If you are selling your home, it can be hard to see what potential buyers are sizing up at an open house. If you have lived in the same home for years, you may have a rose-tinted view of your home and surroundings. Make sure that you heed your realtor's advice and try your best to make any changes they are suggesting before your home is put in real estate listings and is featured for an open house. Here are four common things that might turn off a potential home buyer.

1. The Owner

It might seem irresistible to not attend your own open house. You might think that hiding out in the backyard or hanging with the realtor is harmless enough, but this can seriously detract from the home buyer's experience. They want to feel comfortable looking at a home, and if the owner is there this might make them do a surface look and leave before asking more questions because they feel self-conscious.

2. Eclectic Art

You may be proud of your artwork or knickknacks, but anything that is going to be a conversation piece is going to distract from your open house. If your realtor suggests taking down pieces or replacing your artwork with staged material, you should listen to them. It isn't a judgement about personal style. Open homes should be set in a way that showcase the home, not what is inside.

3. Evidence of Pets

On the day of an open house, you should already know better than to leave your pets home or even outdoors. What you might be forgetting to do is remove all traces of animals living in the home. Food dishes, litter boxes and dog beds can deter potential buyers that may not be into pets or may have allergies. Don't let evidence of your pets detract from an open house.

4. Unfriendly Neighbors

If there is anything that you can do to avoid potential unsavory interactions with neighbors, the better. Go around in person if you can and let your neighbors know about your upcoming open house. This gesture might put them at ease, and they may be more apt to be friendlier to the mass of home buyers in their neighborhood. Your neighbors might not be as accommodating to strangers parking their cars and asking questions if they don't know what is going on.

Every home for sale is going to have its strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes it can be hard to see the things that you might innocently do as a homeowner to sabotage the selling of your home. Be sure to take your real estate agent's advice into consideration and have your home as buyer-ready as you can when it is time for real estate listings.