Ten Big Mistakes That Will Lose That Property Sale

If you are serious about selling your home, you probably go to a huge amount of effort when you show potential buyers around your property. You clean the bathroom until it sparkles; vacuum the carpet; brew coffee or bake bread; maybe you even banish the kids to their grandparents, but did you make one of these Ten Big Mistakes that can lose the sale - but are so easy to avoid.

1) You forgot the outside: While you were busy cleaning the inside you didn't notice that the lawn needed a mow, that the pots and hanging baskets were wilting or that the wind had blown litter onto your drive. Get outside and look at the first impression your buyers will get of your house.

2) You forgot the outbuildings: You swept the path and weeded the garden, but you forgot that the garage was full of junk and the garden shed was cobweb city. These go with the house and they could be a deal-breaker.

3) You tidied up - but filled the cupboards to bursting: Buyers want to know how much storage the property has, so make sure that any built in-storage such as cupboards, wardrobes or closets are empty enough for buyers to gauge the size. If it is supposed to be a walk in wardrobe, there must be room to walk inside it.

4) You didn't notice the aroma of your house: If you have animals your house will probably smell of them. You don't notice it, but your potential buyers will. Don't cook spicy or garlic laden meals shortly before a viewing, and avoid deep fried food or takeaways. Also remember that air fresheners smell cheap and synthetic, look like you are trying to hide something and many people are allergic to them. If your house makes someone sneeze, they won't buy it.

5) You still had your scruffy clothes on when your visitors arrived: To make the best impression on the potential buyer you want yourself to look good too, so remember to change out of your muddy gardening clothes before they arrive. You don't have to wear a suit like the estate agent, but you should look clean and neat.

6) You didn't do your homework (1): Buyers want to know about the area. What are the local schools like? How close is the railway station? How much are the local taxes?

7) You didn't do your homework (2): You need to have good answers to crucial questions so that they roll off the tongue with ease - especially if they are not completely accurate. 'Why are you moving?' and 'What are the neighbours like?' are the two that you must have good positive answers to.

8) You left pest control items visible: If you use mousetraps, poisons, ant powder etc, even if they are just a precaution, hide them from your viewers. They won't buy a property that appears to have an infestation.

9) The same goes for a dehumidifier: They won't buy a house that appears to be damp either.

10) You let your mouth run away with you: I once viewed a house where the rather chatty owner mentioned that she had recently had an attempted break-in by an ex-boyfriend. Funnily enough we didn't make an offer on that one.

Jacqui O'Brien is the owner of http://www.ahomeofmyown.co.uk, the directory of UK Private Seller (FSBO) property websites where you can also list your own home webpage for free.

MORE RESOURCES:

German Stocks Fall Most Since January; Hypo Real Estate Slumps - Bloomberg

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0i-0fd=Rurl=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/German-Government-Rescues-Hypo-Real-Estate-Say-Reports/Article/200810115113513%3Flpos%3DWorld_News_News_Your_Way_Region_8%26lid%3DNewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15113513_German_Government_Rescues_Hypo_Real_Estate%252C_Say_Reportscid=1251970064ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNG5NFkwjGfRRdo1923Q_Wv6LHWvLQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=aygRKfHZ7foJimgurl=news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2008/Oct/Week1/15113669.jpg width=80 height=45 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Sky News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601100%26sid%3DapMYnS6j53Zk%26refer%3Dgermanycid=1251970064ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNHCMhCUQEN94lyv638HXpOc40feXwGerman Stocks Fall Most Since January; Hypo bReal Estate/b Slumps/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBloombergnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Hypo bReal Estate/b, the nation#39;s second-biggest commercial- property lender, tumbled 37 percent as the government and the country#39;s banks and insurers agreed b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DZz0F4-iutWccid=1251970064ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNH6bvYifGNF3VOVIuNIP3fDHbXL4AVideo: Wall St.#39;s worst week in 7 years/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReutersVideo/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/Zz0F4-iutWc/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/Zz0F4-iutWctype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-2fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/hypo-real-estate-tripped-funding/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B2B1A4778-8429-4E11-88E0-96FD0D888991%257D%26dist%3Dmsr_1cid=1251970064ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNGTgW2NfziNe6glr7sz6bQqGVqfKwHypo bReal Estate/b tripped by funding strategy/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-3fd=Rurl=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3692522,00.htmlcid=1251970064ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNER26fIU85iixhbpMECxfESsW3sOwGermany Rescues Hypo bReal Estate/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrDeutsche Welle/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-4fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/german-officials-move-save-hypo/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B99F9DBD1-3CCB-4FD9-A31D-248BFE852C56%257D%26dist%3Dmsr_1cid=1251970064ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNFqlruDna57bOMwKMz-OaTLa6zXhQnobrMarketWatch/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-5fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/germany-moves-rescue-hypo-real/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BD97E28E7-42B0-4DE5-B730-13B59C349C04%257D%26dist%3Dmsr_1cid=1251970064ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNE4rCjkwyAmU1qooJfTjG9AzIW09QnobrMarketWatch/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1251970064hl=ennobrall 2,195 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Real estate roundup: BPA leases Vancouver space - Bizjournals.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/10/06/daily2.htmlcid=1254855186ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNE9PSN7ecC6Wr1YpiLMq0Bf2qhRkgbReal estate/b roundup: BPA leases Vancouver space/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBizjournals.com,nbsp;NCnbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1New amp; Neville bReal Estate/b Services represented Cricket. •Foam Street Investments LLC purchased The Parkview Apartments, a 104-unit complex at 7808 NE 12th b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081006/ARTICLE/810060402/2058/NEWS%3FTitle%3DReal_estate_dealscid=1254855186ei=O2DqSPbVJofM8ASKieRLusg=AFQjCNFAnA4JbJz0cWksxn-dC87xFsvkpwbReal estate/b deals/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSarasota Herald-Tribune/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1254855186hl=ennobrall 4 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Blumberg Capital Partners Completes Two-Year Real Estate ... - MarketWatch

Real estate wrap: Rowan opens first building at technology park - Bizjournals.com

Commercial real estate feels pinch - Minneapolis Star Tribune

The 2008 Real Estate Review Is the Most Comprehensive Guide to the ... - MarketWatch

Analysts cautious commercial real estate outlook - Forbes

Hypo Real Estate, Deutsche Bank, Metro: German Equity Preview - Bloomberg

Japan Stocks Fall on Hypo Real Estate Bailout, US Job Losses - Bloomberg

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