Some things that are on buyer’s minds:
Assumptions– Buyers always think it costs 2-3 times as much to fix something as it really does. If they see small things like burned out light bulbs, a dirty house, or even if a house is dated, they think it has not been well maintained. Fix the little things, clean and declutter, change the paint color and remove wall paper (if you can afford it) for a faster sale and a higher price. Stage it! I can help with this.
Photos -Photos are everything! Lots of photos! Great photos! Buyers look on-line to decide where to go. Often, they can’t get past the photos to decide to see the actual house. When a house is well photographed it sticks in the buyer’s memory!
Pricing -If the home is seriously overpriced, buyers will wait for the price to come down before they will go look at it. They believe the seller isn’t flexible/realistic and do not want to waste their time making an offer. Of course, most still want to start with a low offer because they want a “deal” and they think that’s how it is supposed to be done. But they will almost always come back up.
Staging – Buyer standards are high. Their expectations are often based on HGTV, looking at homes on the web, and even builder’s models. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but your home does need to measure up.
No Imagination – Buyers have trouble looking at a room and visualizing how their things will fit/look. They can’t see beyond clutter and personal objects. They have trouble visualizing what a room would look like with neutral colors rather than bright/dark colors. Rooms need to be shown with the expected purpose. For example, don’t show the dining room as a home gym.
Scary things – Radon and lead paint scare buyers. So does the presence of mold. It may be a good idea to get a prelisting home inspection so they will know the condition and you can address these issues before selling. Give them peace of mind.
