You love your home, but it’s time to move. Whether you need a larger place for the kids or want a smaller home that’s easier to maintain, you will want to sell your existing property for the highest possible price. However, there are some features of your home that may actually turn off sellers. Here are five turn-offs that could be lurking in your own home and how you can correct the problems.

Available, and Chatty, Home Sellers

Your taste is not going to be consistent with what buyers want. While you may be thrilled with the deep colors in the living room, they may be discussing how the living room needs to be lightened up. Leave the buyers alone so they can have these conversations and start to see their own possibilities for your home. Remember that what you love won’t matter once you are gone, and the buyers won’t feel comfortable enough to start seeing the possibilities if you are hovering nearby.

Strange Smells, Clutter, Disrepair

You may not have the funds to put new carpet in, but you can still take steps to address these problems. When it comes to your home, do not trust your own sense of smell. You may be accustomed to the odor in your house and not even notice it, but potential buyers will pick up on any weird smells right away. Have a friend come by to check your house for smells. Take the time to fix broken door handles and have carpet stains treated. Remember that space sells, so eliminate clutter to make your home feel more spacious.

Home Improvements in Specialized Colors

You may love that bright blue carpet that was installed in anticipation of selling the home, but what if your potential buyer hates blue carpets? If you are making upgrades in a home that you are staying in, then you can choose what you love. If you are making improvements knowing that you will sell soon, then keep your choices as neutral as possible to appeal to a wide range of buyers. If you know the carpet needs replacing and want to sell, then you may be better off leaving the old carpet in place and offering a small discount so the new buyers can get what they want.

Wallpaper and Popcorn Ceilings

Modern buyers hate these two features because they are dated and difficult to remove. They don’t want to go through the hassle of dealing with these decorative elements, so they will avoid homes that feature them. It will take some time to eliminate them in your home, but it’s important if you want to get top dollar for the property.

The Personal Items

Buyers walk into your home and they are not thinking about your family or what you enjoyed. They are going to be thinking about their family, their life and whether this home is right for them. That’s hard to do when the home is filled with family photos, various personal effects and extreme colors. The space should be neutral enough for buyers to focus on whether or not they can see themselves in the house, and all of those personal items only become a distraction. If you’re interested to check how real professionals handle those things, my advice is to visit Southampton NY single-family homes website and find ideas for your projects.

You may love your home, but that doesn’t mean the next person will. The goal when staging a home is to make it appealing to as many people as possible. When people come for a viewing, give them some space. Remove the personal items, and eliminate as much clutter as possible to make it feel more spacious. Make sure it smells good, and take the time to clean it so buyers will be impressed with how clean and welcoming the home is.