Top open house ‘icks’ that can rob you of potential buyers

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Published Date 9/26/2023

“Mi casa es su casa.” Those are the words you hope will swirl in the minds of those considering buying your home. It’s important that they not only feel at home walking through it, but that they can also picture themselves living there.

Realtor.com’s Sally Jones says that a first open house can be a lot like a first date, However, hoping for a love match doesn’t stop there. “So many relationship analogies perfectly capture the home-buying and selling experience, from finding The One to ‘marrying the house, but dating the rate.’ Or take ‘the ick’—that feeling of disgust when you first notice a big turnoff.” She likens it to your date chewing with their mouth open or being rude to a server. “But the ick can be just as much a deal breaker in the real estate world, stopping a potential buyer from falling for your home.”

She goes on to name the top issues that give home shoppers an instant feeling of ickiness so that they don’t crop up at your open house.

The first is anything old and outdated. We’re not talking retro cool. There is a difference between vintage or just plain ancient in your home.

Up Homes’ Ryan Fitzgerald recalls a time capsule moment. “It was like a trip back to the ’70s,” he says, referring to the age of Aquarius, when home interiors were an unholy mix of popcorn ceilings and avocado everything. “While time capsule houses can be fun to look at and get a lot of attention on social media, only a few people would be prepared to move into one,” says Jones. “The installations were glaringly dated, making it hard to envision it without a complete overhaul,” adds Fitzgerald.

Next are quirks. “While outlandishly designed houses can sometimes rocket to the top of the most popular homes lists, they can be tough to sell,” says Jones, who describes these homes as having a “particular taste” that can give some buyers the ick.

“I once toured a home that was incredibly colorful inside. All the walls and ceilings were painted different colors and patterns, and even the cabinets and interior doors were painted bright colors,” says another Realtor. “I don’t mind a little color, but I just couldn’t get over how loud it was–and how much work it would take to repaint virtually everything.”

Realizing the Marlboro man lives/lived there is another ick. The stench of stale tobacco smoke is almost universally disdained, and buyers know that it’s nigh unto impossible to remove. Your Realtor may be able to describe all the steps to ridding your house of this stench you may not even detect anymore. And it’s not a short list nor an inexpensive one.

Speaking of smells, pet odors are a huge turn-off as well. Joes speaks of Jeff Moriarty, who had to move for work and began looking at historic homes in Naperville, IL. “We found it a real turnoff if pets roamed freely in the middle of a showing. And we were turned off if there were a lot of candles and diffusers going,” adds Moriarty. Our concern is what the house really smells like.”

Carpeted bathrooms are major faux pas. Yet another real estate professional Jones interviewed recalls, “I recently bought a house to flip that had shag carpeting everywhere: on the floors, walls, bed pedestal, and even the sloped ceiling of the primary bedroom. It was even in the bathroom suite!” In other words, carpeting the bathroom appears to be a universal turnoff and a resounding ick factor.

Bugs and critters that crawl are not your friends when selling as well. “The last thing anyone wants to see when they’re touring an open house is signs of bugs or mice. So if this is a problem in a home you’re hoping to sell, have it thoroughly exterminated well in advance of showing it,” says Jones. “Even dead spiders or just spiderwebs can be off-putting.” Cobwebs or spiders in the corners of rooms tell buyers that the home isn’t taken care of.

And lastly, pack away your dolls, clowns, and religious icons. Prospective buyers report that collections of dolls and clowns give them the ick. Others feel religious icons and crosses everywhere can be overwhelming. One potential homebuyer remembers, “The last time I went house hunting, I toured a home with crosses in every room. And the living room had a gallery wall full of them. Were neighborhood vampires an issue?”

Real estate expert Eric Bramlett advises, “While faith is important, it’s fundamental to remember that not every buyer shares your convictions. You want potential buyers to see themselves in your home, not feel like they’re intruding into someone else’s sacred space. Keep it neutral; make the space a blank slate where others can paint their own future.”

Realtor, TBWS

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