Don’t Make It Personal: Why Statement Features Can Turn Off Buyers

When estate agents tell sellers not to over-personalise their property, what do they mean? Here’s a real-life tale that explains all.

The story appeared in the Daily Mail a few months back and centres around a three-bed semi that had been painted Barbie pink inside and out by the property’s fun-loving owner.

The woman, Kathy, was such a gregarious figure in her Nottinghamshire village that she was nicknamed the Pink Lady, and her house was known as—you guessed it—the Pink House.

But when Kathy sadly passed away and her family listed the home for sale, things didn’t go according to plan.

Kathy’s family knew the candy colour wouldn’t be every buyer’s cup of tea but assumed property hunters would look past the pink hue.

After all, it’s easy to give a property a lick of paint if the colour isn’t to your taste.

But the property sat on the market for 14 months. Why?

Our hunch is that the moment buyers took one look at the Pink House, they just couldn’t see themselves living there – even though the home had loads of potential.

That’s because most buyers don’t choose a home based on logic; emotion is the primary driving force.

Buyers want to walk into a property and envision themselves living there. Seeing all the personal possessions and individual touches of the previous owner can be a barrier to this.

If you’re wondering what happened to the ‘unsellable’ Pink House in the end, good news: it sold. But only after the exterior was painted white.

So, what kind of changes should you make to a property before putting it on the market?

Here are some suggestions.

Tone down ‘statement’ walls (bright red, mustard, candy pink and lime green can be turn-offs) and garish tiles.
Put quirky paraphernalia into storage. Taxidermy animals, antique dolls and model aeroplanes may be your passion, but they could deter buyers.
Remove all family photos, children’s artwork, birthday cards and paperwork from display.
Tidy up. Yesterday’s socks and dirty dishes shouldn’t be on show during viewings.
Talk to your estate agent. Don’t be offended if they suggest making changes, they’re trying to help you achieve your goal of selling your property.