New Orleans Real Estate News: What Buyers Are Saying About Your House

Great tips for sellers who still don't get it. I thought it was just here...haha

 I enjoyed this post, and I especially enjoyed this staemetn:  "Most buyers don't want an allowance.  They outgrew that once they got their first after school job."  So true! 

Hi Lisa,

If you had a button I would've dug this. Good advice. The way the outside of a house is kept is so crucial, it can attract or detract in a heartbeat.

Lisa~ I love how you lay it on the line and let us (and the sellers) know how you really feel!

 

I refer to the last minute cancellation as a "curb check". 

Isn't that wallpaper and paneling the reason they want to sell?

Georgina, it's everywhere! And it's frustrating to hear these things from the buyers over and over.

Margaret, with so many homes to choose from, buyers here are looking for move in ready, not a check to cover having the broken dishwasher replaced.

Rebecca, thanks - this actually happened last week, where a buyer refused to go into a house he hated from the outside.  Of course, if the agent had an picture on MLS we wouldn't have wasted our time :(

Lisa, that's me!

Amanda, "Curb check".  I love that!  And you are right, sellers don't want wallpaper and paneling in their new home, but expect buyers to fall head over heels for it in the home they are selling.  It's an unreasonable expectation for the most part.

Neither is your new hot water heater or the laminate flooring you installed yourself.  Lisa, so true...and by the way, I may steal your line about the allowance LOL!!!

Great tips, Lisa!  My favorite line in this post is:  sitting on the sidelines like a wallflower at the high school dance need to know!  SO true!

         

Lisa,  Great tips for Sellers -- Love, this part...

Your new roof is not an upgrade.  Neither is your new hot water heater or the laminate flooring you installed yourself.  Buyers are funny - they expect that the home they purchase will have a functional barrier to keep out the rain, hot water for a shower and flooring that is hopefully younger than they are.  The fact that these items have been recently replaced does not mean that the asking price for your home should be higher than the other 10 for sale in your subdivision.

 

Colleen, steal away!

Debe, some of these houses are becoming old maids they have been on the market so long :)

Judi, thanks.  Lenn Harley actually said it best on another post - "It's not an upgrade, it's maintenance"

Lisa,  Lenn said it Right!!!   I remember reading that comment by her in another post. 

Your post is filled with excellent tips Lisa and I'm sure that most seller's reading this, will certainly get it. 

::Imagine Aaron Neville's amazing voice:: 

Tell it like it is
I'm nothing to play with
Go and find yourself a toy
But I... tell it like it is
My time is too expensive and I'm not your little boy

It wastes valuable market time to put a house on the market that is not ready for prime time.  You've been honest with what works and what does NOT.  Time is money, its value cannot be underestimated.

I love the truth in this post! (But, do homes really still have paneling???) I think I've been out here in the OC too long. All we seem to have is dark hardwood flooring, granite & stainless appliances. These items are no longer considered an upgrade by buyers here! They are standard and verging on passe...

LISA - You are the best!  I flagged this for a feature.  Under explanation, I wrote "No explanation needed.  These are the types of posts that should be featured on AR.  Thank you for pointing out that wallpaper and paneling are actually problems that need fixing.  I removed wallpaper once when I was selling a house.  It was a nightmare to deal with.  In some cases, if someone is handy, and the wallpaper isn't coming off easily, it may actually be better to put up new sheetrock, unless of course, you know someone that is a true spackling artist.  When I looked for homes last time, I eliminated homes because of these things.

Lisa, this is terrific advice and a reality check for anyone whose home is not selling.  They need to step back from the transaction and try to view it from the buyer's eye.  Very well written and poignant post.

Lisa, Wonderful post, my "Fair" friend and very honest and true. I can't blame buyers for wanting to deal with any of these things, especially when there are so many homes to chose from right now. I remember years ago pulling up to a house with my realtor and we did pass on going inside--because the outside looked so unkempt!

Julie, sometimes a little tough love is in order :)

Elaine, true, true, true.  The wallflowers are wilting while the new, fresh shipment is moving out the door.

Sandra, YES, homes here definitely still have paneling and wallpaper.  In areas with little new construction, like mine, there are many homes on the market that just scream 1970-something in at least one room of the house.

