The Bi-Annual House Hunting Rant
What with one thing and another, Darwin and I are house hunting. We've seen a bunch of houses. Naturally, we're running into the current seller's market problem. These days, you don't look at several houses, then say, "You know, I like the one on James Street. How about we go see it again? Maybe we'll put in an offer."
No, these days when a house goes on the market, you become part of a barbarian horde. You need to storm through the house and follow up by flinging offers within an hour of the place it hitting the market, only to learn it already has competing offers.
Darwin and I attended an open house for a place that had gone on the market at 8 AM that morning. We arrived at the open house at noon, exactly when it began, and the realtor told us the place had three offers on it. Makes house hunting a challenge.
But I'm not here to complain about the market. No, I'm here once again to point out problems with people who are trying to sell their houses.
--Clean your freaking house! I mean, REALLY clean it. I can't tell you how many times I walked into a house and the floors were gritty, the cupboards crumby, the baseboards grimy, the bathrooms mildewy. Yes, I know I'll be repainting and recarpeting when I move in, but when I see a gross house, it makes me think, "If they can't keep the place clean--or make it presentable to buyers--what else have they neglected? And . . . ew!" Next house!
--Dump the clutter! Clutter is awful. And I don't mean the junk-lying-around clutter or stuff-not-put-away clutter (though I've seen plenty of that). It's the over-decorator clutter. Piles of pillows on every sofa. Hundreds of plants. Knickknacks on every surface. Walls covered with photographs. They make the house feel closed-in and claustrophobic. Strip it down and stash it away.
--Cut back on the furniture. Yes, I know you live there. But not even the Brady Bunch needs four couches and six easy chairs. One house we visited had living room sets in the dining room and the den as well as in the living room, a family room, and a rec room. I felt like I was visiting Ikea. If you don't use it on a daily basis, put it in storage.
--Get rid of any hint of animal smell. If I walk into a house and smell animals, I turn around and leave. If you have animals but can't keep them from smelling up the house, heavens only know what else you've neglected. And anyway, I don't want to live with previous owner animal smell. I have animals, and work very hard to make sure you can't smell them. If you've lived with your animals for so long that you can't tell anymore if they smell, get a non-resident family member or friend to be honest with you and check. Then clear it out!
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No, these days when a house goes on the market, you become part of a barbarian horde. You need to storm through the house and follow up by flinging offers within an hour of the place it hitting the market, only to learn it already has competing offers.
Darwin and I attended an open house for a place that had gone on the market at 8 AM that morning. We arrived at the open house at noon, exactly when it began, and the realtor told us the place had three offers on it. Makes house hunting a challenge.
But I'm not here to complain about the market. No, I'm here once again to point out problems with people who are trying to sell their houses.
--Clean your freaking house! I mean, REALLY clean it. I can't tell you how many times I walked into a house and the floors were gritty, the cupboards crumby, the baseboards grimy, the bathrooms mildewy. Yes, I know I'll be repainting and recarpeting when I move in, but when I see a gross house, it makes me think, "If they can't keep the place clean--or make it presentable to buyers--what else have they neglected? And . . . ew!" Next house!
--Dump the clutter! Clutter is awful. And I don't mean the junk-lying-around clutter or stuff-not-put-away clutter (though I've seen plenty of that). It's the over-decorator clutter. Piles of pillows on every sofa. Hundreds of plants. Knickknacks on every surface. Walls covered with photographs. They make the house feel closed-in and claustrophobic. Strip it down and stash it away.
--Cut back on the furniture. Yes, I know you live there. But not even the Brady Bunch needs four couches and six easy chairs. One house we visited had living room sets in the dining room and the den as well as in the living room, a family room, and a rec room. I felt like I was visiting Ikea. If you don't use it on a daily basis, put it in storage.
--Get rid of any hint of animal smell. If I walk into a house and smell animals, I turn around and leave. If you have animals but can't keep them from smelling up the house, heavens only know what else you've neglected. And anyway, I don't want to live with previous owner animal smell. I have animals, and work very hard to make sure you can't smell them. If you've lived with your animals for so long that you can't tell anymore if they smell, get a non-resident family member or friend to be honest with you and check. Then clear it out!
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