Replies (80)
- g_slintak
- Contributions:14
G.
- John Badalamenti, "JohnB"
- Contributions:378
- VicenteFox
- Contributions:312
- VicenteFox
- Contributions:312
The primary reason houses are not moving, is people holding onto fantasy valuations from the recent bubble. The selling price of a house, is what some will pay for it. If you think your house is "worth" 1 million dollars, but nobody will offer you that, it's obviously not worth that to anyone. It's like offering CSCO stock for $70. It was worth that in early 2000, but not anymore.
- Alan May
- Contributions:4381
the housing market is a living market just like the stock market... housing prices go up and down, just like the DOW... (albeit much slower movement).
while we all like to think that Elvis is still king, today PRICE is king...
any objection (wallpaper included) can be overcome if the price is right.
- mad2439
- Contributions:3
Every room in this house was covered with REALLY bad, really poorly done wallpaper. Giant red and blue flowers...huge palm leaves....BLACK floral with stirpes...and the paint was just as bad...Charleston green in the smallest bedroom(looks BLACK)...CHRISTMAS red and green (chair rail style) in another bedroom...BLOOD red stairwell and landing...in a TINY house...I still get chills when I think about it.
COSMETIC issues shouldn't keep someone from buying a structurally sound or well-laid out home. I can never understand home-buyers on TV saying, "oh, I hate the carpet" or "wow, the walls are GREEN"...nope, can't buy THAT house.
Have some imagination!
I can totally sympathize with not wanting to remove wallpaper, but if that's the ONLY drawback to an otherwise great home...I'd put up with it.
Try to get the seller to do it!
I completely "neutralized" the last home I sold. New neutral carpet/repainted the walls AND TRIM(scary how many DON'T paint the trim...makes ALL the marks and dirt show more against a freshly painted wall)...took ALL of the clutter/personal photos/stuff hanging on the fridge down/hid it/packed it away before showing.
Don't forget the power of smell...vanilla/pumpkin pie plug-ins are great!
I think dirt and poor maintenance are bigger deal breakers than "wallpaper"; being over-priced is another issue. You have to look at the comps in your area and unless you have a TRULY good reason to be over-priced, then your home will likely sit there.
My husbands Ex has this exact problem..She isn't willing to thoroughly clean, paint and make the repairs needed to move the house. She also has ZERO curb appeal going on. Dead trees/overgrown weeds etc. Oh, and chickens in the yard! Yeah, they used to live in the garage...imagine THAT smell!
- Alan May
- Contributions:4381
- Lending Lass
- Contributions:14
As a lender I also see a lot of homes, and I can tell you that freshening the home, staging it as if it is a model home, putting some color in the yard for pizazz will make all the difference. Also, even trees have been proven to raise values. Look at your home as a "product" to market, and stage it accordingly. Your home must be pristine like a hotel room would be to greet its' guests.
When you have an open house or buyers brought by, toss some frozen pre-made cookies in the oven, and put on some flavored coffee. Let those cozy aromas fill your home. If you dont have cookie dough, use these refrigerator rolls. The scent of cookies, or bread, and the wonderful smell of good coffee evoke that sense of "home".
If your realtor has an Open House, get the frozen dough and make some yummy cookies. Make a dozen or so every hr. (no chocolate to prevent your home from being soiled.) Your home will continue to have the aroma of baked goods. And when visitors leave, have the agent send them with a few warm cookies. Let that good "homey feeling" leave with them. (There is a good dough by Orville Spudmaker?? Something like that.)
- ellsworth999
- Contributions:5
Apply liberally to listing agents, purchase and sale agreements, unrealistic spouses, etc. It also works on wallpaper.
Reaction time will vary according to your mindset - allow 5-8 months for initial results.
Accelerated action can be achieved by tuning any television inside the house to BBC or CNN.
Hope this helps!
Thank you very much for a very interesting post Kary!!
On a similar note, sellers can check out other related information from Daniel Herron of Coldwell Banker - Lakewood, Colorado, who also focused on this "question many sellers are asking these days — Why Does My Home NOT Sell?", & was recently featured by Diane Tuman, Zillow Content Manager, on the Zillow Blog: http://www.zillowblog.com/why-does-my-home-not-sell/2007/09/. Daniel Herron wrote the "Wiki Wednesday feature article that helps dissect reasons why homes might be sitting and these reasons have nothing to do with a scared buying public."
- joannab3884866
- Contributions:204
- Frederick Squires, "fsquire"
- Contributions:6
A lot of people looking for housing are either first-time homebuyers or looking to get closer to their workplace. First-time homebuyers are strapped for cash and lack a decent credit rating. Those looking to get closer to their workplace need to sell their home in order to buy yours. With the housing market at a standstill, buyers are waiting to see how much further prices will drop. Last year I had plenty of lookers but very few offers. Now, lookers are even less. Until the market starts to change we will remain at a stand still.
- Carol-Lynne Mittelbusher, "Carol Lynne"
- Contributions:642
I have been doing open houses at a home with the best and worst of both worlds: lovely, taupy-mushroom walls, which everyone loves, and a funky leaf-design wallpaper border, which is universally reviled. This is a GORGEOUS home with a fantastic view, and the one thing EVERYONE comments on is the #$%@ wallpaper borders. They are in every room, and many of the rooms are faux-painted up to the borders, so removing them also means repainting.
Alpine, many of the buyers here (CA) say they like the faux painting - but it is in fairly neutral shades. Borders, wallpaper = death to profits.
- !crazy guy!
- Contributions:568
I think the # reason homes dont sell is becuase buyers are greedy and convinced the market is gonna drop. Until they get out of this mentality things are hopeless
'Until they get out of this mentality things are hopeless'
You are wrong about why the market is hopeless but at least
I see you moved on to the 'acceptance' phase after the denial so
that is a step in the right direction. Come to the darkside. Luke I am
your father!
- Real Estate, "Long Island"
- Contributions:970
price
- CORONA NICK
- Contributions:2218
LOL SOCAL... yes acknowledgement is the first step to recovery... there is/was a housing bubble, now that is has popped, prices will go down.
#1 Reason Houses Don't Sell!
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Contributions:2443Anyway I've come to a conclusion as to the #1 reason houses don't sell: Wallpaper! 90% of it is crap, and it's seemingly harder to change than anything else (bad paint colors, bad carpet, etc.). Even the borders at the top of a wall are bad.
If you installed wall paper, chances are (50%+) very good no one else will like it. If you've installed more than one style, it becomes almost a certainty.
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