Cooktop spills that last weeks or years are different from crumbs on the counter. Buyers recognise the difference. Routine cooking habits might make some mess acceptable.
Bug and pest infestations can happen at any time of year and in any tidy home, which is frustrating. They usually end up in your kitchen.
To avoid alarming buyers, hide treatment products and traps before showings if you have a sudden breakout while on the market.
If you don't have the funds for a kitchen redesign before selling, it's hard to know how much a fully updated kitchen might increase your listing price.
Everyone you know may love your cat, but many buyers won't like finding the house contains a cat or dog. Although buyers' anxiety about the pet staying with the house is unreasonable, it's worth addressing.
Our kitchen is full of calendars, notes, medication refills, and other trash. You may have a good organizing system for kitchen counters and walls, but anything visible to a passerby will look cluttered.
Living in your home during an open house may cause you to forget to take out the garbage. Even if the trash isn't full, remove it before buyers enter the home.
Buyers may not desire your trinkets, even though you love them. You may have different tastes, so pack away your precious collections or souvenirs from traveling across the country before entering your home.