In all my time selling properties in Langebaan, I can truthfully say I’ve seen it all. Ripped carpets smelling like cat urine, furniture covered in dog hair and the darkest kitchen you’ll ever find painted in a dark blood red.
Sellers are not obligated to get their home in tip-top shape before a showing – so one seller’s laziness can result in a bargain deal for the right buyer.
Below you’ll find three things that could be off-putting to someone looking to buy a home in Langebaan, but that shouldn’t prevent you from making an offer. This holds especially true if you like the design of the house or the neighbourhood.
Ugly wallpaper and smelly carpet
A lot of people buying a property in Langebaan are moving from Gauteng looking for a home that is turn-key. They’re too busy packing and finding the right schools for their children to take on a renovation project.
But replacing old wallpaper and cleaning carpets is not always time-consuming and it will not break the bank. For example, a heavy-duty carpet cleaner should cost you less than R300 if used over a weekend.
These cosmetic issues should not deter from buying a home that offers great value.
Lazy sellers won’t replace a ripped carpet or paint the inside walls, which means you, can use this as a negotiation tool to make a lower offer on the property.
Transformation
You’ll often see potential in a house that nobody else noticed. It’s not unusual to transform a dining room area into a work-from-home office. I once saw one of the family bedrooms turned into a cinema.
Just because the homeowner uses these spaces in a way that suits them, doesn’t mean you have to. These rooms might stand out as odd to you, but try to forget that the seller lives there.
If the homeowner uses spaces in the house that is to their personal liking, it doesn’t mean you have to. These areas could possibly stick out as strange to you, but make an effort to forget the fact that the seller lives there.
As soon as they moved out, you can change the dining room into an office in less than a day.
De-personalise
It’s difficult for a buyer to visualize themselves or their family living in a home if it’s full of family photos and other personal belongings. Cleaning the home and removing all sense of clutter (including personal belongings) will enable buyers to visualise their future home. The well-known mantra “Less is More” was never truer when it comes to selling a home fast.
Sellers sometimes believe they can help with the sale of their house, but instead, they make everyone uncomfortable. The buyer will be in a hurry to leave and they won’t feel free to talk out loud about what they like/dislike about the property.
A home that is too cluttered, full of personal belongings or a home where the seller is always present can linger on the market for months and get a bad reputation as time passes. A savvy buyer can use this to their advantage to buy a home below the asking price.
Sellers in Langebaan who hinder the sale of their home – whether they realise it or not – leave money on the table for the buyer. But average home buyers struggle to look past a seller’s clutter, personal preferences or even small cosmetic issues.
So if you find a home for sale in Langebaan that’s in a prime location, forget about the things you can change, and give some thought whether you could make the home your own.
Related Resources on Langebaan Real Estate:
12 Reasons Why You Should Move to Langebaan
Looking At Houses For Sale in Langebaan? Read This First!
If you found this article on houses for sale in Langebaan an interesting read, please share it on your social media platforms so others might enjoy learning about this as well!
About the author: The above article “3 Weird Things You Can Overlook When Shopping For a Home in Langebaan!” was written by Zulika van Heerden, your local Langebaan real estate agent. With over 13 years of combined experience as a real estate agent and mortgage broker, if you’re thinking of buying a home in Langebaan or selling your home in Langebaan, Zulika would love to share her property knowledge and expertise with you.
If you liked this article, please share this article with your friends on Facebook. ??
