When house hunting, what is your biggest pet peeve about somebody's house? (incentive, cheapest)

[wilvan]

1. Coarse popcorn ceilings
2. Moldy bathrooms
3. Pet smells
4. Mildew inside leaky double glass panes
5. Converted garage to extra room

Once I saw a house with a huge steaming hot tub right on the 2nd floor landing! What was this seller thinking? LOL

[AntoinetteNJ]

As a realtor with a home staging designation, the list is too long. I'm very picky about how my listings come across and thus walk into homes with a mental "check off list" that may be challenging. It's amazing to me how some agents do not prepare their seller's for the market. One of the top 3 "P"s of selling successfully... PREPARATION!!!

Probably at the top of the list ihowever s walking into a home that reeks of cig smoke. Makes me want to back out and run far far away.

[NYMD67]

Originally Posted by wilvan

1. Coarse popcorn ceilings
2. Moldy bathrooms
3. Pet smells
4. Mildew inside leaky double glass panes
5. Converted garage to extra room

Once I saw a house with a huge steaming hot tub right on the 2nd floor landing! What was this seller thinking? LOL

That is funny. We once looked at a house that said "Master bathroom SPA" on the listing....
well, this SPA consisted of a closet bascially,with a very large hotub in it!
We were cracking up!
Needless to say, not the house we bought!

[Topaz]

I don't have any pet peeves but if the house is dirty, smelly, and/or a fixer, the price darn well better reflect that.

[HomeStager]

1. Clutter- lots of little nick knacks, personal photos, religious art.

If one plans on moving, why not box the personal stuff up early, so buyers can better envision/feel it being their home. It costs nothing and it has to be done anyway. I feel like an uninvited intruder in homes that show full of personal clutter.

I am one of the rare few, who likes to see an empty place, or one that is minimally furnished.

2. Pet Urine Smells- I am out of there holding my nose.

I remember loving a home from the internet photos thinking- this one will be it! I came to the stair well heading into the basement and the smell of amonia hit me like a brick wall, as my eyes burned and teared up. I couldn't even proceed forward to see the basement it was so bad. I think the owners left the dogs in the stair well while they were at work all day and just let them pee in there.

3. Dogs barking in the garage.

It stresses me out easily and I'm out of there!


4. Owners present

That bothers me if I can sense they have over anxious energy that I will be the one to buy it. Owners, if you have to be there, go get relaxed and exude the energy that you'd be just as happy if you lived there forever.


A side pet peeve that can equally start turning me off-

A Realtor that keeps interjecting what THEY like about a home.

I noticed that I kept shutting down when one I had did that a lot. By the 5th house, I politely asked her if she was considering putting in an offer on it. She got the message.

[jjthomas]

Lack of pictures. I've been doing my house hunting on the internet. I've passed over a lot of houses because of no pictures.

I went on my first physical house hunt today, with an agent. #1 was awesome, but too small; # 2 stank of cigarette smoke, we never went more than a couple of feet past the front door before we walked out; #3 smelled of cat urine; # 4 the agent slipped on the steps.

The first house was set up for show. It had some flowers on the counter, a couple of place settings on the counter. The other houses, the owners didn't care enough to set it up for show, so why should I buy it?

#1 is still in the running.

-JJ

[floridaorbust]

Originally Posted by LCMT

1. Being there
2. OVERPRICED way above comps!!!!!
3. Smells
4. Dirty
5. Clutter
6. PROSTHETIC LEG lounging against the wall
7. AMMO/GUNS stacked high in the basement
8. STUFFED ANIMAL HEADS hanging all over den
9. BROKEN S_X TOYS lying on the floor

Dead serious....Can't believe it...except for #9, friend saw that one!

Okay, we have seen 1-5. Can't believe #'s 6,8 and 9. Stuffed animal heads hanging in the den My husband looked at a house in Merritt Island. This place had all the dead animal's that have been hunted proudly displayed on the walls. plus a few bear rugs. We offically call it the "animal house"

[marysally]

The people who say that they don't like it when the seller is at home reminds me of an incident that happened when I sold my house ~10 years ago. When the potential buyer arrived, I left to take my dog for a walk. After walking the neighborhood for 20 minutes, I returned but saw that they were still there. My dog and I sat at the curb for another 40 minutes in the Houston heat. At that point, I snuck back in the house and quietly hung out in a bedroom. The "buyers" and their realtor stayed in the kitchen talking for another 30 minutes (total 1.5 hours in my house). They came back the next day with a low ball offer -- this was before low balling was the accepted practice that it is today. I'd be interested in knowing how "buyers" abd realtors feel about people who camp out in someones home when they know that the seller is being inconvenienced.

[janetvj]

I'm curious...I read through everyone's post, and no one mentioned anything about being turned off by an empty house. I have never sold a house before, but may be listing mine within the next few months. I am seriously considering moving out and leaving the house vacant, as I don't know if I can live in a "museum" (as some have described it) for any length of time. Is a vacant house a turn-off?

[Greenchili]

Originally Posted by janetvj

I'm curious...I read through everyone's post, and no one mentioned anything about being turned off by an empty house. I have never sold a house before, but may be listing mine within the next few months. I am seriously considering moving out and leaving the house vacant, as I don't know if I can live in a "museum" (as some have described it) for any length of time. Is a vacant house a turn-off?

funny, but I prefer them empty, that way I can look to my hearts
content and not inconvience anyone!

Greenchili