Recently I was perusing listings for a buyer client and cursing (silently to myself) the quality of the photos. There are literally rooms I could not identify. So many of the photos were dark and out of focus, I could not figure out what I was even seeing.
I shook my head at the quality and wondered how these agents had any business. I was extremely frustrated at what I saw.
Then I actually got into the houses.
Wow. I silently asked forgiveness of the agents' whose reputations I had besmirched in my mind...no wonder they didn't waste any time or resources on the photos.
Some of the houses were horrible.
At one point in a subsequent tour, my client turned to me and said, "didn't these people know we were coming?"
Yes. Yes, they did. In every case, they had known for more than 24 hours we were coming But sadly, that seem
ed to make no difference.
I understand not everyone has the time or ability to keep his or her home spic and span 24/7.
But I would like to think when a house in on the market, the owner would
- Replace burned out light bulbs so that just entering a house isn't treacherous;
- Put dirty dishes in the sink, if there is not time to actually put them in the dishwasher or wash them;
- Scrape the dried food off the floor if there isn't time to actually clean the floor;
- Kick dirty (yes, DIRTY!) underwear under the bed if there just isn't enough time in the day to put it in the clothes hamper;
- Pull the bedspread or comforter up, at least, if there isn't enough time to actually make the beds;
- Hang the dirty, wet towels on towel racks rather than leaving them on the bathroom floor;
- Toss the overflowing ashtrays into an outside trash can instead of leaving them throughout the house.
Of course, I'm curious, too...as an agent, I know I would have a long, hard talk with my sellers before their house was on the market looking like this.
They don't always like the message, but I am going to deliver it. If they expect full market value, they need to clean it up. And keep it clean.
I have had clients spend months getting their houses ready to go on the market when their initial expectation was it would be on the market 2 weeks after they first called me.
Uh huh. Not happening. Not until the house is really and truly ready.
Now I understand some people live differently. And that's fine.
But if you call me to come talk to you about selling your house, we're going to have a heart to heart about the condition of your house and what I expect from you if you expect a certain return on your investment.
So, as I am going through these very dirty houses, with the expected deferred maintenance, I couldn't help but wonder if the homeowners were just obstinate or had the agents never set the bar?
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