The Ugly Stuff Buyers Notice First

Okay folks, you are a glutton for punishment if you are tuning in here, because I am going to keep it real. This one might sting a little.

If you love these things in your house, keep them. Live your best life. But if you are selling your home and you want top dollar, I am going to highly suggest you remove them. Buyers notice more than you think, and the first showing is online.

Let’s get into the things I think are just so stinking ugly.

The sad fake wreath on the front door

You know the one. The plastic wreath with fake ivy or fake greenery that has been sitting in the sun for years, and now the leaves are turquoise because it got bleached out.

Turquoise is not a real plant color. It is tired. It is dusty. It is sad. And it is the first impression buyers get when they walk up.

Better to have nothing than a beat up fake wreath. If you absolutely must have a wreath, do something simple and natural looking. All green, dried, neutral, one tone. Not fake and bright.

Fake plants that look sunburnt

Same problem. A lot of you have fake plants by windows, and you do not notice they are bleached out because you see them every day.

Go look. If the leaves look faded, dusty, or weirdly turquoise, get rid of it. I am not against plants. I am against plants that look like they need to be put out of their misery.

The giant Lazy Boy

I know I am going to make some of you mad, especially the men. But I have to say it.

Lazy Boys are comfortable. They are built well. They last forever. And they are ugly, oversized, and usually not doing the room any favors.

If you are living in the home, fine. If you are selling, get it out of the photos. If you are buying new furniture because you are preparing to sell, do not buy a big bulky recliner situation. Have your Realtor stage the home or rearrange the room so it looks clean and updated.

Closets with no doors

Why are we doing this. Put closet doors back on. We do not need to see a rainbow of clothes and clutter on display.

Closet doors make a room look finished and tidy. Curtains over closets are not it. If you want the space to feel clean, doors matter.

Dated window treatments

If your window treatments are tired, broken, drooping, missing slats, or collecting dust, take them down.

Plantation shutters are a big offender when they are old and falling apart. They block light, they feel heavy, and if they are not functioning properly, they scream dated. Same with dusty louvers, vertical blinds, lace curtains hung too low, and anything that looks grimy or worn out.

Let the next buyer pick their own window treatments. Light sells homes.

Old wallpaper borders and busy wallpaper

Wallpaper can be beautiful when it is current, textural, and intentional.

But the older granny style wallpaper, the wallpaper border along the top of the ceiling, the chair rail plus wallpaper combo from decades ago, it dates the house instantly. Buyers walk in and think, that is going to be a project.

If it is dated, remove it or paint over it. The goal is not to showcase your personal style. The goal is to appeal to the most buyers.

Pink and black granite, and loud Tuscan stone

That pink and black granite that was everywhere is not helping you. It darkens the kitchen and it reads cheap, even if it cost you money back then.

Same for that bright yellow or orange travertine from the Tuscan era. It was a moment. Buyers today are not in love.

If you have a budget for improvements, these are the surfaces that can change the whole feel of a space. If you do not, at least understand a buyer may price your home like they need to redo it.

Stenciling on the walls

If you have stenciled roses, geometric shapes, or any kind of painted pattern on the wall, it needs to go.

It looks personalized, it looks busy, and it looks like work. Most buyers are going to see it and immediately think, I have to repaint.

Ugly lighting

The boob light. You know exactly what I mean.

If you have those dated ceiling lights in hallways, closets, laundry rooms, or even dining rooms, swap them out. Lighting is one of the easiest ways to modernize a home without remodeling.

Also, the heavy Tuscan chandelier with the dark amber glass and the cheap swirly vibe, it dates the house. There are beautiful iron fixtures. But the old cheap Tuscan ones are not doing you any favors.

Everything matching, everywhere

A lot of us grew up in houses where everything matched.

Matching bedroom set, matching dining set with the heavy hutch, matching living room set with the couch and loveseat and chair in the same fabric, matching bedspread with ruffles and matching shams.

When you are selling, it looks dated. It looks like a furniture showroom from the past. Mixing things up, even a little, elevates the look instantly.

Table runners and placemats

I do not want to argue about this one, but I detest table runners.

If you want something on the table, do one simple centerpiece. A tray, a vase, a floral arrangement, candlesticks. But not a runner. Not placemats everywhere. Clean and simple looks better in photos.

Holiday decor during photos and showings

Holiday decor might make you happy, but it dates your listing photos fast.

If you take photos with seasonal items and your house sits on the market, the photos look off season and outdated. Also, most holiday decor is bright and visually loud, which distracts from the home itself.

Pack it up while the home is on the market.

Messy bookshelves and colorful paperbacks

I love books. Coffee table books are one of my favorite ways to style a home.

But most people have shelves full of mismatched paperbacks and clutter. If your shelves look messy, it drags the whole room down.

If you do not want to remove them, turn the books around so the spine faces inward. It instantly makes the shelf look calmer and more neutral.

Collectibles everywhere

Carousel horses, dolls, stuffed animals, collections of anything.

I get it. They are comforting. But when you are selling, collections read as clutter and personalization. Buyers want to picture their life in the space, not walk through someone else’s display.

Pack the collectibles away.

The tissue boxes everywhere

This one will not die.

If you have tissue boxes all over the house, especially the loud floral ones, it is distracting. Buyers notice it. It makes the home feel less staged and more lived in.

If you must have them, keep them tucked away. Bathrooms only, and ideally out of sight.

The cleaning smell that scares buyers

Your home should smell clean, not like a chemical factory.

And I have to say it, if you clean with a product that has a strong, lingering artificial scent, it can backfire. Some buyers walk in and assume you are covering something up, or they get an instant headache.

Simple is better. Fresh air, light cleaning scents, and a home that feels breathable.

The point of all of this

I am not trying to make fun of you. I am trying to help you sell your home for the most money with the least resistance.

If something makes your home look dated, cluttered, heavy, or overly personal, it costs you in buyer interest. The goal is clean, bright, neutral, and easy for buyers to imagine themselves living there.

If you want, send me the next transcript and I will turn it into a blog article with the same no hyphens rule.