I feel this is going much too far ! - Page 9

software · ‎06-08-2016

If your realtor didn't suggest you put certain items in storage, shame on your realtor

If your realtor suggested you put items in storage, particularly your antique furniture, shame on you.

Everyone I know in the house selling process either puts items in storage, has a yard sale first or uses one of those portable PODS.

It's what you do.

@151949

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

wrote:
If your realtor didn't suggest you put certain items in storage, shame on your realtor

If your realtor suggested you put items in storage, particularly your antique furniture, shame on you.

Everyone I know in the house selling process either puts items in storage, has a yard sale first or uses one of those portable PODS.

It's what you do.

@151949

Not everyone. In fact, I don't know anyone who has UNLESS they were relocating and had to move everything due to the move. We sure don't.

Tigriss · ‎03-12-2010

I too would prep before I listed by decluttering and packing all I could and store it, but the realtor should not have touched anything. Liability is such a huge issue! I too recommend going to see the broker. Doing it in person is much harder on them since they can't just placate you over the phone. In person, you can tell if they are lying or not. I hope you took pics of what they did to cover yourself. I would show those to the broker as well. BUT I would also start removing as much excess that isn't needed daily or weekly and moves it to climate controlled areas. I would leave the antiques in place since moving them causes them to be at risk. The less they are moved the better. I would keep four of the chairs at the dining table since people do eat. Without chairs, it is obvious that they are trying to make the room look larger. People want to see how furniture fits the space if there is furniture there. You also don't want people to think that you don't use the dining room because of a problem. If I were doing some entertaining, I would just keep all the chairs and tell the realtor to stuff it.

If you are dealing with a young realtor, then you are dealing with someone that is making generalizations about your age and "type". They have yet to get the experience needed to deal with different types of people. They also tend to already "know" how to do everything. I can just see them telling their colleagues that these old people just don't know how much stuff they have cluttering a home and making it difficult to sell. Stereotypes are certainly used in real estate. I'm sorry this has happened. Stay strong!

ccassaday · ‎10-21-2010

@SahmIamwrote:
wrote:
If your realtor didn't suggest you put certain items in storage, shame on your realtor

If your realtor suggested you put items in storage, particularly your antique furniture, shame on you.

Everyone I know in the house selling process either puts items in storage, has a yard sale first or uses one of those portable PODS.

It's what you do.

@151949
Not everyone. In fact, I don't know anyone who has UNLESS they were relocating and had to move everything due to the move. We sure don't.

We stored anything that wasnt being used on a daily bases. We started cleaning the attic and stuff we didn’t use about 1.5 years before we sold. We started early because we knew we weren’t going to start building until 2017. We were fortunate. My sisters family had just build a huge garage on their property that is seperate from their house. So everything is stored there. Any family valuables like photo albums and such are in my other sisters basement in Chicago. So we aren’t paying for storage.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

wrote:
If your realtor didn't suggest you put certain items in storage, shame on your realtor

If your realtor suggested you put items in storage, particularly your antique furniture, shame on you.

Everyone I know in the house selling process either puts items in storage, has a yard sale first or uses one of those portable PODS.

It's what you do.

@151949

I have personally sold many houses that had personal pictures and Knick Nacks galore. Also cluttered houses and houses with messy kids bedrooms. Also houses where the homeowners were not home, but the pets were.

Buyers are not stupid. They know when the seller moves, all of the stuff will be gone. I don’t know when all this decluttering stuff, removing personal items started, but it probably isn’t necessary.

Now if the house is stinky and dirty, many people will just walk out, but not all. High end homes need to be in pristine condition, but older starter homes sell because the price is right for a first time buyer.

I admit that a home that looks like a magazine cover will sell for a higher price, but in some neighborhoods, people will buy anything that goes on the market because houses are scarce.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

SOMETIMES when people boast about having a lot of antiques, and antique furniture, antique this, antique that, a place can look like it's very congested with junk.

Not saying it applies here, just saying...

sol_luna · ‎01-25-2018

When my brother and I sold my mom's house, our realtor (a family friend )gave us ideas on how to stage the home before he took pictures. We took his suggestions and left some of the furniture, etc. in the house, and we moved what wasn't necessary into the garage. Her house sold in 2 weeks with multiple offers.

