5 things which lower the value of your home

Most of our articles were written with the express intent to assist you in preparing and selling your home while some deal with buying a home. When we sell a home, we are focused on ourselves, our needs and wants. Very rarely do we put ourselves in the shoes of our clients.

We do not always consider what may be attractive to them. This may sound like an odd statement but consider the fact that you are trying to sell your home to someone else. If you do not approach your home with neutral eyes, you will have trouble anticipating potential buyer behaviour.

There many factors which affect how our property is viewed. Some of these will determine the resale price buyers are willing to accept. Sometimes, these issues end up costing you the sale.

However, the issues which devalue a home in Thailand are far more personal. If you do intend to sell your home, it would benefit you to consider this and factor it into your initial renovation plans. Doing so would only help save you some money when the time to sell comes.

Yet, preferences differ from person to person so to be specific as to the things which would devalue a home would be futile.

Therefore, we are going to look at five general things which would dissuade a buyer from choosing to purchase your home.

Choosing a quality contractor will also determine just how much money you will need to spend on repairs when you are ready to sell. Poorly renovated tiles, cabinets with loose hinges and a bad paint job will definitely lower the attractiveness of your home. Paint your house in neutral colours and fix it up before you provide a viewing.

It is best to remove all sentimental items such as photos as you do not want to burden the homebuyers with your emotional attachment to the house. Also, keep in mind that how your toilet and kitchen looks will determine the overall value of your home. If you bought your flat in the 90s and have not changed the tiles, windows and cabinets since then, it is important to update them. Nothing puts people off more than outdated designs. Pay careful attention to your kitchen too as this is considered the heart of the house to most people.

Home designs are like fashion apparels. They change with the seasons. What may be in this season will surely change five years later. While it may seem like you’re losing the opportunity to design your house according to your preference, if you have every intention to sell and wish to save some money before you do so, you will want to consider a generic design. Most homebuyers would renovate the house themselves but first appearances do matter so if your house has lots of pink walls, pink cabinets and hanging ornaments, it is going to be unattractive to them.

Modifying your house too much will be detrimental to the cause so if you know you are going to sell, keep your customizations to a minimal. Buyers do not want to know that they will have a hefty renovation price tag looming above the price of your home if they were to buy it.

For apartment flats, this includes your immediate corridor space, door and gate. If you live in a landed property, your driveway, the gates, your mini-garden and any plants you have decorating the walls will determine just how the interior is viewed. If the exterior is in poor condition such as the paint on the gates are peeling off or there are vines and weeds growing all over the walls/parapets of your house, people are going to assume that your interior is just as messy.How your home looks on the outside is very important.

Imagine your home to be an expensive item, like a computer or a high-end watch. If the packaging is ruined, you are most likely to assume that the interior product is damaged as well. The same principle applies to a house. If you want home buyers to step into your home, make sure you present them with an attractive or at the very least, a clean and neat exterior.

Bad neighbours are out of your control. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that your neighbours are on good terms with you. If you have an open house, you will want to let them know so they can keep the noise levels down.

If you are on bad terms with your neighbours, you will have to inform the potential homebuyer. Just because you and your neighbour do not like each other does not mean the new homeowner won’t get along with them. Telling them will also help because if your neighbour is deliberately sabotaging your home showing by blasting music or doing other things, you won’t be held accountable for it.

Regardless of the type of property you currently own, when faced with several home buyers, it is advisable to temporarily relocate your pet until the showing is over.

While some homebuyers may like animals, it is best to cater to everyone in general. Having animals around is not only distracting but off-putting. The strong smell, the noise, the shed fur on your carpets as well as any structural damage done by the pet will devalue your home significantly.Therefore, before you open your house, you will need to clear up all traces of your pet.

If you own just one pet and are confident that it will behave, do check with the homeowners if they are allergic or afraid of certain animal types. Keep your pet confined to a specific part of the house and keep it off-limits. Hang a warning sign above the spot to inform viewers. The last thing you want is for a curious viewer to happen upon your cat or dog and is threatened by it.

When you are unsure of how to prepare your house, just remember that you are not doing it for any particular person. You cannot make everyone happy, but you can accommodate varying preferences by being as neutral as possible.

Being neutral means keeping your home’s customization to a minimal. If you have to spend money to renovate your home so that it appeals to a wide base of clients, do it. If you need to give your home a fresh coat of paint because your current paint job is peeling off or it’s not a neutral colour like white, then do it.

Nothing is worse than sticking to your design choices and watching prospects view your home only to leave because the renovation they have to do to cover your excessive customizations will cost them far more money than they are willing to part with.