I showed homes the other day in some close-in neighborhoods: Alberta Arts, North Irvington, Hawthorne, Belmont, etc. For the most part, the buyers and I knew what we’d be getting- old houses with character just steps from neighborhood shops and cafes.
What was unexpected was the high number of homes that were just awful to visit because the homeowner had left the home in disarray. By disarray, I mean clutter, clothes, and food left out acting as landmines to navigate around.
Sorry, but this is not how you sell your home. I understand living in your home is one thing and selling it is another. But the truth of the matter is that selling your home is like living in a museum. Other than the Portland’s Children’s Museum, what other museums invite chaos? None. They’re all clean and spotless. They allow visitors to focus on artwork and artifacts- the things people go to see. Houses are the same way. A clean house lets homebuyers focus on homes, not the other stuff.
Help yourself. Leave the house clean. Put away the dishes. Take ten extra minutes before leaving for work to tidy up. It matters more than ever in today’s buyer’s market.
2 comments:
personally I prefer to see the house the way that people have lived in it. If they keep it like crap they probably maintain it like crap. Goodbye. I will not look further.
I guess if they try to mask long term behavior with short term behavior then it makes me as the buyer that much more dependent on the home inspector.
Bridgetown, I wrote this so that sellers see things from a buyer's perspective. I'm glad you wrote what you did because it adds to my point. I would say that not every home that shows poorly is poorly maintained. Sometimes a homeowner just needs to take 10 minutes for presentation purposes- as if getting ready to host dinner.
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