Adam, thank you! I've been there, done that too.  I actually pulled down sheetrock rather than removing the 30 year old foil wallpaper.  BUT, I bought a fixer-upper.  If I wanted move in ready, I would not have even looked at my house.

Brian, thanks for those kind words.  The more property I've shown lately, the more I can see why some of these homes are still on the market while homes around them are selling.  It's all about value.

Carole, that is exactly it - why choose a home that needs work when there are others in the SAME area, in the SAME price range that don't?  And curb appeal?  It's critical to getting those buyers through the door.  The agent for the home we passed on said that the interior is very nice.  I wouldn't know since the exterior turned off my buyers so much.

I think buyers know these things.  They are just praying for someone who is willing to overlook it.  It's actually unbelievable to me.

Latonia, we all become accustomed to how our houses look, and tend to learn to live with some of the things we don't like about them.  I have one room in my house that has not been remodeled yet - but I know it would have to be done in order to compete if I was to try to sell it in today's market.

I don't care that the buyers can paint their own color of choice, just get rid of that wall paper.

Mana, thank you!  In 6 years I don't think I've seen wallpaper in a house that buyers didn't comment negatively on.

I really enjoyedyour post.  So very true of sellers expecting miracles!

Breath of fresh air! Great post.

As spring is approaching....."curb appeal" will be a major focus for my projects. At this point...I am just trying to stress the importance of keeping the drives and sidewalks cleared for showings. You would think after investing in Staging...something as simple as snow removal would be second nature! Not the case in some instances.

Lisa - What a terrific post, my friend.  This really tells it like it is, and I would expect nothing less from you.  I may use this one on listing appointments!

Hi Lisa - all sellers and potential sellers should be required to read this.  With CHOICES available to buyers today, it amazes me that many sellers just don't get what they have to do just to be shown, never mind actually CONSIDERED by potential buyers.  Way to tell it like it is!!

Ann

Great tips!  This is why I love when my stager shows up.  She tells them straight...yes some of them get offended and refuse to follow her suggestions but 4 months later when we are still sitting on the market they start to incorporate some of the changes... Great Post!!!

Very nicely said.  Sellers need to hear these things if they truely want to sell. Like Ann said above, with inventory being so high buyers are able to be picky...

Lisa, very good advice. I especially like the way you said, buyers don't want to spend their first night tearing off wall paper. So true and they also don't care about the new mechanicals. They are nice to have but don't add to the value at all. 

The paneling is the worst and is every where in our area from the early 1960's. Painting it doesn't do much to make it look better but for under $2000 you can have a crew come in and sheetrock over it and a quick coat of paint and you have just put your house on the finalists list!

Great tips.  Our area has numerous homes with that lovely paneling and many sellers are refusing to remove it.  Luckily buyers aren't making too big of an issue about it.

Excellent post--I wouldn't even think about putting my own home on the market without consulting with a staging company. Too much competition out there.

Great post and well written.  I think there is a misconception about making improvements to a home and the return you should expect thanks to all these flip housing shows and home improvement shows.  

Terrific post... I want to share with my sellers ( current and past ) just so they realize that agents and buyers particularly in this market are far more saavy....thanks for sharing it and for your sense of humor!

May i borrow this for upcoming posts? Sellers really need to know what buyers are thinking. Some do and some dont.

You are right on. In this market, there is so much to choose from, sellers have a much better chance if their home is ready to move into and looks awesome. Great post.

Hi Lisa,

Nice post with great tips. With so much out there why buy something that you are going to have to put more money and work into when you can find something that is move in condition. 

Lisa, You are absolutely right! I had to laugh, because just last week I had someone tell me about their "upgrades" and you know it -roof was on the list!

This is such basic information but so overlooked (or ignored) by sellers. 

Joe, I'm good, but I'm no miracle worker :)

Gina, agents in the north have another set of obstacles with snow and ice.  I have great admiration for those who can still get folks to buy in the dead of winter.

Jason, feel free to borrow anything you like my friend.

Ann, it's all about choices and when the buyers have so many, like they do today, an average house will lose out every time.

Kelly, you are so lucky to have someone else to give them the hard news!

Kim, and buyers ARE being picky.

Missy, thank you!  Today's buyers are expecting value for their money.  If it's not visible in the home, they move on to the next one.

