Well Maintained may not mean Updated.....

    We are sometimes asked to list houses that may be a part of an estate...or for someone who is going to downsize, move to another part of the country to be with family members..assisted living or senior living condos or apartments. 

    Often the homes are exceptionally well maintained.  The furnace and air conditioning units have a checkup history. The gutters have been cleaned, the roof with years of life left, landscaping lovingly cared for with blooms and greenery for eye popping exterior eye candy.

    Then there is also the decorating philosophy that ....if it isn't "broken" there is no need to replace it.  "Broken" might mean easy fixes...like harvest gold appliances...a step back to yesteryear in fashionable kitchen color.....they still work, no need to replace them.

    Then there are the things that 

are more expensive to replace

and may not be in the colors and 

styles that that are part of "today's

decor".   Enter the pink tiled bathroom....and avocado green fixtures....That pink tile salesperson must have retired  a multi zillionaire...there was a time when everyone had it !

   One of the things that will determine the list price of a house is condition...and while the harvest gold stove and the avocade tub were "built to last"...they have outlived their welcome for today's home buyer and replacement will have to be considered when pricing a home.

    Most estates and many other people do not want to invest in the updates that bring a house with "good bones" but outdated decor up to today's standards.  As a result, for all the emotional attachment there may be....for the years of service that the "easy to clean wallpaper" gave the owners...the price has to reflect the need to update.

      Owners and heirs need to told the truth...gently....and prepared for what the market will pay given the property's condition. Agents...be honest ..you know it's Gradma's house and has lots of memories...but yo also know what sells in today's markets.  Heirs...undertand that no Realtor is out to make less money...they need to show you the comparison of what other homes have sold for in your area....and how their appearance differs from what is in the house you wish to sell.

    Being realistic when the memories are buried in the wallpaper...the paneling...the days of old...is difficult. Memories are for safe keeping...and we appreciate that.  

   Look forward to the end of a chapter and the beginning of another....find a price that makes sense for the condition of the property and begin your happily ever after in the next chapter of your life.

   If you or anyone you know is looking for their happily ever after in selling or buying a home in southeastern Wisconsin...Call the Hansons, we would be honored to be service for all things real estate.

Sally K. & David L. Hanson, ABR, CDPE, CSS, e-Pro,ILHM, REDS