Selling your home and wondering why, despite lots of showings, there haven’t been any offers? The reason could be that outdated features may be stopping you from selling your home.
There are some items and finishes that are a major turnoff for buyers because they envisage dealing with them will take too much time, or cause too much trouble or expense. And while it’s true that some buyers do take on home renovation projects providing they think these are worth the investment, that’s definitely not the case for every potential purchaser.
To help you discover if your home contains something that’s putting off buyers, we asked real estate experts to share their insights, and these are the passé features they told us can prevent offers from coming in.
Outdated features stopping you from selling your home
Housebuyers can find it hard to see past some finishes and items when they look at a home. The result? They won’t make an offer at all because the work they think is required isn’t something they want to take on.
While there are some room colors that mean lower offers, there are features that, although they might be relatively easy to deal with, result in buyers not making an offer at all.
This advice from real estate professionals will allow you to look at your home with a fresh eye to discover whether it’s harboring the obsolete features buyers just don’t want to have to tackle.
1. Popcorn ceilings
Textured ceilings are a feature that put potential buyers off, according to Chelsea Werner , global real estate advisor at ONE Sotheby’s.
‘Ceilings adorned with a popcorn texture, once trendy, are now considered passé and can date a home,’ says Chelsea. ‘Many buyers prefer smooth or textured ceilings. Typically, the removal of popcorn ceilings can be an additional expense and an inconvenience for potential homeowners.’
2. Carpet
While you might be a fan of cozy carpet underfoot, it could be scaring away buyers. ‘Carpeting is definitely high on the list of outdated features that prevent home sales,’ says Jared Blumberg, licensed real estate salesperson at Compass.
‘No matter how nice the pattern or quality, most people do not like carpeting in their homes and prefer almost any other flooring type in its place,’ he explains. ‘Wood floors – like wood floor ideas for living rooms and wood floor ideas for bedrooms – are certainly the top choice for buyers, but even a nice well-placed floor tile could be attractive.
‘Even if the carpeting can be removed, there can be a mystery of what is underneath and the current condition of it,’ Jared adds. ‘Removing carpeting and having to add new flooring can be an expensive undertaking that most buyers do not want to bother with. Whatever you do, please do not put carpet in your bathroom. I have seen this more times than I probably should have.’
3. Colored baths
Grown used to your colored bathroom fittings? Be prepared for buyers not to be so tolerant of these blasts from the past and show their preference for white bathroom ideas.
That goes for a colored toilet, bathtub, and/or sink. ‘If the bath features are old and white, a buyer can wrap their head around refreshing the flooring with minimal outlay,’ explains Sarah Goss, managing broker at Southwestern Real Estate. ‘If the shower, bathtub, toilet, etc. are Pepto pink, a buyer will see a total gut job and way too much time and money to be invested.’
4. Sliding barn doors
Sliding barn doors are a much more recent favorite than some of the features that scare away offers, but while barn doors are still in style and therefore an option for those staying put, if you’re selling, they can be a problem.
‘One of the surprising features that is really pushing buyers away from homes is the inclusion of barn doors that slide,’ says realtor Maureen McDermut, of Sotheby’s International in Santa Barbara. ‘They were trendy for about five years but have since become an eyesore to some, and buyers don’t want to have to convert these into traditional doors.’
5. Dark cabinets
Look to kitchen and bathroom cabinets for a possible reason why your home isn’t selling. ‘Dark cabinets, and especially 1980s and 1990s oak cabinets, are just out of style,’ says Missy Derr, real estate advisor with Engel & Völkers Atlanta. ‘Overwhelmingly, buyers want white or light-colored cabinetry. It’s fresh and it’s highly desirable.’
You might be able to rescue the situation, though. ‘If a full kitchen or bathroom remodel is out of the question regarding time, or monetary constraints prohibit it, then the best thing one can do is pay to have cabinets painted,’ she suggests. Prefer to DIY? You can paint cabinets without sanding.
6. Old wallpaper
Think your old wallpaper’s a great retro feature? Think again, says Bradley Wilson, licensed real estate salesperson with Finger Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty in Skaneateles, NY, and also Richardson Sotheby’s in San Luis Obispo, CA.
‘Outdated wallpaper can deter buyers due to the uncertainty of what might be hidden beneath or behind it,’ he says. ‘The removal process is hard work, and buyers may worry about potential issues lurking behind it, making it a less appealing feature.’
7. Home theaters and sound systems
If you have a home theater and sound system with plenty of wires on show, it could be deterring buyers.
‘The older home theater/sound systems required racks to hold all the various amplifiers and all the wiring that was required before everything became wireless,’ says John Gluch realtor and real estate coach at Gluch Group. ‘These tend to be a nightmare. They’re difficult to deal with and they break frequently. The sound system technology now is much better.’
8. Sliding glass doors
Super-sleek modern sliding glass doors are fine, but what can stop you from selling your home are the old-fashioned versions, according to real estate investor Danny Johnson of Danny Buys Houses.
‘Old sliding glass doors are almost always a buzz kill,’ he says. ‘Nobody wants to have to jiggle the door as you slide it to get it opened or have to slide a bar down to lock the door. Swapping out these old doors with French doors goes a long way to making a home much more appealing.’
9. Sunken living rooms
OK, it worked in Don Draper’s New York city apartment in Mad Men, but now the sunken living room can frighten the offers away.
‘These were so popular in the 1960s and 1970s,‘ says independent real estate broker in San Diego County, California Mylène Merlo. ‘Many were designed to create a separate cozy gathering space. Today, they are considered tripping hazards, and break up the floor plan.
‘Remedies can be expensive – if the ceilings are high, many homeowners will pay a contractor to raise the floor and even it out with the rest of the space. Home buyers generally prefer a flowing open floor plan; sticking to one-floor height is a big plus.’
10. Brass-framed shower enclosures
A brass-framed shower enclosure might be what’s stopping the offers from coming in when you’re selling a house.
‘In the 1990s and early 2000s, brass-framed shower enclosures were prevalent in bathrooms,’ says real estate investor Chris McGuire, Founder of Real Estate Exam Ninja. ‘However, the brass finish can make a bathroom feel dated and less luxurious. Buyers now tend to prefer frameless or brushed nickel shower enclosures, which provide a more modern and sleek appearance. Upgrading the shower enclosure can greatly enhance the overall appeal of a bathroom.’
FAQs
Do I need to fix everything before selling a house?
You don’t need to fix everything before selling a house, but there are some things you should address. ‘If a buyer has no idea of the cost involved with bringing plumbing or electrical up to code and it’s creating a safety concern, it will likely be too much to bear,’ says Sarah Goss, managing broker at Southwestern Real Estate.
Some buyers are prepared to see beyond the outdated features, of course. If you are one of these, be sure to get in the know about the home renovation mistakes to avoid. You can save money on home renovations, too. Calling in the pros? The questions to ask a contractor before you hire them will ensure you get the right person.
