Those "What Were They Thinking?" Moments (Notes from a Grumpy Buyer's Agent)

In my recent experience, our own reality real estate show contains episodes like this:  an agent brings buyers to see a house, and after thirty-three seconds inside the front door, they all leave, moving quickly to get back in the car.  What happened in that house?  Ghosts?  Dead bodies?  No, just one of these unhappy surprises:

Strong animal smells (dogs, cats, hamsters, ferrets), smoking smells, artificial room-scents that trigger asthma attacks.

Creaky floors (unless the house is quite old, so this seems like antique charm).

The ceiling or the floor met the walls at less or more than 90-degree angles (see notes on very old houses).

You couldn't see IF the walls met the floors because there was so much stuff piled around the perimeter of the rooms; or you couldn't actually walk through the rooms because there was too much furniture. (These houses usually come with curtains drawn and light fixtures that don't turn on.  Not many people will buy what they can't see.)

The owner of the house was inebriated, half-dressed, and the invitation to come on in, while heartfelt, also contained a few four-letter words.

Actually, the inside of the house looked nice; they went in just to honor their appointment with the owner to look at the house. The deal was already lost in the front yard:  a rusting car seemed to be melting into the weeds, a pile of old tires was covered by poison ivy, the peeling paint revealed some rotting trim-boards, and the chimney leaned like the Tower of Pisa.   

Not all properties are designed to sell but the ones that are, do.  (And a major price adjustment might cure most of these problems.)  A REALTOR® can help you prepare your home for today's market and assist you in maximizing the value of your home. 

Patricia J. Tracy, REALTOR®
Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
e-Pro Certification
Licensed in Virginia
www.pat-tracy.com
pattracy@cbtownside.com
540-230-1355

Coldwell Banker Townside, REALTORS®
www.cbtownside.com
blog@cbtownside.com