This weekend we took out some of the toys and left only the ones they really like to play with and the little toys that can fit into a toy basket. We have a sunken living room so we have to create barriers with ottomans and gates. That is probably the hardest to move out, but they are neccessary. We did get good news, though, that the potential buyers that cancelled are planning to come back on Monday. I found out that they cancelled because they were on their lunch break from work and didn't have time to wait to see the house. I'm guessing they are pretty serious and not just browsers since they are rescheduling.
Well first of all, welcome and good luck with your sell. We recently sold our home in one day. We had exactly 2 showings. We were home for the first one because it was a few days before we actually listed so the agent asked for us to stay. Price and cleanliness sold our home exactly 36 hours after it went on the market. Our house was always well kept but we actually touched every area in that house before we listed it. Will never know if all of it was necessary but we did it anyway. We wanted a quick sell because we both work and have a young child and pets so constant showing were going to be hard. I know you didn't come here for use to evaluate your listing but I looked at it and some of the photos need improvement. There is one with someone's reflection in the mirror in the bathroom and the shower curtains should be closed. Also, it you by chance have trouble selling, remove the extra storage furniture in your dining area. You have a pantry and this just makes the space look smaller. Also, remove everything possible from the counter tops. We had to request a 2 hour notice for showings. It was required because during the day I had to have time for my mother to drive over and crate our animals. You have the right to ask for time to get ready for the showing.
Thanks for your input. I welcome any constructive advice. We thought it was important to get a picture of the dual vanity in the master, but there is no angle that the picture can be taken from that doesn't have a reflection from the mirror. Also, several people told us that the garden tub was a feature that many houses with a shower/tub combo didn't offer, and the only way to get a picture of that is to have the curtain open. Do you think it's best not to include these pics at all? We did a thorough cleaning of the house including cleaning out closets to show their size and moving as much as possible to storage above the garage. However, because we still have to live in the house day to day with two infants, we have to keep the storage in the kitchen for baby food, bottles, etc., hence the need for a larger house. If we had one baby, this house would be great and we would continue living here like we have since the house was brand new, but there just isn't enough space for both babies. Thankfully, we have been able to price the house below all of the comps. The sold comps are 160k, and ours is at $149,900. Every other house on the market in our area and the same square footage is either much higher priced or priced the same with no garage. So we do believe that we are competitively priced. Our hardest task is to not look at houses we'd like to buy, because we don't want to be disappointed every time one sells. Thanks again for the advice and let me know what you think about just taking those pics down if I can't get a better one.
I would consult with your realtor about the pictures. Those just don't look great to me. Your house doesn't look cluttered, just make sure you don't make it look too small for your family. I realize it is but you don't want it to look that way because you will make the person looking at it wonder if it is too small for them. We actually used off site storage to hide alot of stuff. As far as not looking at other houses, that is a matter of opinion as well but we wished we would have looked at more much sooner. If your house sells quickly, you may be unprepared. If I had to do it again, I would have make a list in order of preference and when the time came go to #1 again, #2, etc based on current availability. Better to be over prepared than under. We had to make a RUSH decision because of buyer was in a hurry. We are happy with our new home but it was a close call. If by chance your realtor doesn't want to show you homes until your house sells, find another realtor.
Our realtor has been great about taking us to see houses. It's just that our #1 and #2 both sold this week, and feels like we are having to start all over again. #1 and #2 were also the only new houses left in our favorite neighborhood, so not only are we disappointed about the houses selling, but also about not being able to get into our #1 neighborhood. Thanks again for the advice.
Your house is beautiful, but your Realtor did a retched job on taking the pictures. Once you have the holiday decorations down, I would have them send in a professional to redo all of them. Also, it seems odd that after 21 days on the market there still isn't a virtual tour. The person that shoots the tour should be able to do the new photos, thus saving your Realtor some money. Although it doesn't look like they've invested anything in your house other than some time to put together the MLS listing. I agree with OP that you should get rid of the cabinets in the dining area. They give the impression that the kitchen doesn't have enough cabinet space, which could be an instant deal-breaker for some. The bathroom picture would probably be best just taken from the hallway or bedroom, which should still show the double sinks. Ditch the shower shot, and just include garden tub in the listing details. The picture of the plastic surround is going to dwarf the view of the tub, plus it doesn't actually look like a garden tub in the picture. I would also ditch the picture of that closet, and change the nursery picture to include a full shot of the crib. Your Realtor should know that showing the crib will define the room, and give new families that "awwwww" feeling. Your Realtor should also know that showing too many pictures of the same spaces gives the impression that the house is much smaller than it actually is. The house is beautiful and a 'less is more' approach might work better. I'd probably pare it down to two shots of the family room, one each of the kitchen and dining area, the laundry room shot (love your laundry room, by the way), a shot of the master bedroom and one of the master bath from inside the bedroom (which will show off the double sinks and the en suite), a shot of the nursery with the crib, and then the outside pictures. Also, if the house has any other bedrooms, there should probably be a picture. The outside pictures should be taken on a day with a very bright blue sky. Another trick your Realtor should have been familiar with. Also, I'd ditch the price per square foot in the listing, since it's not the most favorable detail, and doesn't reflect the garage or any storage/unfinished areas. Also, make sure that the pictures are high enough quality to properly show the ceilings. Your bedroom looks like it might have a popcorn ceiling in the picture (which I don't think is the case), and that is another immediate deal-breaker for some. If it helps, this is coming from the perspective of a recent buyer. I chose the houses we looked at based on the pictures on the listing, so these really are extremely important, especially considering the vast number of houses on the market right now. Think of other listings you have looked at and the things that wowed you.
