Relocate to Wisconsin : If Walls Could Talk....

 " If walls could talk..."

      It's an expression older than many of the walls we see in homes today. Before we go on a listing/pre-listing appointment we get basic information like most realtors....sometimes the tax bill gives us an idea of the number of rooms or features...fireplace...attached garage and sometimes if the home is located in a smaller city/town/village, the information is very minimal and until we see the property, we rely on the mind's eye of the seller to tell us a bit about the home.
   Often, the flood of memories of the holidays, the meals shared, the special touches that the family added to the house that make it home, color the conversation and you can feel the warmth and love that flowed from room to room with fond recollections of happier times and the joy it brought the family who lived there for a good part of their lifetime.Sometimes with short sales as well as traditional sales, the pull of the memories back to happier times overcomes the stress of years that the home has seen and the wear evident to a more objective less emotional eye.
  Then there is what we call the "mechanical part" of the pre-listing interview...how old is the ....furnace, roof, air conditioning....might there be some deferred maintenance...exterior paint, etc.  Often the homeowner's mind's eye sees the memories of yesterday and not the well worn reality of today in describing these areas. We are reminded that we all see things as we sometimes wish they were ...and spiced with our own version of reality, and that, after all is human nature.  With people who are hanging by a thin financial thread, the repairs are often more minimized and the flood of warm memories over shadows the curling shingles, decaying wood, chipped paint...it has been and is the place they have called home for a long time.
    Sooo...what is the point of this blog you say...maybe to remind realtors....listing and showing to be gentle....no one has peeling paint and curling shingles out of desire. Leaking windows, worn carpet once shared beautiful views and playful moments. Look beyond the immediate physical appearance...you may find that treasured memories for your new buyer are just a paint brush away.....and you can be a part of making new memories for your fortunate buyer to have a thoughtful realtor as their representative.