THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
Last week, I shared that we found a luxury home online and decided to go to its open house. From the pictures online, we weren’t fond of the home’s exterior. But, we figured a different paint color could improve it. Because of the exterior, we weren’t necessarily expecting a turnkey home, but we had high hopes for the interior.
The pictures from inside the home were just immaculate. From cathedral ceilings and crystal chandeliers to the indoor pool and sauna, we expected grandeur. But, pictures can embellish. This McMansion reminded me more of the house from the movie The Money Pit.
The Open House
From the moment we stepped out of the car, we noticed some issues. The walkway leading up to the front door needed some broken flagstone replaced. So right away, we learned of some exterior cosmetic issues. We just figured it was an “ugly house” that needed a facelift.
This was less of an issue, but more of a comical moment– there were fake flowers in the planters on both sides of the front door. Yes, fake flowers. And the price tags were still on these flowers. Afterwards, my wife and I wondered if the owners left the tags on in hopes of returning them after the open house.
Anyways, an unattractive exterior is one thing, but with two kids, I wasn’t interested in a fixer upper.
Just to clarify– I think there is a big differentiation between an “ugly house” versus a fixer upper. To me, an ugly house includes cosmetic issues such as paint, carpeting, or flooring. My idea of a fixer upper is a home where issues would include anything structural or safety-related in nature, such as foundation, roofing, or siding.
Inside the House
So we began trekking through the house. It was evident, right off the bat, that there was a lack of attention to detail. The homeowners didn’t seem to have put much money towards maintenance over the years. The hardwood floors had scratches and nicks, as if someone had worn soccer cleats throughout the home. Furthermore, there wasn’t consistency with the flooring. Some of the rooms had with the same wood stain while an adjacent room would have a different width of wood and color. I hadn’t seen anything like it before. But it wasn’t a huge deterrent. I figured that while it would be expensive, that we could re-sand and refinish all the floors, so everything would match and flow nicely.
Each room seemed to have a different agenda. One room would have a gorgeous chandelier and pristine detailing. The next room would have different paints from multiple paint jobs, a sloppily patched up hole in the wall, and no sign of any moulding or trim. The realtor indicated that they owner was currently doing some updates in order sell the house. In fact, there was a gardener in the backyard planting flowers. Maybe he was using fake flowers… That would definitely be less maintenance, and sadly I wouldn’t have put it past these owners. I wondered why they wouldn’t have finished the updating prior to the date of the open house. The home had been on the market for over a month.
Even so, I was still optimistic by this point. But then things started going downhill from there. The realtor touted how they just installed brand new appliances in the kitchen, but the refrigerator door had a huge dent in it. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought they bought a clearance refrigerator and hoped nobody would notice the dent, or worse, they put the dent in themselves in a short period of time.
We noticed as we were walking in the kitchen that our shoes were sticking to the floor. By that time, the realtor noticed our facial expressions and mentioned that the owner was very motivated to sell and was very negotiable.
Considering an Offer
My wife and I suddenly became interested again. We decided to keep looking to calculate how much we’d be willing to offer considering the work we would have to put into the home. Walking out on the deck, we soon learned that whole structure would most likely need to be gutted and redone. It did not appear to be up to code. There were huge gaps in the railings that I could have easily put my 18-month old through. The wood, as well, had warped and needed replacing. Additionally, the built-in hot tub was broken, and mildew had formed all over the top of the cover.
From there, we ventured back inside to view the five bedrooms upstairs. Everything appeared decent until we walked into the master suite. Clearly something was wrong, as the floor started to slant. As I mentioned in a previous post, I wish I had brought a marble to confirm my inclination. I suspected some sort of foundational problem.
That was my biggest red flag thus far. I did not want to take on a home with structural issues. I’ve read that installing new beams in the house can cost some serious money if you want it done correctly.
But I couldn’t stop looking at the house because I had to see the indoor pool in the basement. That is what drew me to this house, after all. As most of you know, I am/was obsessed with having a pool. I may have put that obsession to rest though…
My Beloved Indoor Pool
As we walked down the stairs, I could smell the chlorine in the air. The realtor mentioned that the owners kept the doors to the indoor pool open to ventilate. At that point, I knew that there was no chance I would be buying the house, if that hadn’t been clear before.
The fact that they kept the doors open told me that they didn’t know how to properly maintain the pool and its chemical levels. In turn, I wouldn’t be surprised if mold had built up behind the drywall in the surrounding rooms due to this makeshift “ventilation” system. A plumber in Los Angeles would have been able to tackle this job as indoor pools are a dime a dozen there, but it appears as though these homeowners didn’t have the slightest inkling of how to maintain this space.
This ventilation system caused the whole basement to feel muggy and humid. I couldn’t imagine putting any guests down there for a night. We also couldn’t believe the various holes in the walls where exposed cable wires ran on the outside instead of hidden inside the walls. Honestly, I had never seen anything like that before.
Buying a Fixer Upper
So you would consider this home a fixer upper, right? According to Zillow, the average fixer upper is discounted by 8%, which is the equivalent to an $11,000 discount on average. Personally, when I think of fixer uppers, I think that the house needs at least 25% off the asking price to account for all the work involved, but clearly isn’t the case.
Based on an 8% discount, I would avoid a fixer upper because this seems like too small of a discount to do all the work required for these homes.
In fact, according to Home Advisor, the average kitchen remodel costs $20,000, with a bathroom remodel costing $13,000, and finally a basement remodel costing $18,000. It doesn’t seem like the 8% discount would cover the amount of money needed to fund these remodels.
