgrimage. For bigger congregations, that weekend congestion can go from mild inconvenience to full-on deal-breaker.
Too Many Foreclosures In The Area
While not all foreclosures are openly marked as such, those that are can influence how prospective buyers perceive your property and neighborhood.
A Loss In The Home
Buyers with superstitious beliefs may research whether there was a loss of life in the home and skip the listing—especially if the circumstances around the loss were nefarious or mysterious.
Unavoidable Street Traffic
Living on a busy street or a one-way-in, one-way-out neighborhood can lower your home’s value compared to a similar home on a quiet, peaceful street.
Having Paneling In Your Home
There was a time when paneling in basements or recreation rooms was trendy, but that’s no longer the case. To boost your home’s appeal, consider removing the paneling before listing.
Constant Noise Pollution Issues
Living near an airport or subway station can be a turn-off for some buyers due to the constant sound of planes overhead or the screech of train brakes. Noise pollution is real, and this constant background noise can negatively impact your home’s value.
Making Upgrades Without A Permit
If you're aiming for a strong home appraisal, unpermitted modifications could impede potential buyers from securing financing for your property. Unauthorized basement suites, for example, can be a particular red flag. For more on what can affect your home appraisal, check out the next slide.
Having Unsightly Structures Near Your Home
Phone towers, landfills, and power plants are examples of environmental factors that can hurt your home appraisal. These structures can block views or impact air quality—both of which can bring down property value.
Knickknacks And Other Clutter
Your army of 20 porcelain cats might spark joy for you, but to buyers, it can feel more like a tiny, ceramic ambush. When it’s time to show your home, dialing back the décor helps people see the space—not your feline fan club. Safely stash the collection so visitors can focus on the house instead of counting whiskers.
A Lingering Bad Smell
Strong tobacco or heavy cooking odors can deter even the most interested buyers during a showing. Real estate broker Michele Beaudoin recommends creating a welcoming scent by baking a cake, brewing coffee, or using a lemon-scented diffuser to make the home smell fresh and inviting.
School District Information
Living in a thriving school district is a major draw to most prospective buyers, so if your school district is popular, well-attended, and well-funded, this can positively impact your property value.
School District Information
On the other hand, schools with poor reputations or limited funding for attractive playgrounds and landscaping can lower property values in the area. While you may have little control over a school's reputation, being an involved parent can help enhance your child’s educational experience.
Exterior Paint
Old, faded, peeling, or cracked paint can discourage prospective buyers from considering your home. A fresh coat of paint can significantly enhance your home’s appeal and improve its selling potential.
Exterior Paint
Finished repainting your home? Great! Hopefully, you chose the right color. Even with a fresh look, an unusual color can be off-putting to buyers. Sticking to neutral or popular color themes is usually best to attract a broader audience.
Major Repairs On The Backburner
Major issues like serious mold, HVAC problems, or a leaky roof should be addressed before listing your home—otherwise, you may face thousands off your asking price.
Major Repairs On The Backburner
Whatever you do, avoid DIY fixes if you're not skilled or just looking for a quick solution. Instead, hire a professional who can help you make repairs in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.
José Andrés Pacheco Cortes, Pexels
Bathroom Remodeling
A bathroom refresh can boost your home’s value, but it’s surprisingly easy to veer into carnival-funhouse territory with loud wallpaper, flashy fixtures, or paint colors that scream instead of soothe. And when it comes to choosing a toilet, skip the statement pieces. A clean, neutral, high-quality model keeps buyers happy—they’re looking for a blank slate, not a personality test.
Bathroom Remodeling
If you're updating the flooring, avoid linoleum or carpet and choose durable, attractive options like hardwood or tile. Stick with classic, tasteful choices to appeal to more buyers and help maintain your property’s value.
