….my backyard, my backyard….
Don’t throw your junk in my backyard….
….my backyard’s FULL!
(no kidding)
Speechless. Am, I…
I was in a condo last week for a listing presentation, and I told the owners, quite bluntly, “I apologize in advance if I’m being too frank, but you need to clear out as much of this stuff as possible.”
They asked, “What stuff,” and I told them “All of your things.”
They then asked, “Like what? Which things?”
I told them: “ALL of them.”
“Less Is More” rings true when you are trying to show off the space in a 910 square foot condo that has boxes piled to the ceilings, and you truly want to show off as much of the home as possible when you’re presenting the space to potential buyers.
I’m starting to encourage my sellers more and more to consider spending money on staging, or at least bringing in a professional to suggest how to show the property to its maximum potential.
Then, we have a house with a friggin’ DUMPSTER in the backyard!
There’s garbage everywhere, and it shows about as bad as one could possibly imagine.
I guess the dumpster does have one advantage: it takes the emphasis away from the crazy neighbour…
Meh
at 10:49 am
You don’t pay for staging?
I’m curious, what’s the out of pocket expenses for a modern realtor? It’s not like you need to buy print ads anymore..
David Fleming
at 3:49 pm
@ Meh
I pay for a staging consultation which runs about $250.
Staging generally costs around 1 – 1.5% of the sale price of the house. I can’t afford to pay $15,000 “out of pocket” when I list a million dollar property.
I can attest to the fact that I have more out of pocket expenses than 99% of Realtors.
I pay for the home inspection when I list a property, and the status certificate when I list a condo.
I pay for a staging consultation, and whether the seller decides to spend their out of pocket money on staging is up to him or her.
I pay for admail throughout the area. This can cost upwards of $1000.
I still use print media, even if most people don’t read the real estate section of the Globe & Mail. Why not try it? For $80, maybe there is an old lady named “Mabel” who wants to buy a house or condo for her grandchild with all her millions. It’s worth trying.
As for what other Realtors pay for, I don’t know.
You’d have to ask them…
earth mother
at 7:48 pm
My neighbour is also a junk collector, with a boat, a trailer, 2 sheds, a back house which has been under renovation for years, construction debris, scrap wood, broken patio furniture etc… a high fence definitely is the answer!!
Sam
at 12:56 am
I hear sirens in the background. Are the cops coming for the neighbours? LOL
Greg
at 7:08 am
Dumpster solution:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/arts/design/20pool.html
As for the neighbours, that isn’t an easy fix.