What to kick to the curb and what to keep before you sell

Brent Palmer
Brent Palmer
Published on July 22, 2018

If you’ve chosen your real estate agent wisely, he or she will determine the most likely buyer for your home and then laser-focus the marketing materials to that pool of buyers.

There are many things potential buyers look for in a home. Overall, if your home offers better energy efficiency than your competition, expect it to be popular with potential buyers. Other gems buyers look for include floor plans that can be personalized and a home that is easy to maintain. Not only is high maintenance time consuming, it’s also costly and that’s a huge turn off for many buyers.

What repels home buyers?

When you think about features in your home you don’t like quite so much or want to change, what are they? Will these be something buyers may not like also? Chances are you will find something in the list below you can relate to:

  • Linoleum floors
  • Wood panelling
  • Ceramic tile countertops in the kitchen
  • Shag / fluffy carpet
  • Outdated coloured appliances or bathrooms (avocado green or biege!)

Yes, I’m sure you love that wallpaper you put up in 1980’s, but buyers may hate it. The same goes for the “gold” bathroom faucets or those with plastic faux crystal handles. If anything, they will only remind you of your Grandparents bathroom.

A few of these things can be super simple fixes which is great. Others may cost a little more. Have a chat with your real estate agent and see what they say. If a change of Lino to something more modern is going to make a huge difference to your sale value then what have you got to lose. But be sure to seek professional advice on what to put down. No point changing one problem for another.

Features buyers love

Internet connectivity (Ethernet and USB ports) is hugely popular.

Some buyers are willing to give up the size of the home if it means having a larger backyard, or vice versa, buyers may prefer a larger home and not much section to stay home and maintain over their weekends. And, across all demographics, the most important exterior feature of a home is “distance from neighbouring homes.”

Broken down by generations of buyers, here are the home feature preferences:

Millennials

This target market of buyers like’s the flash mod cons. Think spa bath or spa pool, wine refrigerator, dining room for hosting, modern kitchen and bathroom. Some form of home entertainment area / theatre / or separate lounge you could use as such.

Gen Xers

If you have a larger home then this may be who your target audience is. This type of buyer often seeks a detached single family house with some space, preferably a large amount of space. Single level houses are ideal, or a house that has the master bedroom on the ground level if possible. Situated near shopping, groceries or a local gym / good running spot and other such amenities is advantageous.

Baby boomers

This one is easy, they like a bit of everything. A neighbourhood that has a diverse age range. Somewhere to walk the grandchildren or use their walker, depending on age range of course. Somewhere that is close to amenities and has a community feel. The home will need to be low maintenance, inside and out. The size of the house is not generally an issue as long as the rooms themselves are a decent size, baby boomers like room for storage. Normally the home is for one or two people with room for family to visit of course.

To sum up, even those with the tightest budgets can make small changes to the home and hopefully attract more interest from their target audience. Even if you can only change one thing, it might be well worth your time.

Changing an out dated kitchen, bathroom faucets, and replacing dated flooring with something attractive yet inexpensive can make a world of difference. These things might cost a little more, but if it’s worth it for a better sale price, then there is your answer on what to do.

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Brent Palmer – Professional Real Estate Consultant

About the Author: The above article on What to kick to the curb or keep before selling was written and provided by Brent Palmer, a local leader in the field of Richmond and Nelson Real Estate sales, marketing, advanced technology for home selling, and social media. You can contact Brent Palmer here, or at 027 544 9921.

He has helped many people buy and sell homes in the Nelson, Stoke and Richmond areas for years, and would love the opportunity to help you as well.

Thinking of selling your home? I have a real passion for helping people sell their homes in our Nelson and Tasman Region, as well as the marketing, social media & advanced technology for home selling that goes along with it. I’d love to have the opportunity to sit down with you discuss how we can work together to get you the best price.

I help people buy and sell real estate in the following Nelson and Tasman  towns  & neighbourhoods: Wakefield, Brightwater, Hope, Appleby, Redwood Valley, Mapua, Stoke, Tahunanui, Atawhai and of course, Richmond and Nelson City. Connect with Brent on Facebook and pretty much everywhere else.

Know someone who needs help with real estate? Be rewarded and REFER them here