Property Brothers Reveal Tips For Minimizing Features That Buyers Don't Like

Selling a house you've made countless memories in is a scary but exciting time. Before your house is on the market, the first step is to make sure each buyer can picture themselves cooking in your kitchen, reading a book by your fireplace, or cozying up for movie night. With expert help from the Property Brothers, we're showing you how to balance the fun features of your home while playing down the things buyers don't want.

Regardless of the age of your home, buyers are looking for more updated, modern features and are turning their noses up at laminate kitchen countertops and homes that don't have a laundry room. So, getting your home ready for buyers means making it look like it hasn't been lived in and fixing things you've been putting off, like cracks in the ceiling or chipped countertops. The first impression, however, starts with your home's view from the street. When the outside isn't taken care of, buyers won't stop to look at the inside. "Fixer To Fabulous" star Dave Marrs has plenty of recommendations to boost curb appeal. 

But to help stage the inside and show off your home's best assets, declutter and depersonalize the house. Pack up family photos and your kid's artwork hanging on the fridge. While there are plenty of other budget-friendly tricks for staging your home, Property Brothers' co-host Drew Scott is dishing on the home renovations you overlooked, but that buyers will notice when they view your home.

According to Drew Scott, you might have to spend money on home renovations to attract the biggest pool of buyers. That starts with the flow of your home. When you walk through the front door, ask yourself whether the space looks cluttered, dark, or closed-off. Are there multiple primary features that prevent your house from having a cohesive flow, like floor-to-ceiling columns, recessed ceiling lights, or outdated decor designs, like crown molding on the walls? Although these are pretty big fixes, it can mean more money in your pocket, suggests Scott.

Pick one of the distracting designs to keep and get rid of the rest, whether it means tearing down a wall or two to make the space look more open or investing in new cabinets. If you have a bold-colored accent wall (circa late '90s and early 2000s), repaint it to match the color of the rest of the house. Not everyone has the same taste in color. Instead of turning on overhead ceiling lights, Scott recommends removing the window coverings to let the natural light filter in. This way, you won't draw attention to any weird shadows cast by the lights. 

Scott also says don't leave dirty dishes in the sink or clutter on the kitchen countertops. This signals to buyers that there isn't enough cabinet space in the kitchen. Instead, pick a decluttering strategy and toss out things you don't use, or pack them up. You'll be amazed how much bigger every room will instantly look.