Tri-Valley Real Estate Blog

Do Buyers Want to See a Home Office?

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The home office. It’s a place of intentional work, pay bills, or just sit and manage your home life. Maybe you work from home so it’s literally your office. Many sellers are creating a home office setting when staging and listing their home but is it necessary? Do buyers really expect homes to have an office?

In today’s odd climate the home office is definitely a perk. More and more people are working from home and it just makes sense but are there other uses to that spare room that people are looking for?

Do Buyers Want to See a Home Office?

 

 Home Theater.

This might sound extreme but in many markets around California, this type of room is becoming very popular. The dedicated space with surround sound, high-quality TV and visual dynamics are making a comeback in many homes.

 Family Rooms.

It all depends on how much space you have and if it’s a closed off room or open area. Many new homes have a landing at the top of the stairs that can be turned into a large play room or family room instead of an office space, which feels awkward when you have to walk through it to get to the bedrooms.

 Creative Space.

This could be an arts and crafts room or a space that one could get messy in. The floor may be tile or other material that’s easy to clean.

 Library.

If you have plenty of books, try dressing up a space room into a quaint library. Large bookshelves can even serve as dividers to section off the room into a sitting area and library. Create an inviting space by using comfy chairs or couches, blankets and good lighting.

Related: 10 Projects to Complete Before Selling Your House

 Guest Rooms.

The guest room doesn’t have to just be a bed. Create a neutral bedroom that could suffice for anyone for the nights. A neat nightstand, lamp, good book, vase of flowers, dresser, neutral decor and fluffy linens all invite guests to make the space their own for the night.

But again, with more people working from home, a home office may be among the top perks, however, having more space for enjoying the home in differnt ways are also very appealing.

There are lots of different things you can do to a room beside the typical office. If you’re selling in the Tri-Valley area, give me a call! Let’s talk about what buyers are looking for and how you can appeal to all buyers out there.

5 Things that Turn Off Home Buyers

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5 Things that Turn Off Home Buyers

When selling your home the last thing you want to do just turn off of a potential homebuyer. I mean, you are probably doing everything you can to appeal to the vast majority of homebuyers out there. You’ve cleaned, swept, maybe even done some home improvement projects but if you’ve done these five things or your home has these five things, you may be turning off homebuyers and not even know it. Here are five things that completely make homebuyers run for the hills.

#1. Animals.

I’m sure that you love your animals, whatever they may be, but many homebuyers may be allergic or simply not like animals. It also depends on what type of animal you have. If the first thing homebuyers see when they walk through the front door is a giant aquarium with an enormous live snake, they may turn right around and not even get past the front entrance. Dogs, cats, and a fish tank maybe one thing, even though homebuyers may be allergic. Many people can look past the simple dog or cat but even if you have these domestic pets, it’s best to take them out of the house and any and all evidence that they exist before a showing. If you have something more exotic such as a rabbit, bird, small rodent, reptile or another type of animal, it may be best to remove them completely while your home is on the market.

[Read More: How to Market a Luxury Home in the Bay Area]

#2. Trophies.

This might be any type of trophy including a dead animal head on the wall. But, people also don’t want to see bookcases filled with sports trophies, awards or other items as they mean nothing to the homebuyer and only detract from the look and ambiance of the room.

#3. Flags.

I know, I know, we are getting into a solution society where sometimes even the American flag can turn people off but I’m not saying that you should take down your American flag if it’s on a pole in the front yard. However, I have run across several homes that you may have a teenagers room with a swastika flag on the wall, Confederate flag or maybe something as simple as a sports flag from a team that the homebuyer hates. Simply best to put anything that might give away the homeowner’s personal beliefs whether it’s political, religious or even sports related away until the home sells.

[Related Post: 5 Simple Tricks to Make Your Home Look Like a 5-Star Resort]

#4. Nudity.

Nothing is more uncomfortable than walking into a house where there are naked pictures of people on the wall. I’m not even kidding, we have walked into homes with naked baby pictures on the wall, erotic pictures, and wallpaper patterns with nude women. Anything that is remotely offensive should be removed. You never know when kids, families or people that are simply offended by this will be touring your home. You don’t want them to quickly leave and never return.

#5. Too many substances.

This could go for a lot of different things; cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, pills etc. Homebuyers don’t want to see your vice, regardless of whether it’s prescribed or not. It gives an uneasy vibe to the house regardless of whether items are legal or not.

[Read More: Here’s What to Do When Your House Isn’t Selling]

These are on things but we wouldn’t be talking about them if we hadn’t come across them at some point. The best way to set your home up for the majority of homebuyers is to have your real estate agent go through the house offering tips, suggestions and advice for each room before listing and marketing the property.

Would you like to set that up? Give us a call today and I’d be happy to set up a listing presentation to find out how much your home is worth and how quickly it could sell. [Article adapted from Bankrate.com]