"As Is" Sellers and What Buyers Actually See

When a homeowner decides to sell, their mental image of the process can be a bit... idealized. They picture eager buyers walking through their well-loved home, marveling at every detail, throwing out compliments, and immediately making an offer. But in reality, buyers don’t always play along with that fantasy.

Let’s start with the family photos. Sellers often leave them up to showcase the love and memories within their walls. Buyers, however, tend to see personal pictures as a distraction. They want to picture their own family living there—not yours. Same goes for that wall full of kids' artwork or the "Our Happy Place" sign above the couch. It might be meaningful to you, but to someone walking through for the first time, it feels like clutter.

And then there's the classic “pride of ownership” items. Maybe it’s the custom bar in the basement you built yourself, or the neon-lit fish tank taking over half the living room. These things might have taken time and love to create, but buyers usually don't share that attachment. What you see as a labor of love, they might see as a hassle to remove.

Cleanliness is another big one. Many sellers do a quick tidy-up and assume it’s good enough. But buyers notice everything—fingerprints on the fridge, crumbs on the floor, or that funky smell from the dog bed in the laundry room. They’re not being picky; they’re just trying to imagine living in the space. And it's hard to do that when someone else's mess is in the way.

Let’s not forget the lighting. Sellers might have lived with a dim hallway for years without giving it a second thought. But buyers will walk in and think it feels like a dungeon. What’s familiar and “fine” to you might instantly feel gloomy or outdated to someone new.

And pricing? That’s the ultimate disconnect. Sellers often price based on emotion—what they think the home is worth because of the memories and effort poured into it. But buyers are looking at market data and comparison shopping. If the price doesn’t line up with what else is out there, they’ll walk away without a second thought.

In summary, I’d say selling a home is part emotional and part business—but buyers are mostly on the business side. If you want your home to sell quickly and at a good price, it helps to see things through a buyer’s eyes. That means less personalization, more objectivity, and a willingness to let go a little.