Cindy, you got it.  We have a ton of houses with paneling and it's second on the "we'll have to remove that" list of comments from buyers, right behind the wallpaper.

Sandra, you are lucky - many buyers here say "dated" as soon as they see the paneling.

 

Great post Lisa... I hope lots of sellers read this BEFORE putting their home on the market!

Diane, I hope you tell your sellers that!

Christina, unfortunately, I agree with you.  HGTV is not doing us any favors.

Pamela, share away - I'm happy to help.

Robert, feel free.  If it's online, I would appreciate a link back.

Karl, thank you!

Trace, that's what the buyers are saying.

Shannon, LOL!  As opposed to NOT having a roof on the house?

Eliese, yep, you're right.

Libby, you snuck in there on me!  I hope so too - it will save them time on the market if they address those issues beforehand.  Doing it after the fact is not nearly as effective in getting agents through with their clients.

Hi Lisa, Great post! I'm surprised at how many homes for sale in today's market have not been staged, repairs made or at least cleaned up. I believe agents need to do a better job of explaining to sellers the pitfalls of what will happen when their home goes on the market against 30 other listings in a 1/2 radius and they haven't even prepared their home properly. Can you say 'NEXT'!

Amen Lisa!

I had a client who had at least 40 showings on his property.  EVERY single person mentioned the wall paper.  "Too much work."  My seller did, at my suggestion, paint the panelling which looked pretty good afterwards.  The house had 70's fixtures w/ 80's wallpaper.  He peeled a few rooms and then said it was "too much work."  I told him that's the same reason the buyers don't want it.  Needless to say, I put together a list of simple suggestions that if he painted himself would cost about $500.  He ended up knocking $10,000 off the price.  Go figure.

Your first pointer is so spot-on, Lisa.  One of the biggest misconceptions that a seller will have is that maintenance equates to additional value.  A buyer is only looking for problems when it comes to the roof, plumbing, etc.  They aren't going to pay you more than comps for maintenance.  It's the pretty stuff that drives them wild.  Of course the follow up to this is that a seller can't neglect said maintenance just because it doesn't ratchet up value.  While such things may not beef up value considerably, they hit value hard when neglected.  That's assuming the home sells at all.  Very well done.

Hey, I wrote a normal comment!  Hurray!

I have a house for sale in a city which is going to be predominately Asian. How do you deal with Asians when they offer a low ball? Here is my story: house is listed at $928K and the buyer offered $870K. The Seller responded to 908k and the buyer came back at 880k and the seller came back with 890k. The Seller walked. His comment was too much noise on the street. I haved lived here 35years and the street is the quietest its ever been. Did I say the Buyer is an Asian. I want to be fair but all we will be getting are Asians. I know it is a buyers market but what psycholgy do you with foreign born Asian buyers?

Well deserved feature Lisa!  Sellers need some tough love sometimes. . .better to hear is from you than sit on the market unloved indefinately!

Lisa, great post----but I am confused.  I am just a lowly inspector and former builder.  I totally agree about not expecting more value for things that need to be maintained anyway (like the roof) but is it really true that the average buyer would not want to pick out their own things like repainting the rooms, or the color /type of carpet, or types of appliances, or type of kitchen counter-top, or type of sink, or type of wallpaper etc?  I have seen people reject homes because they didn't like the color of the carpet as much as the condition of the carpet.  It seems like every house is going to "limit" its marketability in some way.  Isn't it up to the agent---understanding what the buyer's needs are----to translate what the house looks like into how it can fit what they are looking for?

Dan, next is right.  I spend a lot of time coaching my sellers on what is needed to make their house the best in their price range, but that doesn't mean that they will actually do the work.  It often takes negative feedback from buyers before they see the light, but at that point the listing is growing stale.

Christine, thanks!

Tara, at least he realized that the price needed to reflect the condition :)

Paul, thanks for the normal comment, my friend!  Your comment about ongoing maintenance is absolutely correct and ties perfectly to this.  Will painting those dingy walls add value?  No.  But they will keep the buyers from walking to the next house that is fresh and clean.  That's the value.

Mary Denise, I'm not sure exactly what information you are looking for here.  If the street noise was only an issue for the buyer past a certain price point, I would think they were just looking for a way out.

