What Turns Off Most Buyers?
Don't Let These Deal-breakers Dissuade Buyers from Purchasing Your Home
By Barbara Ballinger CTW Features

Just when you think you've gotten your house in tiptop shape with freshly painted walls, clean carpeting and blooming flowers, you discover that the potential buyers found the house too personalized. All the photos of your extended family spread across the mantel proved too much of a distraction for them to admire your gorgeous kitchen. Or, the buyers may have liked the exterior of your charming Colonial but were disturbed that the gorgeous kitchen didn't have the now-expected granite countertops.

With the housing market making it tougher for sellers due to greater inventory and more rigorous buyer demands, it can be the little - and big - things that quickly turn away buyers, even when there's a great master bathroom or home theater. No matter how diligent you think you've been, each buyer has a mental list that may put a kibosh on any listing they're considering. While you can't possibly know what they are thinking in advance - or even correct all if you did, you can try your best to prepare by heeding the following frequently cited reasons, provided by real estate experts in different markets.

To counteract potential disappointments and manage expectations, Lorraine Denham, a salesperson with Coldwell Banker in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, meets with prospective buyers before they head out to see listings and goes over information they'll deal with - disclosure laws, contingencies, the search process. "If I spend two hours with buyers up front, I'll save them time and aggravation during the process of looking. They'll be better prepared and educated," she says.

Unappealing Location

Unfortunately, a location next to a busy road, school (if the buyer has no children) or commercial property may prove a negative factor and kill interest, says Robin Diesner, brokerowner of Intero Real Estate Services of Arizona, Scottsdale, Ariz. Since sellers can't pick up and move their homes in most cases, they need to tout advantages and hope those will outweigh the problem location.

Untruths in the Listing

There's good descriptive copy and then there's over-descriptive information, says Denham. Denham says she once took buyers to a property that advertised an "atrium," but in truth it was a skylight in a hallway. Result: "It totally killed their interest. It reflected one example of exaggeration or puffing," she says.

Issues with Curb Appeal

It's not just unattractive curb appeal that disturbs potential buyers, especially since trees can be pruned and flower beds cleared of debris. What worries them more is the amount of potential work that a poorly cared for exterior may connote and require. A cracked chimney may suggest serious, more expensive work. "Buyers may sense that larger problems have been ignored as well," says Vito Simone, broker-owner of Simone Real Estate in Baltimore. Remember, says Diesner, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

Bad Interior Appeal

Interior condition is equally important, and musty, stale or bad odors make houses equally hard to sell, Diesner says. A too-dark interior also can turn off buyers, says Christine Hansen, president of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Overzealous Seller Behavior

Many sellers take great pride in their houses and are eager to share their homes' benefits with buyers, despite the conventional wisdom that they shouldn't be present during showings. Yet, many of the features that they're most proud of are meaningless to buyers, says Simone. "It's far better for them not to be present or to be quietly pleasant during showings. Sometimes, they may even come across as unsympathetic or inflexible regarding buyer interests and needs," he says.

Pushy Sales Behavior

Some practitioners are so eager to sell a house rather than show it that they fail to listen to what their buyers seek and turn them away from a particular house. "They need to change their perspective so they help their buyers," Simone says.

Over-customization

While it's great when homeowners have decorated and remodeled their rooms to their taste, too much customization may not appeal to the next owner. While you may not be able to remove all changes, you can try to play them down. Flamboyant colored ceramic tiles, for example, can be painted a neutral color, suggests Simone.

Lack of Luxury Features

Many buyers are not only less eager to do work themselves today but want the work done in an exemplary way with luxury finishes, says Alison Rogers, a salesperson in New York and author of the forthcoming book, "Diary of a Real Estate Rookie" (Kaplan, 2007). Even in a $300,000 New York studio, buyers today expect granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances, she says. Many also expect superior cabinets rather than inexpensive stock designs from big-box stores, she says.

Overpriced Listings

While potential buyers can lowball any bid, many prefer to avoid making an offer at all if they know the house is listed too high, says Rogers. "They're not interested in trying to buy a Chevy at a Mercedes price," she says.

Surprise Expenses Some costs may not be cited from the get-go and cause a listing to become too expensive. Case in point: parking that's not men- tioned but can add $45,000 a year, or a model that looks gorgeous but includes so many upgrades that the final price will be higher, says Denham. "The model you were looking at has closet systems, glass backsplashes, stainless steel appliances but the place they can afford has none of those. It becomes ridiculous and depresses buyers. They'll go where there's much more direct information. Obviously, you have to entice people but it's better to be direct and realistic up front so people can afford what they're looking at," she says.

Unknown Renovation Costs

Some buyers are eager remodelers; others shy away from any major undertaking because of the potential costs and timetable. Salespeople on either side can suggest experts to interview before the closing, Rogers suggests.

Certificate of Occupancy Issues

Buyers may think all is fine until they ask for paperwork to prove prior work was done properly and legally. Rogers faced this issue when she purchased a two-family house with a deck. "The deck hadn't been properly permitted," she says. Fortunately, her title insurance company helped resolve the issue. The extra work delayed the closing but didn't kill the deal, she explains. "I hung in but others might have walked," she says.

Inspection Finding

All may seem fine until the inspector files a report. While many sellers are willing to correct problems or negotiate with the buyer, not all will, which can cause buyers to walk. What findings often undo deals? Leaky roofs, discolored tiles, water stains on walls and ceilings, and in the Northeast, buried oil tanks, says Rogers. She urges sellers to consider removing a tank before they list so it won't raise environmental concerns.

Too Many Expenses

Deals can fall through before or at the time of the closing, says Rogers. "I've had buyers walk away because there were just too many unexpected costs such as more expensive title insurance or state mortgage taxes," she says.

Poor Financials

Those who want to buy an apartment in a condominium or cooperative building face additional issues that could cause their interest to plummet, as long as they review the finances and occupancy rates of the buildings where they're looking prior to signing a contract, says Michael Feldman, The New York Mortgage Company. A building with poor finances may discourage a bank from lending funds at favorable terms or could spur it to walk from a transaction. Buyers, in turn, may walk if they learn about expensive special assessments.

A House Left in Bad Condition

Sellers who don't vacate on or before the agreed-upon date and don't leave the house in clean condition could cause a deal to unravel, says Diesner.