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Earlier this month I showed a property to a couple in one of our older, yet nice, neighborhoods. Unfortunately, both the garage and the interior looked like this:
I don't like showing properties that are a mess like this one was, and my Clients didn't like it either. I took just this one picture and we left.
The next day, there was an article in the paper about a fire in a house that was started by clothes on a lamp. The house was in the neighborhood and very close to the intersection where we had been, but I don't know if it was the house we looked at. The paper said the fire was contained in a bedroom, and while I went by to look at the house we had been to, either the fire was not at that house or the fire damage was not visible from the street.
Nonetheless, it serves as yet another warning that houses that are a mess are a danger to both occupants and visitors.
Also make sure that your home has smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms installed. Please.
Clean up your house, especially if you're trying to sell it!
10 Comments on Excessive furnishings and storage create fire hazards
SEP
27
2008
I showed a house just like that recently. We were somewhat in awe of all the stuff. Can't tell you a thing about the house but I can describe the huge doll collection, boxes of mail order jewelry, etc.
Oh my GOSH! That looks worse than any house I've ever shown. Even foreclosures BEFORE the trash out. You're a brave man Jim!
It boggles my mind that anyone would let someone into their house in this condition, much less a potential purchaser. You're completely right about the fire hazard. If their insurer saw this, they'd probably cancel their policy. ( BTW- was this a tenant or a short sale?)
An agent I know was working on a REO property for a bank in preparation for it to be listed. The estimates for trash out ran over $15,000. Every room was filled to the ceilings with stuff like that.
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I showed a house just like that recently. We were somewhat in awe of all the stuff. Can't tell you a thing about the house but I can describe the huge doll collection, boxes of mail order jewelry, etc.