Today I officially jumped back into my Buyer's Agent Saddle. It had been over six months since I had been out with a Buyer looking at property. Sure, I had a Buyer that purchased new construction, but that doesn't count. The waft of a perfectly scented and staged home is NOT what the majority of homes in the Bristow, Gainesville and Haymarket resale market are filled with.
For starters, the majority of the Bristow, Gainesville and Haymarket resales are Short Sales. I understand the mentality of these Sellers, since I deal with many myself. If you aren't making money on the sale of the home, 
what's the incentive to make it show well? That's where a good Listing Agent comes in and tells you why and makes you see the light. And then there are the listings I saw today.
Out of six listings, there were only two where I would have been completely comfortable taking off my shoes. There were clean. Unfortunately, the one that showed the best was in a neighborhood my Buyers didn't like. The second best was so cluttered and dark you felt like you were in a cave. It wasn't like there were wall to wall boxes, just a knick-knack house. Sutff on every wall that made it very personal. And the dark decor and lack of bright lighting wasn't helping. Not a great look when you are looking to sell a home.
The remaining four homes reinforced the reason I wore closed toe shoes. Dirty carpets with God only knows what on them. Furniture in disrepair blocking the paths to other rooms. An entire basement that was being deconstructed to remove the basement apartment. There was a kitchen with drawers torn to shreds and stuffed into the space there were supposed to inhabit. And one room so dirty with filth and little glittery sequins that the home owner, who graciously toured us through his filth, informed us was a "toy wonderland." Really? You let children play down here. Someone get Child Protective Services on the line.
After seeing what I saw today, I am not surprised that my own listings go under contract so fast. Even though the majority of my Sellers have no equity and are pursuing a Short Sale, they do see the benefit of cleaning, decluttering and doing minor maintenance to make the home show it's best. After all, selling a home is always about being the best condition at the best price. And if you aren't filling that need, you are only making the case for new construction that much stronger. People will settle for smaller as long as it's clean and shiny.
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