We recently sold a home that was part of an estate...this time with the buyer's side of the transaction. When we have had the seller's side...we keep the property in curb appeal condition and pleasingly clean on the inside....
Put yourself in the buyer's position....they have looked forward to moving to a new home...are excited and have pictured the new paint colors..the garden in the back...bushes in front....and they come to the final walk thru to find
a front yard that was a field of dandelions.....If the seller lived out of the area...how hard would it be for the lister to put a lawnmower in the trunk and make the front yard a more welcoming sight/site.
How hard is it to put a bouquet of daisies on the counter....
How hard is it to leave a note saying you hoped that the new owner enjoyed their new home....a few minutes of your time....and you have helped make memories for a lifetime.....and when there is the dirty this, the unmowed that, the garage full of or garbage not removed...it makes another memory...the kind that you do not want associated with you, your company, your seller....Help make that field of dreams full of pleasant memories, it is one of the joys you can experience as a professional realtor.
Sally K. & David L. Hanson, ABR, CDPE, CSS, e-Pro,ILHM, REDS
I so agree with this. Also, how about leaving the home sparkling clean? In this down market, Seller's seem to be leaving homes dirtier. Such a bummer for the new homeowner to have to deal with.
Sounds like the seller doesn't care much, they closed and got their money, that's all they were concerned about, it's a shame honestly. They would be the first to complain though if the house they were moving into was in the condition they left theirs for the new owners. Turnabout is fair play!
Sometimes it is a good thing for the agent to step in with elbow grease...lawnmower....snow shovel....happy homecomings are best !
With 5-6 months of winter here. I have often thought that the condition of the lawn should be a disclosure item. It can cost a fair amount of money to correct a lawn full of dandelions.
Interesting thought Barb....in this case...when the buyer first saw the property. it was just when we were in the brown to green period and a dose of weed and feed along with any attention to mowing would have helped...,but disclosure is a great idea....something to feed the lawyers :)
I agree....many folks overlook these special touch items, not to mention forgetting to CLEAN, sweep, etc!
Clean....now there's a thought :)....you would think that would be the first touch...along with the paint drips on the woodwork...the windows ...cobwebs....you'd think....
Now when things like that happen in our "neck of the woods" doing a walk thru just prior to closing can definitely stop things like that in its tracks. I do agree that the flowers or say a nice hot pizza on moving day leaves a positive warm feeling. When we are on the selling side, they, the sellers are counseled as to what "broom clean" (the wording in most of our contracts) means. Repair receipts are brought to closing. It isn't closed until it is closed!
We just added the "broom swept" clause to our Wisconsin contracts recently...unfortunately....that doesn't apply to the yard, lawn, garage...but it should !
It's things like this that make or break a reputation. These buyers will remember this and unfortunately it will reflect on the listing agent. Ultimately, it is the seller that was responsible, but the agent is the "front man" who will be associated with the poor condition of the property.
It's amazing that some people wouldn't be more considerate in turning a property over. We purchase a property once and let the seller rent back from us until their house was finished building. They left us the house with an inch of dog hair everywhere along with the toys their children didn't want along with an unmowed yard. The worse part is the seller was a real estate agent!!
Ouch....that IS a bad story Michelle....you are soo right Sharon...and it reflects not only on the agent but the brokerage as well.
I disagree. You state that the property was part of an estate. I interpret that as the occupant had died and the property was vacant. If condition of turnover was a concern, you should have put something in the contract. If client did not like the condition at walkthru, he could have chosen not to close. If you think the buyer should have been welcomed with a bouquet of daisies you should have provided them. This was your client.
And IMHO the buyer won't remember whose sign was in the yard.
We typically do not allow comments unsigned....we did far more than a bouquet of daisies....fixed things the seller did not...gift certificate to a garden center...new toys for her dogs....the seller got an over asking offer and could have had the lawn cut...letting grass and weeds grow higher and higher is also a city violation....our buyer was generous in her attitude....the seller was not.....and the buyer not only remembers the sign in the yard...she says she has cautioned her friends against using this brokerage.
Thank you for allowing an anonymous comment. The things you did are commendable. Your post did not state what you did, only what the seller did not do. It seems the seller could have done better. And of course you will do better next time with your contract language on turnover condition.
I don't know the circumstances of the heirs, but it is possible they didn't know any better. When we were in our mid 20s we had to sell my in-laws home. We did not have any experience with selling a home. Our agent did not counsel us on what we should do to make the property ready to sell. We removed furniture and belongings that we wanted, and turned the sale over to the agent and lawyer. We were young and stupid. It took a year to sell. It sold for a low price. Our buyers (and neighbors) probably had many complaints on turnover condition, though it was the same condition the house was shown in.
I guess from our standpoint....real estate agents should be more than the "put the sign in the yard and the listing on MLS...." you WANT the house to show well...the Buyer to have a good experience....and as a listing agent...that to us is part of your responsibility...we did have the yard in the contract...and the seller and the agent did not pay attention to the contractor...who "got busy" and did nothing...interesting...in further research the agent was not busy...though he is part time....this is the only listing he has had all year...all the more reason to pay attention. Best wishes to you.