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

@Carmie

I've read your replies with interest as what you state is so true!

When selling our house up north we had packed everything non-essential for everyday living. Then I stacked the boxes in the garage. We hired a fairly new "go-getter" agent (I thought) for 3 months.

After many showings & frustrating circumstances...our realtor (who I wasn't thrilled about) suggested removing (storing) the boxes, etc.in a storage unit because "the garage appeared small". What???

Then she suggested repainting, staging, etc. NOPE! After her contract was up we hired a seasoned realtor who knew the area & priced the house right - Plus, he brought brokers/buyers he knew were interested in our neighborhood, price point & pre-qualified. Our house sold in 10 days -- boxes in garage & all!!!

Now, we live in a gated golf community with 550 homes & villas. The houses here sell fast -- most the time the listing agent doesn't sell it "word of mouth" does.

I think the potential buyers can look past most things as long as the house is in good shape, well maintained, etc. & if it's what they want. When I bought in here I knew I wanted golf course view, move-in condition. I knew what "upgrades" I would want to do.

I got a call from our golf pro on a Monday he heard it was for sale - looked at it Tuesday - put bid in on Wed & closed 30 days later.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

wrote:
wrote:
If your realtor didn't suggest you put certain items in storage, shame on your realtor

If your realtor suggested you put items in storage, particularly your antique furniture, shame on you.

Everyone I know in the house selling process either puts items in storage, has a yard sale first or uses one of those portable PODS.

It's what you do.

@151949
I have personally sold many houses that had personal pictures and Knick Nacks galore. Also cluttered houses and houses with messy kids bedrooms. Also houses where the homeowners were not home, but the pets were.

Buyers are not stupid. They know when the seller moves, all of the stuff will be gone. I don’t know when all this decluttering stuff, removing personal items started, but it probably isn’t necessary.

Now if the house is stinky and dirty, many people will just walk out, but not all. High end homes need to be in pristine condition, but older starter homes sell because the price is right for a first time buyer.

I admit that a home that looks like a magazine cover will sell for a higher price, but in some neighborhoods, people will buy anything that goes on the market because houses are scarce.

@Carmie

You are so right, it is all about what is going on in any particular market, and at what price point the homes are falling in.

In general in our area, the higher end homes need to be a little better kept inside (and out) to sell, but average and below, it just doesn't matter about being too particular about decluttering, staging etc. They seem to sell based on price for location regardless of whether someone has too much personal stuff still inside the home.

HGTV has people jumping through hoops that are really unnecessary in many parts of the country.

Bri36 · ‎02-20-2017

wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
If you can't walk around things easily, chairs and odd tables should be removed.

I'm sure they decluttered and OP didn't like what they did. If you have a desk in a corner of the bedroom, and you can't walk around the bed, you have to remove something.

She said they removed the dining room chairs (among other things). So there's a table, but no chairs. It doesn't sound to me as though it was simply that she didn't like what they did. What she described is far more than just decluttering.

This realtor not only went overboard, but did so without communicating with the sellers. No matter how much stuff she had or didn't have and no matter what's in the house now, that was wrong.
That wouldn't make sense to take away all the chairs from a dining room table. If they took a couple away, that would make the room flow better - easier to get around.

This might be a slight exaggeration on the OP's part...

Yes it might be. But all we have to go by (when anyone posts) is what we're told..
I don't always agree with the OP. In fact, I disagree with her a lot. But this rings true in my mind, and I believe her. If I didn't believe her (or any poster), I wouldn't bother replying. I'm sure many posters have completely fabricated stories, embellished, misrepresented, etc. But these are just forums, so I'm willing - most of the time - to take things at face or close-to face value.

I agree - It doesn't make sense to take away all the chairs. But a young, inexperienced realtor can certainly make mistakes. It sounds as though he did quite a few things that don't make sense.

Even if the OP slightly exaggerated, I still think the realtor was out of line and unprofessional. At the very least, he upset the sellers. Good realtors take special care not to do that.