Karl Lynn Krentzel expresses through her article posted on the website of House Flipping Agent that not all homes are created equally. True enough, there will be times when you need to sell an unattractive property. Krentzel shares her opinion that when it comes to the sale of a house that smells like cat pee, or a dead body, then it requires some special talent.
Geoff Williams shares on the US News some pointers on how to sell a not-so-awesome house:
1. Money talks
According to Williams, even if the house is something of an eyesore, you can still sell it, but for less. Bruce Ailion, a real estate agent and attorney in Atlanta, says, "Price solves all problems. I've sold all sorts of difficult homes, cracked foundations, a side ripped off by strong winds, mold. "
To determine how much, Bill Golden, a real estate agent in Atlanta for almost 30 years, gives this simple formula, "simply subtract the cost of the repairs from what the value of the home would be if the repairs were not needed. "
" The fine line to walk in pricing is to list it low enough that those repairs are taken into account, but with enough wiggle room to offer a further discount so the buyer will feel that it's worth taking on the project," Golden adds.
2. Don't assume the worst
Sometimes, you will have this strong feeling that you would never buy your home in its current state, and therefore, nobody else would either.
But as a real estate agent, you should not see it that way. Not unless the house is falling apart, then there is a chance you will get a decent price in with reference to the area.
3. Focus on the best
While the house may look shabby in some areas, you should work on making the best parts of your home even better.
4. Be transparent
Don't try to hide something that is obvious. Chantay Bridges, a real estate agent in Los Angeles advises, "Never attempt to pretend the horrible smell is not there. Yes, everyone can smell it. They can also see the trash piled to the sky in the backyard." Instead, you can turn something negative to positive. "Be creative," Bridges suggests. "Say something like, 'It's great that there's a little bit of a mess. It gives you negotiation room, and you can get a great deal because of it.'"
5. Clean up
If you can't hire a professional cleaner, you can push up your sleeves and try to clean it yourself.
Bridges gives a checklist of the things to do and buy:
- Buy some bleach to get rid of smells and odors.
- Shampoo the carpets and wash the walls.
- Buy some garbage bags to get rid of clutter, trash, excess of any kind.
- Go out and so everything to make the yard look better such as trimming the trees, landscaping, mowing the grass, sweep, pick up dead trees, wash down the house, clean up the garage. If you want the experts to do this for you, The Local Tree Experts might be the best solution.
6. Remove a lot of furniture
Mike Minihan, managing broker of Terrace 24 Realty in Atlanta, says, "Dumpy houses are usually filled with dumpy furniture and decorations, so it's best to move everything out. This runs counter to advice an agent would give to most sellers, because a staged house usually shows much better than an empty house."
