Top 10 Down and Dirty DONT'S - For Sellers
Posted Jul 3, 2009 @ 5:10 pm, Viewed by 588 Visitors, Read 629 Times.
Over the past few days I've shown 45 different properties ranging in price from $125K to over $800K to three different sets of buyers. That's enough properties to give almost anyone a decent idea what's happening with the Madison real estate market which, by the way, is still a buyer's market like most of the U.S. housing market.
That's why I feel compelled to tell you how surprised I am at some of the obvious transgressions sellers are still making when it comes to preparing their homes to be shown by a Realtor. And no, you are not seeing things. That is, in fact, a pile of three knee-pad sized bras laying on the bed of an otherwise perfectly immaculate house!
How did this happen when the rest of the house was so beautifully and meticulously prepared? Your guess is as good as mine. In fact I've noticed many undesirable and inappropriate items popping up in the Madison homes for sale I've been showing regardless of price, condition, location, and the seller's level of motivation to sell. So much so that I decided to compile a list of the worst offenses. I suggest you print this list out and give it to your sellers so this doesn't happen to them!
The problem is that most buyers remember almost nothing about a house when distracted by a hilarious incident that turns their attention and focus to things like the seller's hygiene, quirky personal habits, or organization skills. In fact such untimely incidents often provoke lengthy unrelated discussions that have nothing to do with the house for sale. Removing family photos, trophies and other personal items from a home is a good first step when staging a property for sale. But such steps will have no effect whatsoever if you don't ensure your sellers also pay close attention to avoiding more obvious transgressions. And worse, few Realtors are going to mention that they observed such things while showing your listing.
So here goes! Please note that this list is not an extrapolation based on the above "bra incident". Every one of the following cautionary notes appears as a result of observations personally made while out on showings with actual bonified Madison home buyers.
Top 10 Down & Dirty DONT'S - For Sellers
1.) don't leave unwashed dishes out; don't leave trash containers overflowing
2.) don't leave doggie messes in the yard for buyers to step into
3.) don't leave toilets unflushed, clogged, or with the seats left up
4.) don't leave sex toys or pornography in plain view (no I am not making this up)
5.) don't forget to air out bedrooms after sleeping in late (morning breath and body odor do linger, people!)
6.) don't leave underwear on the couch or floor; don't leave dirty laundry in piles on the floor
7.) don't leave your dog at home if s/he barks; don't subject buyers to exotic birds that scream or screetch
8.) don't leave dead, rotting, stinking carp on your shoreline (remember, you want to sell the dream of lakefront living, not the nightmare)
9.) don't leave dirty diapers (even if rolled up) out in plain view
10.) and finally, don't leave knee-pad sized bras (or bras of any description) on the bed!
For more information about Madison homes and condos for sale visit our Madison WI real estate site or contact Lake & City Homes broker|owner Jolenta Averill at 608.628.9701.
Serving Greater Madison WI
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At Lake & City Homes we combine traditional real estate marketing with cutting-edge Internet technologies to achieve outstanding results for our clients.
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Common people? Not sure I would use that term to describe what's going on. My point is that an otherwise immaculate home may not show well because of an oversight like the one in the picture (this was actually the case in that example). So basic precautions are in order if people want to sell and we Realtors need to take the necessary steps to remind sellers of that fact. Thanks for your comment and your call this morning and sorry I was not in a position to talk to you at length, however I promise I will be in touch soon! -Jolenta
I think he meant "come on people" instead of "common people".
Eddy, Too true! And too funny. Thanks for pointing that out. ~lol
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After 20+ years in IT and financial services on three continents, Jolenta Averill returned to her hometown of Madison Wisconsin in late 2003 to pursue her dream of starting her own real estate brokerage firm. Read More
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I do agree Jolenta will your top 10 list. I have also notice Manitowoc wi homes for sale with the same disgusting mess. It's like common people!!! Almost nobody wants to buy a gross home.