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How NOT to Describe a Kitchen When You're Writing Up Your Listing

By
Real Estate Sales Representative with Immeubles Deakin Realty

I just read the following listing description in the local MLS about a property in Montreal's West Island:

"This house has a remarkable kitchen that is what makes this home flow so well. It is well equipped with five windows, two sliding doors, and hanging wood cabinets which allows sunlight shine in the kitchen and dinette area."

Well equipped with windows?  Come on...you're kidding, right?

To me, this screams "I look like crap and have no redeeming features except for the fact that I have windows."  But maybe I'm just really picky. 

What do you think?  What does this type of listing description tell you?  

My feeling is that describing it this way does more harm than good. 

What's your take on it?

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Professional home staging and professional photography: two critical factors to making sure your home looks its best, both in person and on the Internet, and neither of them cost you a penny when you list with me.

 

Put your best house forward. TM

Tanya Nouwens

Tanya Nouwens Inc., Montreal Real Estate Broker and Canadian Staging Professional (TM)  www.readysetsold.ca 

RE/MAX ROYAL (JORDAN) INC., www.remax-quebec.om

C. 514-919-8468    tanya@readysetsold.ca


This blog is written with my opinions. My opinions are presented with accuracy but not guarantees. Copyright Tanya Nouwens - 2015. If you want to reprint parts of this, just email me for my permission at tanya@readysetsold.ca.

 

Comments (14)

Margaret Goss
@Properties - Winnetka, IL
Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate

Maybe the idea is that all that bright sunlight will blind your eyes to the ugly kitchen!   Seriously though, it's hard sometimes to describe rooms that have no redeeming features and you can say nothing or you can say what this agent has written.

Dec 07, 2009 05:14 AM
Charlotte Stilwell
Century 21 Hardee Team Realty - Magnolia, TX
Broker-Associate

I think it's garbage but a creative way to say it's got windows, doors, and cabinets, which I think most people would expect to see in a kitchen, after all.  And how does that make the home flow well, exactly?

 

Ugh.

Dec 07, 2009 05:24 AM
Bill Ladewig
LoanOfficerSchool.com - Escondido, CA
Experience Is Your Advantage

I am not a agent, I am in the business of financing homes but whenever I have spare time I love to review homes via ActiveRain and Realtor.com all over the country. 

Some of the property descriptions and photos are beyond belief.  The descriptions are incoherent and the photos... OMG.   I guess it is a case of "Like Attracts Like" because I cannot believe that an intelligent seller would ever allow their property to be displayed as some I have seen.

Each MLS should have enforceable listing standards because even one listing with sloppy wording and ridiculous photos reflects on all agents.  

Dec 07, 2009 05:46 AM
Ty Lacroix
Envelope Real Estate Brokerage Inc - London, ON

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and perhaps the description is a feature of brightness and open area that is important to that agent !

 

Dec 07, 2009 08:57 AM
Ross Westerman
Kingwood, TX

Well, at least it has enough windows to allow you to see them coming and make a break out of one of the two sliding doors before they hang you from one of the cabinets.

Dec 07, 2009 09:02 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

O.K.  I'm not worried about the windows.  What the hell are hanging cabinets and where are sliding doors and who cares?

Dec 07, 2009 11:08 AM
Janice Ankrett
Burlington, ON
Staging Professional

That description reminds me of others like 'location, location, location' or 'trees, trees, trees' or 'needs a little TLC'. Translation - bring on the renovator.

I had hanging cabinets when I bought my home. They hang over a peninsula island and cut the kitchen in half ;) I got rid of them right away creating a large open kitchen.

Dec 07, 2009 11:29 AM
Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

WOW..that is some description....guess there isn't any appliances...<smile>

 

Dec 07, 2009 11:45 AM
Tanya Nouwens
Immeubles Deakin Realty - Montreal West Island, QC
Montreal Real Estate Broker & Stager

I agree with you, Margaret.  I guess I was wondering whether the consensus was that writing things this way does more harm than good, i.e., is it better to say nothing?

Not sure, Charlotte...but maybe the agent's intention is enticement via confusion?

Don't even get me started on the photos, Bill! I'm also a professional home stager...

Yes, that could be Ty.  You're absolutely right that beauty is in the eye of the beholder...there someone for everyone and a buyer for every house, right?

Dec 07, 2009 01:19 PM
Tanya Nouwens
Immeubles Deakin Realty - Montreal West Island, QC
Montreal Real Estate Broker & Stager

And with such great flow in the kitchen, the getaway should be quick and easy, Ross : )

Jane, Janice gives a great description of hanging cabinets...and what they do to a room.

Janice, that's so funny.  Some members of my extended family were selling their house...and didn't ask me to stage it : (  ("Oh no, this is a home that will sell itself.")  OK.  The one thing I did advise them to do (unasked, but I just couldn't help myself) was to remove the hanging cabinets in the kitchen which blocked the view from the kitchen and family room through to the huge, private backyard.  Their home languished on the market for about 9 months before they finally removed the cabinets.  And the house sold within the week.

Exactly what I thought too, Rebecca.

Dec 07, 2009 01:27 PM
Terry Chenier
Homelife Glenayre Realty - Mission, BC

Tanya,

I actually laughed out loud when I read this. Obviously putting a positive spin on shit.

Dec 07, 2009 04:25 PM
Janice Ankrett
Burlington, ON
Staging Professional

Tanya I know what you mean. It can be very hard to keep your advice to yourself sometimes ;) Did they ever say Hey you were right about those cabinets?

Dec 08, 2009 01:03 AM
Melissa Brown
Helen Adams Realty - Charlotte, NC
Realtor - South Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

Were there any pictures of this infamous kitchen?  I'd love to see what a hanging cabinet is!  

I totally agree with you - it's code for fixer upper!

Dec 09, 2009 12:40 AM
Tanya Nouwens
Immeubles Deakin Realty - Montreal West Island, QC
Montreal Real Estate Broker & Stager

You say it like it is, Terry!

Actually they did, Janice! Right after it sold.

That's interesting, Melissa. You're not the first to ask what a hanging cabinet is. They are kitchen cabinets that are hung from the ceiling over an island or a counter that extends into a room or separates, for example, the kitchen and dinette area.  They only hang part-way down, so there's like a peep area between the countertop and the bottom of the hanging cabinet. Are hanging cabinets a Canadian gem, perhaps?

Dec 09, 2009 01:50 AM