Buyer Pet Peeves When Touring Homes

I just noticed this article and it makes good points in my mind as I have experienced each of them when showing buyer's homes.

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3 Buyer Pet Peeves When Touring Homes

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2012

What makes home buyers grimace when they tour a home for-sale? Don’t let one of your listings fall prey to one of these common buyer pet peeves. A recent article at Zillow highlights some of the following turn-offs:

• Pets: Dirty kitty litter boxes or dog toys scattered in a room can turn off buyers who associate pets with unsanitary homes. Remove all traces of pets in a home and pay attention to the home’s smell; get rid of any lingering pet odors when homes are for sale.


• Kid items: Don’t let the kids overtake a home with toys cluttering every square inch. Also, pay attention to any sanitary or personal items involving infants. For example, “leaving breast milk, a breast pump, or dirty baby bottles on the kitchen counter could make a buyer feel that the home isn’t clean or sanitary,” according to the Zillow article.


• Personal items: Watch the cleanliness of the bathroom and what’s left out: For example, make sure toothpaste residue isn’t left in the sink or prescription medications are left out in the open. “Buyers want to feel clean in the bathroom ... they don’t need to be reminded that they will be taking over a ‘used’ bathroom,” according to the Zillow article.