THOUGHTS ON REAL ESTATE Sunday, March 20, 2011 Please clean your house before you show!Categories:Brighouse South,Buyers,financing,getting your home ready to sell,Green,Ladner,Ladner Real Estate,listing,marketing,McNair,planning,properties,Real Estate,realtors,Richmond,Richmond Real Estate,selling,Selling your home,Showing your home,Tsawwassen
Lately it seems that I have shown a few too many homes to clients where I have to wonder if the seller really wants to sell. I know we have a good and rising market and that the likelihood is that the home will probably sell at some point (it will likely be on market for a longer time and sell for less) but does that mean a seller doesn't have to clean up? As a real estate consultant, I'm embarrassed for all parties, including the other agent.
To be clear, I'm not talking about not getting an extra vacuum in or that there a few kids toys hanging around. I'm talking about the overflow of dishes that have been sitting for days, overflowing garbage, clothing (especially underwear) strewn on the floor of the bathroom and bedrooms. Cat boxes that haven't been cleaned for quite sometime, above stove fans dripping with cooking grease - you get the picture.
Sadly, when you speak to the other agent about it - I have heard things like, "I've told them" or "They have a different view of clean". Etc, etc - I'm sure we have all heard something like it. Worse, they know what their client is like and don't provide any warning of what you can expect when showing the home. I showed one home where we couldn't even walk through the livingroom or open bedroom doors as there was so much stuff on the floor. Needless to say we left without really looking at the home.
Realtors often called agents who have shown their home and ask for feedback. If you are the client, you should know that we are going to be honest and candid from both our own perspective and that of our client.
Yes, everyone has a different "interpretation" of clean - but there are some basic standards that work for the purpose of showing your home to attract buyers and get the price you want in the shortest amount of time. Cleaning is not to be confused with taking care of minor repairs.
Buyers need to clearly see the floors, the counters, the windows and not trip or fall. Dirty dishes, dirty clothes and garbage smell. Put the garbage out, wash the dishes and at least put the dirty clothes into the laundry area. Make the beds. Wipe down bathrooms and vacuum the floors. And - clean up your pet areas!
The challenge for sellers that don't clean up is that realtors will be hesitant to show your property to other clients. Categories: | agent | agents | babies | birdlife | blanket drive | Breast Cancer | Brighouse South | buyer | Buyers | buying | buying and selling | caring | cats and dogs | cleaning | community | condo | condos | contracts | court ordered sales | covenants | curb appeal | deas island park | deas island tunnel | decisions | Delta | design | developers | dining out | disappointment | dog park | Eagles | eating | eating out | family | financing | fish and chips | fishing | food | foreclosures | fraser river | getting your home ready to sell | Granville | Green | gutters | halibut | head lease | headlease | Health | hiking | history | home | home buying | home decor | home inspection | home maintenance | homes | house | Jan Rankin | Ladner | Ladner Real Estate | landholders | landlords | leasehold | listing | lynn valley | marinas | market trends | marketing | McNair | mortgage | mortgages | multiple offers | neighbourhood | neighbourhoods | neighbours | nesting | new build | north shore | offers | opinions | pests | planning | possession | preapprovals | presentation | properties | property | Public Service | Real Estate | realtor | realtors | repairs | restaurants | Richmond | Richmond Real Estate | rodents | roofing | seller | sellers | selling | Selling your home | sharing | Showing your home | showings | single family homes | sponsorship | sports | staging | Steveston | Steveston Villlage | strata | subjects | sunset | tenants | Terra Nova | the boot and sombrero | townhomes | trails | Tsawwassen | vancouver | viewings. open house | village | walking | warranty | water | weather | west vancouver | Wildlife | yards |
jrankin@sutton.com
604.329.0830
Contact Info
Sutton Group - Seafair Realty
#550 - 9100 Blundell Road
Richmond, BC
V6Y 1K3 CA
Email: jrankin@sutton.com
Phone: 604.329.0830
About Me
Prior to my career as a real estate consultant, I worked in fashion, tourism & hospitality and most recently after receiving my BSW from the University of BC, I spent more than a decade as a social worker working with families.
I have a true passion for working with people and creating relationships. I enjoy working alongside ...
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