Hoarding
If you put ten real estate agents in a room there is a good chance that 5 out of the ten have interacted up close and personal with sellers who are hoarders.
Hoarding has become a popular subject since the subject has been the focus of more than one television show.
Most listing agents will share the same stories about discovering boxes of nothing stored in attics and basements of new seller clients. People who have lived in their homes for more than 25 years have more things than they need and most of these things are usually a combination of old photo albums, boxes left to them from deceased aunts, uncles and grandparents, closets full of once expensive evening gowns or suits and tuxedos left from dearly loved relatives no longer living.
Most of us have at least one story about a client who is selling their home or condominium that is a true hoarder. My story happened over ten years ago and yet the details are still as clear as if it was yesterday.
A couple lived with their young daughter in a two bedroom two bathroom condo in a charming neighborhood in San Francisco. They wanted to sell and move to a single-family home with a real back yard.
My first visit to their home was overwhelming. The wife opened the front door and let me. I followed her through a small path piled high with magazines and newspapers. These piles were stacked higher than my shoulder and if I haven’t mentioned it before I stand at 5 feet six inches tall.
This woman did not invite me to sit down. There was no place to sit. We moved through the pile paths until we reached the kitchen. The kitchen was filled with dishes and the counters did not have an inch of empty space.
The bedrooms and bathrooms were much of the same. After my tour she asked for an assessment of her property and a value I could share at this time.
I told her I would need to research recent sales in the area in order to give her the most accurate listing price and an honest expectation of a sale price for this unusual property. Yes, I used the word “unusual.” Did I mention the need for a deep cleaning or suggest staging? That would be a definite no.
I returned to my office to seek guidance and advice from fellow agents. Most of my colleagues recommended I call the seller client and tell her that I was unable to work with her at this time. Many shared their stories of having open houses while attempting to protect the client’s stuff. Almost an impossible situation and disappointing for both the agent and seller as the property sat on the market for months with little to no interest from buyers.
I prepared the comp sales report and called my seller to ask for a time to present my findings. She explained that her sister would be visiting in a few days and she would like her to be there for my presentation.
Two days later I knocked on the door for our scheduled meeting. The sister opened the door and welcomed me. She was visibly shaken. When you have conversations with real estate agents who have been in this situation, most will speak about the exact day and time close family members first viewed the hoarders home.
The shock is palpable for relatives who do not have the opportunity to visit their loved ones. They are embarrassed, angry and sad to experience the living conditions of their sisters, brothers, mothers, aunts or uncles. These are family members who speak often and the conversations indicate normal living patterns.
My meeting with my new client and her sister went as expected.
I explained how much the property would be worth if we put it on the market in the next two weeks. My sales pitch included the honest facts.
In order to sell the property it had to be cleaned of all the collected items. Her reply was as honest as my presentation. She could not imagine getting rid of her stuff. Her sister said she would help give away or throw away all of the magazines and the newspapers.
The seller began to weep and I knew this was my cue to leave.
A high percentage of real estate agents in the United States share a similar story.
If you are reading this and living with an agent you now know why all your saved high school and college trophies are thrown out on a regular basis. Agents hate clutter both in our client’s homes and in our own closets.
Do you have people in your life who are hoarders? If so, here are links that can help you help them:
Hoarders Anonymous
http://www.hoardersanonymous.org/hoarding-how-to-help-a-friend.htm
Help for Hoarders
http://www.hoardingcleanup.com
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