Thanks for the recent advice. I am going to talk to our realtor about redoing the pics. The virtual tour was supposed to be on there already. I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it. The realtor was highly recommended by another realtor who has moved out of the area and another friend. I hope I made the right choice. We haven't had a showing yet, but our house is priced well below our competitors. The houses priced the same don't have a garage. From what i can tell though nothing in our house's price range is selling right now. Please keep the advice coming.
I'm shocked you haven't had many showings. Your house is beautiful, and is in a great price range. I even showed my husband, who loved the house and had many of the same thoughts about the pictures. Look through other MLS listings (I really like fmrealty) to get some ideas of how your pictures should look. It's all about getting people in the door. Good luck!!!
Did you ask your realtor to show you what homes similiar to yours, in your neighborhood area, have actually sold for...NOT what they listed for...and the days on market? I having been watching fmrealty, realtor.com and other sites weekly for several years. It's kind of a hobby to see what houses are listing and selling for. IMHO, for this market, your house is overpriced by about $10K. Ask your realtor for the stats on comparable homes (not foreclosures) that have actually sold.
Price is key. We priced our house better than the comps and ours was nicer and we actually sold in one day. I didn't want to play the wait and see what happens game. Is your realtor staying in touch with you? Are they planning an open house?
Realtor has been in touch regularly and is coming this week to take new pictures now that holiday decor is down. As for the sold comps...our sold comps were $160k and that was the lowest. The other houses for sale that are currently priced the same as ours are the same size and all but do not have a garage. We have an attached two car garage. The houses exactly comparable to ours are on the market in the upper $150s to 160s. The houses in the 1500 sq ft range are selling for at least 100 per sq ft. The houses in the 2000+ sq ft range are selling for much less because there are so many more of those on the market. There are only about 15 other comparable houses to ours on the market. Sounds like a lot but compared to the 50+ larger houses, the prices are driven by supply. I have done a lot of research on pricing and we are priced aggressively for both sold and current for sale homes. There is actually one house out towards benson that is priced low but it is a foreclosure that has been torn up and has unfinished areas listed as rooms on mls. It also has a one car garage. There is not a house that i know of that is a true comp and is priced lower than ours. Emismom....I'm guessing you're my neighbor? I will keep everyone updated on the status
Just browsed once again through realtor.com and found 2 comparable houses listed lower than ours. One is in the town of benson and one is in four oaks. Houses are cheaper the further you get toward benson even sold houses. I also searched sold homes and the neighborhood directly across the street from us had a smaller house sell for the low $150s in September. Ncmom, if there are houses that I'm not seeing, could you direct me to them? I am just not finding in the research I've done where our house is overpriced.
As an inactive real estate person here, if you are satisfied with your realtor, just bring your concerns to them. It's easy to armchair quarterback from a message board. There may be other factors at play besides what you can see from realtor.com. Have a frank discussion and see where that gets you with your AGENT. 8)
We had a showing yesterday! No feedback yet, but hopefully we'll get some soon. Those of you who have sold houses recently, did you normally get feedback on your showings? My realtor is trying to get in contact with the realtor that showed the house, because he/she hasn't left anything on the web service. I'm anxious,but trying to be patient!!!
I have heard that alot of realtors don't take the time to review. If I were a realtor, I would always review but I am OCD about stuff like that. Good luck!!
I just looked at your listing again. There is still one picture that shows the cabinet that you had in the dining room. It looks so much better without the cabinet. Also, I personally don't like pictures with open shower curtains. And last of all, a few pictures are duplicated. Over all it looks great!
LOL!! If you have showed 20 houses in one day, that is easier said than done. Especially when they ALL start to run together after a while. :mrgreen: Trust me, they are doing their best. I tried to take notes on each house, but that is hard to do and keep on schedule.
I believe you and I am sure they are doing there best. I am also sure I would stay up all night reviewing. That is just how I am. I love to give my opinions
