“YOUR HOUSE IS A DUMP!” © 2012 by Wayne D. Lewis, Sr.

 

            One of the first questions a seller asks of their Realtor is, what did the perspective buyers think of their home after a showing.  As their agent, you want to be straight with them. You don’t want to pull any punches.  But to spare their feelings, you tell them that the buyers thought it was a nice home.  Then, you try to remember something that they said that they actually said was nice.  But eventually, as an agent, you will have to come straight with your sellers. 

 

            As an agent, you have to tell your sellers that the buyers did not like their home, and some of the reasons can be downright offensive.  So, as time goes on, you find a way to tell a seller that the reason that their home isn’t selling is that it is priced too high for the area (that’s the easy part).  The hard part is telling sellers that the portraits of their children that are all over the house is not helping to create a mood for those who are looking to make your house their own.  While the pictures are beautiful, the pictures are selling the sellers’ memories, and it is hard for a buyer to buy a sellers’ memories, in a house that seems well lived in, and perhaps it would be difficult for a buyer to see themselves in a house in which so much love is instilled.  What should a buyer see?  I’ll tell you shortly.

 

http://homes.yahoo.com/news/6-essential-tips-for-first-time-homebuyers.html

 

            As an agent, it is difficult to tell a seller who just remodeled their home with great care, that they may have put too much into a home that a buyer may have no need for, or may not see the same value as the seller.  In a buyers’ market, buyers have the luxury of wanting to see the most up-to-date amenities, which a seller may have put into a home, but maybe, a sunken tub is not on the buyers’ list, as great as it looks.  A heart-shaped pool would look great to their friends, but it is not on the buyers’ list.  For potential buyers, a wall of windows may look romantic, but if most buyers believe in their privacy, it will mean little to no value.  What buyers want to see?  In a just a minute I will tell you.

 

http://homes.yahoo.com/news/moving-up--dream-house-or-money-pit-.html

            As an agent, it is difficult to tell a seller that their home looks unkempt, especially for the price they are asking.  It is difficult to tell a seller that the closets would look better if they weren’t stuffed with clothes from the seventies, or broken toys.  It is difficult to tell a seller that a broom swept home is not enough to sell their home if they are asking for top dollar.  Such a  home should be vacuumed, carpets shampooed, furniture dusted, and smelling fresh. 

            While making repairs should be limited to no more than the house is worth, a quick sale below market value will sell a home, but if no repairs are going to be made, and top dollar is going to be demanded, to the average buyer, let’s face it, Mr/Ms. Seller, your home is a dump.  What do buyers want to see?  I’ll tell you.

 

http://homes.yahoo.com/news/pros-and-cons-of-renting-vs--buying-a-home-20120531.html;_ylt=AoFhNKoNfamkLw.S9EC_hG4.Toh4

            A buyer should see the house that they are going to buy.  By that I mean, a home priced at market value, is market-ready.  While it is fair that sellers get the most that they can for their home, there are several common factors that buyers expect for any amount of money that they expect to spend.  For example:

 

A.    Curb appeal-Fresh cut flowers; mowed lawn; clean cars parked out front; a new or well conditioned roof; no trees touching the house

B.     Doors that open and close without slamming; door knobs that work; windows that open and close; no broken or crack window glasses

C.     No dirty dishes in the sink; dusty furniture; leaks under the sink; unmade beds; torn curtains

D.    Toys all over the house; pets on the furniture or on the stairs; Pet stains and smells throughout the house; motorcycle in the bedroom

E.     Everyone at home, watching them when they come to see the house.

            We are sharing a snapshot of what buyers should see, but what sellers have to also appreciate is the fact that buyers are looking to create memories.  There is an expectation that in the very first few seconds of showing their home, a number of things goes through a buyers’ mind.  From what they see to what they smell, from what they hear, to what they feel.  Buyers are ready to be wowed.  They are actually ready to buy a house, and as sellers, nothing can be taken for granted.

http://homes.yahoo.com/news/six-contractor-questions.html

            What will determine if a qualified buyer buys a home on the market is what the seller has done to prepare their home to sell.  It is a buyers’ market, and there is a tremendous amount of competition to sell a house.  How you, as a seller, present your  home is the difference between it being the Taj Mahal, or a dump.  It is as simple as that.  The question is, how long do you, as a seller, want your home to sit on the market?  Whether it is priced too high, overbuilt for the area, or in need of repairs, it might as well all come down to it being a dump.  But, as agents, we could never tell our sellers that.  We just ask them to consider lowering the price, and moving a few things around. 

Taj Mahal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37l11UzbvvA

             Sooner or later, however, we have to be straight with our clients.  The number of days on the market, in an economy that is beginning to improve, means that our sellers will have to get a straight word.  Oh well, here goes:  “Mr/Ms Seller, your house isn’t selling at the price that it is because…..”

 

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