Special offer

I'm not a fan of this fan!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with American Foursquare Realty RM423982

When you're trying to sell your home, it's essential that you get it in tip-top condition.  While that sounds like a no-brainer, it's amazing the resistance I hear from sellers:

  • People will overlook my clutter -- they know all the stuff is going with me.
  • I lived with that since I bought the home - they can fix it if they want to.
  • This is the way I live -- If they want spotless, they can clean after they move in.

That last one is my favorite.  Really?  You won't clean?  Virtually a free thing to do! 

When buyers see houses that are less than sparking, they wonder what else you have been neglecting.  They automatically assume that if you don't keep up with the cleaning, you're probably not keeping up with the maintenance either.

Yet I see less than clean homes every day!  Here is one of my favorite recent sightings:

Can't see what I'm talking about clearly?  Here's a blade of that fan:

Now this was in a nice, very upscale town house.  And don't tell me that the owners couldn't dust because of the high ceilings.  The rest of the house was just as grimy. 

It's a shame, but my buyers wrote the house off because they wondered what else the sellers were neglecting besides the cleaning!

Yes, Mr. & Mrs. Seller - cleanliness is next to Godliness -- and a sale, too!

Posted by
 Richard Strahm is an award winning Realtor specializing in the North Penn areas of Montgomery County -- Lansdale, Upper Gwynedd, North Wales, Towamencin, Hatfield -- and beyond!  Visit him at www.a4square.com or call today at 215-853-2624 for a free and private consultation about all of your real estate needs.
 
 
Richard Strahm
Broker / Owner
Realtor, ABR, CRS, PSA, SFR, SRS, SRES
 
American Foursquare Realty - Lansdale, PA

415 North Broad Street
Lansdale, PA 19446

Direct: (215) 853-2624
Office: (215) 647-0700
Fax: (215) 529-8931

Email:  Richard@a4square.com

www.a4square.com

PA Lic # RM423982

Copyright © 2010-2018 Richard Strahm.   All rights reserved worldwide.

Dennis Duvernay Broker/Owner
Hillview Realty - Northbridge, MA

Wow...don't know how they could miss that....guess they just don't care or they think that it won't matter...WRONG...

Apr 03, 2011 10:38 AM
Susan Neal
RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

Hi Richard - Not only would I wonder why the seller didn't bother to dust, I would think that it might not even work.  It seems to me that if you turned the fan on, at least some of that loose dust would be on the floor instead of on the fan blades.  At any rate, I would feel itchy and creepy in that house.

Apr 03, 2011 10:41 AM
Richard Strahm
American Foursquare Realty - Lansdale, PA
Lansdale and North Penn Real Estate

Dennis - How right you are!

Susan - I shudder to think about sleeping in that bedroom with the fan running.  All I could think about would be a huge glob of that grimy dust flying off and landing in my mouth!

Apr 03, 2011 10:45 AM
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
REALTOR®, Broker

Richard,

See this constantly.  How much time and effort would it take to clean those blades?

Apr 03, 2011 11:19 AM
Jake Accardi
Geogia State Inspections - Duluth, GA

Richard - How right you are!  Presentation is everything! 

 

 

 

Jake Accardi / Georgia State Inspections

Apr 03, 2011 11:45 AM
Lucas Whalen
Stonebridge National Lending - Blue Springs, MO

Too funny!  I bet you agents see all types of crazy things.  From the lender side we only see what is on the appraisal.  I once saw a picture of a goat inside the home with no carpet and literally poop on the floor of this property.  The appraiser actually finished the report and sent it to me.  Needless to say this loan did not close.  I showed everyone in the office for a good laugh.

Apr 03, 2011 12:02 PM
Richard Strahm
American Foursquare Realty - Lansdale, PA
Lansdale and North Penn Real Estate

Richard - To much effort for some people, obviously!

Jake - Presentation may not be everything, but it does make for the perfect first impression!

Lucas - What, you won't do a loan just because someone wants fresh feta cheese with their arugula salad??

Apr 03, 2011 12:31 PM
Joshua Zargari
MJ Decorators Workshop LI staging and home decorating - Lynbrook, NY
MJ Decorators Workshop

I thing that any house that is being put for sell, should be cleaned...

Apr 03, 2011 12:52 PM
Laura Sargent
Carolina One Real Estate - Mount Pleasant, SC

Ugh.  I'm gagging.  One of the best reasons to keep em spinning!  I can't even guess when that fan last saw a duster.

Apr 03, 2011 02:09 PM
Richard Weisser
Richard Weisser Realty - Newnan, GA
Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional

Richard...

Fan blades need to be periodicaaly dusted for both looks and performance. The photo says it all.

Apr 03, 2011 03:43 PM
The Scott Loper Team Bux-Mont Premier Properties
Keller Williams Real Estate - Montgomeryville - Lansdale, PA

Hi Richard,

Yuck, makes me want to vomit (and not turn the fan on).

Lisa

Apr 04, 2011 06:29 AM
Tom Hilliard
Pittsburgh, PA

A cordless screwdriver would take those fans blades off in a few seconds.  Another 30 seconds with a wet washcloth then removes all the dust.  Screw it back on and all done.  Total job time is about 5 minutes for all the blades  These sellers and their laziness will cost them.

Apr 04, 2011 09:16 AM
Nina Rogoff
Boston, MA
Wix Websites for Real Estate Agents

I agree, Richard! I'd be worried about what is being flung about when the fan is on, too! It doesn't take much time to clean a ceiling fan!

Apr 04, 2011 01:01 PM
Richard Strahm
American Foursquare Realty - Lansdale, PA
Lansdale and North Penn Real Estate

Joshua - I agree 100%.  Clean it yourself, or higher a cleaning company.  Many sellers are penny wise and pound foolish.

Laura - My guess is never!

Richard - Periodic maintenance.  And so many people overlook it!

Lisa - Please don't vomit!

Tom - I think you hit the nail on the head when you used the word laziness.

Nina - Not much time to clean - but a l-o-n-g time to sell!

Apr 05, 2011 01:17 AM