Lori, there are an awful lot of under-loved houses right now, but I'm trying my best to find them all dates :)

Charles, for every buyer that is willing to walk into a home with an open mind about making changes to suit their own taste, there are 5 that want move in ready, down to the paint color.  Can I help them see the potential in a home?  Absolutely, but that doesn't change their mind if they don't WANT to do any of those things.

Lisa,

It seems to be the perennial challenge to get a seller to think neutral when putting a house on the market. A seller's personal taste often clashes big time with how a home should be presented to the prospective buyer and that's where a professional agent come into the picture with ideas.

Esko, you are 100% correct.  Whether the professional advice comes from their agent or a stager, they need to know what may be holding people back from purchasing their home.

Great Post Hopefully my sellers will get it.

We went to a listing the other day that advertised "numerous updates".  After searching high and low for what we would consider updates, we figured out they meant when the home was built, the owner had selected several optional "upgrades" to the basic plan.  Semantics...I love it.  We moved on...

Great advise for sellers in todays competitive market, Love you allowance comments

Timely post Lisa. What part of "you don't get a second chance to make a great first impression" do sellers not understand?

Home stagers are my new best friends - what ever did we do without them?

.  A professional home stager can mean the difference between listing and selling your home

Oh, bless your little cotton pickin heart.

Can I use this please????

Really great analogies - may help some (Realtors) shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  get it here - in Central MN. 

Rick, I hope so!

Joe, LOL - now that is funny.  I'm scared to ask how old the house was.

Michael, thank you for stopping in.

Kim, I just found a stager an AR who will work in my area.  I can't wait to get to use her.

Kathleen, help yourself!  Thanks for stopping by and bringing a smile to my face :)

Most buyers don't want an allowance and your wallpaper is ugly....LOL!  Everything you wrote was right on, but those lines were perfect.  We as agents always try to tip-toe around sellers decor, maybe we should just flat out tell them the truth...it's UGLY!

Chelle, it's a little tongue-in-cheek, but haven't you ever been in someone's house that was just flat out ugly?  There is only so much cleaning, decluttering and staging can accomplish.  They cannot get rid of paneling and wallpaper unless the seller is willing to spend the time/money to do it.

You said it sister! I wish more people understood that they are only hurting themselves and their bottom line by letting these things go. I love the statement about outgrowing an allowance. So true! As a stager, I can be the "Bad Guy" and let the homeowner know what needs to be done so that the agent can keep their relationship positive. Stagers are here to help you convince your clients that these things do matter.

Amen! Fix the stuff that needs to be fixed and replace the things that are worn out. If you question it once, it's an issue and address it. Good post.

Lisa: I LOVE your post. Not only did it make me laugh, but it was so true. Everything. I'm bookmarking it. May I have your permission to include it in my monthly newsletter - fully credited to you (with a link) of course? You obviously know what you are talking about and know what it takes to get a home sold. I hope your clients are listening to you. They'd be smart if they did

Thank you for being a FOS (Friend of Staging).

Hi Lisa,

Your post is hilarious! My favorite is your opening - the roof is not an upgrade, neither is the hot water furnace! Like FOS above me here, I'm bookmarking it and I'd like to include it as an article on my site with your full permission of course.

Thanks for making me laugh. 

 

Kelly, sometimes I really need a bad guy!

Craig, exactly, and thanks for coming by :)

Michelle, feel free to send me some link love (and the newsletter too)!

Jessica, oooohh, I'm giddy...more link love and newsletters.  Of course you can use it and thanks for asking :)

Lisa, I love your blog. And I would also like to include it in my material with you identified and linked (with your permission, of course)

I am still laughing Thanks!

Lisa - We've had success giving credit for exterior and carpeting only. Most buyers up here want  to make their own choices. Interior paint if needed is a must. Isn't that paneling nice? And that faux rock they used back in the '70's around fireplaces? 

Nice piece, this one. 

cheers 

Lisa, My friend Michelle Minch told me to look here. Boy am I glad she did. This is fantastic. I love your comical way of speaking the truth. Taking off the glasses, letting down the hair and perhaps even opening the top button on the blouse changes Miss Wallflower to Fabulous Dancing partner. I'm sold, now you are subscribed to by me too. 

