You just have to love the honest, simple way children look at the world. Once when my daughter was five we were behind a very interesting person in the grocery store and she began to take stock of how large this person was, how colorful her tattoos were and how interesting her clothing was. Although clamping your hand over a child’s mouth probably isn’t a recommended parenting technique it is effective and sometimes necessary.
But time flies, children grow up and first thing you know they are out shopping for their own homes. And before they become the paradigms of political correctness, they still tend to say it like they see it. My baby Jenny, a 20 something professional is shopping for a home now and she has had some interesting experiences. I’d love to tell you they are unusual but they are not. And in case you’re wondering where in the world these things happened, she’s looking just outside of our nation’s capitol. I asked her for her view of what it’s like to house hunt these days.
Stager Mom: What have you been surprised by – in a good way—while you’ve been house hunting?
House Hunting Jenny – There have been a few bright spots:
· Creative solutions to problems. One townhouse area we looked at only had street parking but this owner was tricky and turned the tiny back yard into a 2 car driveway. They were the only house on the block with private parking.
· The rare new appliances.
· A house that smelled like no one has lived there. It’s a beautiful thing.
· The “bonus room”. We’ve been to two houses now that have one more room than what was on the listing. Since space is our biggest concern finding extra rooms is a great surprise.
· A real estate agent who knows the area, and knows different types of loans that might make a house work for you.
Stager Mom: What were the bad surprises?
House Hunting Jenny:
· Huge scary pit bull, in a tiny cage, right under the security alarm.
· Driving past a memorial to someone who had been shot, less than a block from the house we looked at.
· Seeing a paddy wagon near the house we were going to see.
· Finding out “up and coming” means ghetto now, but they are trying to trick people into moving there.
· Houses that don’t match the listings. Ex: 2 full baths turns out to be 1 full bath.
· Mystery rooms with locked doors.
Stager Mom: What was the worst?
House Hunting Jenny:
· The real estate agent running 45 minutes late who then texts us while we are waiting outside the house to meet her. Then we don’t even get to see the house and now it’s sold. Of course it was in our price range. Since this was not an isolated incident, we switched agents!
· Flea and roach infested houses labeled as “needs a little work”.
· Clearly “do it yourself” projects that shouldn’t have been. Who wants to fix other people’s crummy projects?
· Houses in our price range being bought by flippers. As young buyers, we just can’t compete with cash offers. We’ve missed out on seeing 3 houses because they were bought below value with cash.
Worried Mom: Jenny this is just awful—maybe you should move home!
Independent Jenny: No thank you.
Stager Mom: Ok then. What would you want to tell homeowners and real estate agents if you could?
House Hunting Jenny:
I’d tell home owners:
· I don’t want to smell your pet, nor do I want a house to smell like the Yankee Candle Store. Never underestimate the power of a simple, clean smell.
· The outside of the house is the first thing you see, mow your grass. An unkempt lawn is a bad starting impression. If an owner can’t take care of the small area of grass in front of a town house, why would the rest of the house be in good condition?
· Have working lights. Even if everything else is moved out, leave a lamp behind. I can only view houses after work and sometimes we can’t really see in a room with no lights.
· I am more likely to go see a house that has photos of the interior of the house than ones that don’t. Open the windows and take photos with natural lighting, it looks much more inviting.
I’d tell Agents:
· Come prepared. I love that my agent prints out the listing and brings it with him. After we view a house, he pulls the “comps” which are the comparable properties in the area that have sold or are under contract for the last 6 months. This gives me a good idea of what the offer should be.
· Follow up is important! If you don’t like a house, its great if the agent asks/understands why. That way you don’t end up going to multiple houses with the same element.
· And finally I’d tell listing agents…..avoid exclamation marks completely if possible. I’m not going to a monster truck rally on SUNDAY!!! SUNDAY!!! SUNDAY!!! So I’m turned off by listings that have that vibe. It feels like a used car salesman, just don’t.
Thanks Jenny!
Sometimes blunt is best and I couldn’t say it better. But if you don’t see your home in this experience either be thankful or take a closer look. Remember, the best listings are accurate. The best chance to sell a home is for it to be clean, repaired, and easy to view. The best way to prepare a home for sale is with the help of a home stager and the best way to sell a home is with the help of a great Real Estate agent, like the professionals at VRSAM. And Jenny Boo, your room may be my office now, but I can change it back anytime!
Sandy Gardner
www.Commonwealthstaging.com