6 Ways to View Your Home’s Flaws in a Positive Light

Getting ready to list your house for sale, but its flaws keep staring you straight in the face? For example, your bedrooms are small, the kitchen needs new paint and the place desperately needs a new roof. Don’t beat yourself up over the features that some buyers may see as undesirable.

In reality, no house is perfect, and a successful sale always comes down to connecting with the right buyer. Many potential buyers may actually see the flaws of a home as challenges they can design around or things they can negotiate into the sale price. Here, realtor.com offers some tips that can help you smooth over your home’s shortcomings.

1. Focus on the positive

Buyers tend to see features such a large front yard, multi-car garage, outdoor living space, wooden flooring, ample storage space, a renovated kitchen, master suite, large bedrooms and an open layout as major positives.

So, if your home has any of these features, talk them up. For some buyers, the highly desirable features can far outweigh the undesirable ones. Your goal is to ensure that the buyers take notice of these really appealing features during the open house. Highlight all of your home’s desirable features on the listing and the information sheet you leave out for buyers to take at open houses.

2. Create curb appeal


The goal of an open house is to impress potential buyers from the moment they pull into your driveway. If your curb appeal isn’t on point, they’ll be less likely to be excited to see the rest of the house. The curb appeal is the first exposure to your home, which makes it an important component in leaving a positive lasting impression on the buyers.

Toward that end, make sure to keep the lawn clear of clutter; remember to keep the grass cut and the bushes trimmed, and remove any dead shrubs and trees. You also might want to give the shutters and front door a new coat of paint to add a fresh appearance to the home’s exterior.

3. Design a focal point in each room

Create a focal point that accentuates the best features to bring awareness to the favorable parts of each room. For example, if the best feature in your home is the high ceilings, display vertical art that emphasizes the height of a room. A small bedroom could be seen as lacking, but a striking wallpaper statement wall can create visual interest.

4. Add soothing sounds

The sound of a babbling brook or relaxing music can dull a negative noise feature such as a nearby highway or heavy airplane traffic.

Think about adding a water feature like a portable fountain, or play some mellow music. While these sounds won’t eliminate or hide the noise, they can lessen the impact and create a more pleasant ambiance during the open house.

5. Get estimates

If an undesirable aspect of the home could be easily changed, it’s a good idea to go ahead and get a few estimates for the work ahead of time. Then share this information with buyers who ask about what it would take to change that feature. If necessary, you can even offer to work those costs into the offer. Be prepared.

6. Sweeten the deal with a fun gift

Everybody wants a deal, especially home buyers. Many sellers, at the request of their real estate agent, will throw an additional gift in with the home.

For example, you can offer to include a six-month gym membership, stock the wine fridge or pay to have the outside power-washed. An unexpected bonus like this could make the purchase worthwhile for the buyer and minimize any undesirable features in the house.