Can I add an AMEN too?! Awesome post with points that are so right on. I hope sellers are reading and taking notes because this is the climate of today's RE market. A house must be move in ready in order to sell quickly for top dollar. Thank you for an educational and easy to read post!

Leslie, you are also welcome to link away.  Glad I could bring a smile :)

Gary, LOL - faux rock indeed - it matches the popcorn or swirl ceiling finishes, of course.

Yvonne, I LOVE that analogy.  I want all of my listings to be Dancing Queens!

Karen, you are quite welcome - we all need to work together to get through this little rough patch in the market.

Great blog, wonderful thoughts. Thanks for sharing and helping!

Covering up the dirt is just another cheap way of hiding something.

Denise, you're welcome and thanks for stopping in!

Neal, no cover ups allowed!  It all comes out in inspections anyway, right?

Lisa, you are right on.  No coverups...and in our area, they would NOT want the credit.  They don't want to have to do the work themselves.

Fantastic post! It's been said before but I'll say it again - your home is being marketed and needs to look its best - better that it's looked in years! Home owners need to take the time and invest a little bit (like removing tacky wallpaper) to get a lot! Paint is so inexpensive. Even that nasty wood paneling can be transformed with a coat of paint.

Some home sellers just don't get it. They think that just because they have made some improvements to their house,their house is going to sell in record time. Yet when you told them to invest in the services of a professional stager,they don't have the money for it. How do you expect to sell your house when you are not making it appealing to qualified buyers in a buyers market who have more houses to choose from,including the new home developments that are offering like $10,00 or even more in closing cost assistance,granite tops,stainless steel appliances,a trip to Bahamas and a brand new car. How can you compete with that? Today's buyers are very educated and picky. And that makes it even hard to try and get anyone to even put in an offer on their house if they don't make the house marketable before the house is even put on the market. I just don't get it with some sellers. Great post.

Hi Lisa. I agree with you right down the line. Now if we could just get sellers to see it our way.....

Lisa,

I just spent a week trying to talk my mom out of wallpapering her bedroom again (complete with a border no less.) I had absolutely no luck.

I guess when the day comes that we need to sell I'll be stripping God knows how many layers of wallpaper off. It seems to make her happy though. 

Excellent post, and I also appreciated the humor.  You hit the nail on the head!

Lisa,

This is tough love, but man does the market need it right now.  Great share.

All the best,

Audrey 

Lisa - Humorous and to the point at the same time!  If home sellers don't hear this, I'm not sure what will get them moving.

I'd also like permission to link.

Jackie

Lisa,

As a professional stager I was so happy to see that you recognize the value of our service and endorse it!  I wish all agents shared your foresight, but the ones who do are the ones whose listings are SELLING!  Thanks for a great post.

Boy those items sounds familiar, it made me chuckle to read this post. Great reminders and very well put!

Lisa, Great Post.  Glad Active Rain gave you the feature. What do you mean buyers expect to keep the rain out?...ha ha

Terrylynn, I can't speak for everyone, of course, but the buyers I have been working with are being very picky.  They do not want to have to paint, change flooring, or, EGADS! renovate a bath or kitchen.  Sellers need to be sure the comps used to price their property are actually comparable in condition, not just location and size.

Dawna, I have a listing now that has the most fabulous paint job on the paneling - until you really look at it, you don't even know that it's paneling.  This is the rare exception, though.

Lanre, tell me how you really feel!  LOL - The competition is fierce and the sellers that understand that are the ones who will sell first.

Wayne, that's what I'm trying to do :)

Susan, as long as she is not selling, let mom be happy.  The minute she makes the decision to sell, she should bow to your expertise!  I firmly believe that how you live in a house and how you market a house are 2 completely different things.

Joseph, thank you. I like to laugh, can you tell??

Audrey, it is a form of tough love, isn't it?  Because I'd LOVE to get them to a sale - they just need a little help.

Jackie, link away and thanks!

Maureen, I really appreciate what stagers can accomplish and I wish that all of my clients had the cash flow to use these services. 

Kevin/Monica, glad I could bring a smile :)

Matthew, I know.  Completely unreasonable expectations, huh?  :)

Terrific post Lisa

 One more thing, people please take down your Christmas lights after Christmas!

