8 Home Details That Can Turn Off Homebuyers

When it comes to selling your home, first impressions are everything. A home tour or open house can make or break a potential buyer’s decision and, while you may be proud of your space, certain details can turn off homebuyers without you even realizing it. From cluttered countertops and lingering pet odors to unusual paint choices, seemingly small issues can leave a negative impression and distract from the true potential of your home, leaving buyers with doubts that are hard to overcome.

Below, we’re rounding up common missteps that could sabotage your home’s appeal, straight from real estate professionals who know a thing or two about getting top dollar for a house.

Unpleasant Smells

Now, we’re not saying that your home needs to smell like freshly baked cookies during every real estate tour, but outright unpleasant smells can turn buyers off from the second they walk in. And because nose blindness is a real thing, you may not even realize the odor your home has. “Pet odors, strong cooking smells, soiled carpets, mold, and smoke can all deter buyers,” says Terry Mainord, a luxury home stager and interior designer. “Lingering smoke often requires remediation with specialized paint, and replacing carpets in affected areas can also be beneficial.” Diffusers or subtle air fresheners can help create a more welcoming environment. Just be sure choose mild, fresh scents, because fragrances that are too overwhelming can be a turnoff, too.

Too Many Personal Touches

One of the keys to helping prospective buyers fall in love with your home is cultivating an environment they can picture themselves in—and that becomes very difficult if your entire wedding album is hung on every wall. “I always recommend clients avoid displaying lots of family photos when putting their home on the market,” says Meridith Baer, a luxury home stager and founder of Meridith Baer Home. “Buyers want to imagine themselves living in the house, not you.” Swap any hanging photos with inexpensive printable art—lots can be found on Etsy—that matches your decor and feels generic enough to appeal to buyers. 

A Floorplan With an Identity Crisis

When prepping your home for sale, pencil in a time to walk through the space with neutral eyes to examine whether or not each room is living up to its full potential. The last thing you want is for buyers to leave uninspired by how you use the home and resigned to the fact that their lives could never “work” there. “Rooms should have a clear and logical purpose,” says Mainord. “Awkward spaces, like extra rooms or oversized foyers, can be a turn-off unless their potential is clearly defined.” If you’re unclear on how to make the most of a spare bedroom or empty corner, Mainord recommends bringing in a stager, who can help showcase these spaces as functional areas, transforming them into a home office, craft room, reading nook, or workout area.

Polarizing Paint Colors

Gone are the days when coating your home in head-to-toe white was the only way to guarantee a sale. Now, the reigns have loosened a bit on paint color choices, but that doesn’t mean you can go crazy dipping into primary hues at the paint counter. “We’ve seen a real departure from the old adage in real estate that sellers should play it safe by painting every room white,” says Amanda Pendleton, home trends expert for Zillow. “Zillow’s most recent paint color analysis finds that charcoal gray walls are associated with higher offer prices than white in every room studied, including the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. If you’re thinking about resale, you’ll want to stay on top of color trends and speak to your agent about what buyers in your neighborhood are drawn to. Focus on repainting the common areas first, and any spaces that feature bright, primary colors.”  

Lackluster Curb Appeal

The exterior of your home is like its calling card; if you’re not wowing buyers from the moment they step out of their cars, you’re missing out on a major opportunity to impress them. “Curb appeal matters,” says Nick Boniakowski, head of agent partnerships at Opendoor. “The front and back of your home are just as important as the inside. Spruce things up by planting flowers, replacing old fixtures, painting your front door, and adding porch furniture, which are all relatively inexpensive updates that can transform the space.” 

Excessive Clutter

One of the first things you should do upon deciding to list your home? Secure yourself a storage unit. According to the pros, you should purge your home of at least half its clutter and embrace a more minimalistic existence while it’s on the market. “Make it a priority to get rid of clutter,” says Baer. “Move or throw out as much as possible—buyers want to imagine living peacefully in the house, not surrounded by stacks of paperwork and over-stuffed closets. Give stuff away, pack stuff up, and put it in storage if you can’t let it go. Clearing out your closets and maybe even arranging clothes by color will be pleasing to the buyer’s eye.” 

Low-Quality Photos

Though they’re not directly related to how your home looks in person, the photos that accompany your real estate listing are paramount when it comes to getting people in the door for tours. “Professional photography is essential when listing a home since photos are the first impression future buyers will have,” says Boniakowski. “Poorly lit photos can mean that your listing is overlooked entirely before buyers even set foot in the home. Having a home professionally staged with paintings, throw blankets, furniture and decorative pillows can elevate the look of a home for maximum attraction.” 

Drab Lighting

Even the best house on the block can look like a sad, oppressive cave without the right lighting in place. Before listing your home, do everything you can to maximize the available light in your home, both natural and artificial. “Take down heavy, out-of-date draperies and let in natural light,” says Baer. “You should also make sure to leave on lamps and soft lighting when there’s going to be a showing to give your home that welcoming atmosphere.”