Dear Seller: Ten Sure Fire Ways to Distract Buyers From Focusing on Your Home

10) Leave your “friendly” dog roaming free inside the house when you know we are coming to see it.

Not all buyers are dog people.

9) Leave something aromatic cooking in the crock pot for your dinner that night

Not all buyers are going to be fans of your food choices.

8) Keep photos of your family up throughout the house

Guess what they are not doing? Looking at your house.

7) Keep all your nick knacks out

I know they are precious to you but honestly they are distracting to the buyer.

6) Make it difficult for me to show your house

…. if our appointment time does not work for you don’t be surprised when we don’t reschedule. The buyer is likely to have moved on.

5) To continue on the pet theme, leave your cat roaming free throughout the house with a note by the front door stating “Please do not let the cat out”.

Again the focus has been shifted away from your home.

4) Don’t replace burned out light bulbs or use low wattage bulbs.

3) Close all the curtains and turn off all the lights

When we walk into the house instead of immediately noticing the great things about the house we are going to be fumbling around looking for light switches.

2) Turn the heat down

One of the quickest ways to drive a potential buyer out of your house is to make them view a cold house in stocking feet. It is hard to admire the spacious kitchen when your feet are being flash frozen by the cold tile floors.

1) Stay in your home while we are showing it