Lisa, OMG, I couldn't stop grinning while reading your post.  You nailed it on the head.  I especially love the part about buyers expecting a roof, floor, hot water.

Ana, LOL!  I haven't had to tell a seller that yet, but I know exactly what you mean.

Sharon, those picky buyers are going to eventually force the sellers who don't get to to, well, get it :)

Those were all great points. It was an excellent post. I agree about the wall paper. I hate wall paper, but that's just me!

Christy, most people DO hate wallpaper.  It's a pretty easy, although time consuming, fix - I wish more sellers would just get rid of it before trying to sell.  It's one less negative thing for the buyers to focus on.

Hi Lisa - I liked this post so much I included it in this week's Week in Review! Ann

Wow, thanks Ann!  I'm honored :)

Hi, Lisa!  I'm going to bookmark this--sellers can definitely learn from the buyers' honest perspective.  It's so difficult to convince sellers to do the necessary changes, but this will get them thinking.  Thanks for sharing and congrats on the gold star!

Great stuff.  One seller we knew wanted to point out that a new concrete path on the side of the house was an important feature. 

I'm glad this got listed in the Week in Review...great post for sellers!

Great post!!  All sellers should get a copy of this when listing their homes...I love it!!!!!!

Hi Lisa,

I wonder if the sellers reading this think.... 'she can't be talking about my house'??? LOL!! Great post, and hopefully it will help some sellers realize what they need to do!

Yolanda, sellers need to hear what the buyers are saying, even when it's not rosy news. 

John, LOL!  That's funny - it's amazing to me what sellers think are upgrades.

Diane, thanks.

Patrice, thank you - I had fun writing it :)

Diane T, I didn't think about that, but I'm sure that sellers are probably saying those exact words.  Now, to convince them otherwise...

Excellent post !  I love it so much that I would love to post it on HGTV Message Boards - only with your permission and all credits to you of coarse.  TONS of people on those boards with the "oh-poor me, why isn't my house selling" syndrome. 

I wish this was a required document. We could give them the agency disclosure and this blog. Then have them acknowledge they understand what they are signing. Recently, I felt like I was speaking a different language than a home owner. Location, condition and price- they all have to be right for the house to sell.

I agree, an allowance does NOT mean "Move-in-ready" People valuse their time and energy, if the house is ready then its a no-brainer!

I love straight speaking,,no extra flowers about the real problems of selling a house. Thank you!

Amy, wow, what a compliment!  I understand what you are saying about the owners not getting it - everyone thinks their house is more special than ALLLLLL of the others in the neighborhood.  99.99% of the time it's not.

Julianna, in my opinion, an allowance is an acknowledgement that there is a shortcoming in the house.  Just do the work!

Nicola, you are welcome.  Thanks for stopping in and commenting!

Hi Lisa -

I was wondering if I might use this in my next e-mail newsletter to Realtors? I think it fabulous! I will give you credit of course. 

Kelly, be my guest!  I never knew I would hit such a nerve with the home stagers!

Lisa - Good Stuff!  I do like your no-nonsense approach.  Clients appreciate honesty, even when it is hard to hear.  In the long run it saves us all a lot of time, energy and heart ache (and could net us all more money, too).

Greg, thanks!  If there is one thing that I have learned here on Active Rain, it's been how to be able to walk away from listings that won't sell.  If I can help a seller get their home where it needs to be, then I've done my job.

By the length of comments here, it's obvious you wrote a great post!!!--but I didn't need to see the list to know that.  You have a great way of putting things in words--conveying EXCELLENT ideas.  I had to roll when I was reading the  "Most buyers don't want an allowance--" --how to true, and what a great way to convey that to our clients.   Great Post.

Julie (Amy?), thanks and welcome to the Rain! 

So true -- and so hilarious!  I just had a potential client ask me to add "new hot water heater" on the marketing materials for the home and I cringed.  Now, if it was a tankless, that may add value, but like you said, buyers expect hot water in a home. 

Thanks for the chuckle!

Kerry, isn't it funny the things that sellers think are value added items?  I'm pretty sure that when they are looking at new homes, the age of the water heater is important to them as well since I'm sure they are fairly used to having a hot shower each day :)