Interestingly enough, the aforementioned home has dropped 9% less than the original asking price, which is in line with the fixer upper discount.
Not For Us
My wife and I tried to calculate the costs of all the repairs and improvements in order to bring the house up to code and to our standards. The numbers led us to believe that they would need to reduce the price by another 20% for us to ever consider. But even so, we didn’t want to take on this type of project at the moment.
Run, don’t walk from that house. This may be your last home purchase. The transaction costs & renovation costs are enough to make anyone who is a prodigious saver like yourself cringe.
The pool issues are a giant red flag. If a home isn’t designed to handle moisture well it will not last long. All sorts of bad things happen when houses get wet.
My fixer-upper is a true money pit. We are too far in now to leave though. The bright side of a fixer-upper is that you get to make it how you want it. That’s the only bright side that I have found.
I would rather build new than renovate again.
Doctor in Debt recently posted…Should Physicians Invest in a 457(b) Plan?
Thanks for sharing Doctor in Debt!!! That’s great advice from someone that has actually done a fixer upper 🙂 My wife has built new before and she definitely recommends it. Now if only we could find the right place!!!
I saw some of those same kinds of houses when I was shopping 11 plus years ago. It was back in 2005, when the housing market was taking off, and there were tons of half-finished homes being sold for way too much. We looked at dozens of homes before settling on the one we live in now. It was an ugly house for the most part, and the fixer-upper aspects of it could be addressed over time (e.g., new driveway). Over the years we’ve slowly redone many of the rooms, fixed the exterior, repaired the driveway, and so on. We’ve also had several well and roof issues we’ve had to address. I prefer older homes, so I know there will be things that need to be done.
Liz@ChiefMomOfficer recently posted…These Personal Finance Books Are All The Same
Thanks for sharing Liz!!! Sounds like you got the perfect mix of ugly house and fixer upper for you. I’ve seen some of the pics that you’ve shared. It looks great!!!
Cool review, and yeah, could see why you don’t want to touch this one right now. Seems to have potential if you can get it for a low enough price, but that requires hard negotiation, DYI skills, and the ability to walk away if they don’t accept the offer. Good luck finding something else.
Team CF recently posted…April 2017 Cheesy Index
Thanks for stopping by Team CF!!! We figure there are always other houses out there that might be a much better fit in the future 🙂
There is no way I’d buy a fixer-upper. While I actually am pretty handy – my father was SUPER handy with home repairs – I don’t enjoy it. When I do this type of thing myself it takes 10x as long as if I would pay someone. Yet I’m too frugal (cheap?) to go the other route and hire someone.
I also don’t have the vision that a lot of people have. Some relatives of mine have done major work on rehabbing houses and they’ve looked awesome when done – and nothing like I could have envisioned.
It just isn’t my thing. Better for me to buy things that are already in the condition that I want them.
Financial Coach Brad recently posted…What is the best way to invest small amounts of money?
Thanks for sharing Brad!!! You definitely have to have an eye for design. I admire people with the carpentry skills to imagine what they want to create and then go out and do it. I definitely don’t have that eye as much as I’d like to.
Fixer uppers are not for everyone, Rob. If you can justify purchasing it based on comps, then the remodel numbers are fine. However, there are plenty of ways to get under those average numbers. We painted our cabinets, redid the island with bead board and butcher block, and replaced the crappy countertops with granite in our old house. I think it came to $7,000.
With a basement in the area we’re in now, we will only do basics like framing, wallboard, and electricity. Nothing fancy. Can get that done for a few grand. Those average numbers include people who go all out. And they only get 50% to 75% of that back. It’s better to go with basic and let the next owner make it their own.
Just my experience both as a homeowner and former Realtor.
Thanks for sharing Dave!!! I have heard that you don’t always recoup the costs that come with renovations. I definitely don’t want to over build for the area which I know can be all too easy.
We came very close before we bought this house. As we dug in we found that home to be a money pit. Anything that could be wrong was. So we bought this one. This house needed a new septic but it was priced before purchase and discounted as such. There are parts that need updating, but I find that minor and it drove a discount. Besides, what do I care if one bathroom has pink tile, it’s the one my kids use 😉
FullTimeFinance recently posted…What does the Personal in Personal Finance Mean?
Hahaha…thanks for sharing Full Time Finance!!! I believe that the University of Iowa also made their visitors locker room pink. I think there is something psychological to showing dominance by making your opponents use pink bathrooms 🙂
That sounds like a nasty old house. Like you said, the whole thing would need to be gutted – is that a project you’d like to oversee or pay someone else to oversee?
I’ve never bought a fixer-upper, though I’d be interested in one in the future.
Erik @ The Mastermind Within recently posted…Proactive Behavior – Take Control of Your Life
I’m sure the house was really nice in it’s hey day but man it has not aged well. The owners have beat on it and it’s unfortunately not well taken care of at this point.
I’d stay away from this one too. It definitely is like the Money Pit house. My wife & I looked at fixer-uppers that we could move into and renovate to fit our home-based business. It was too much work in our case & we had the luxury to build because we could do most the construction ourselves.
I am suprised that an 8% discount is considered a fixer-upper, but, it is a seller’s market at the moment so that might play into it.
Josh @MoneyBuffalo recently posted…Why Millennials Have College All Wrong
Thanks for sharing Josh!!! 8% seemed to low to me as well. I thought it’d be much higher but clearly buyers are willing to accept a smaller discount to get in.
8% would not be a good enough discount for me either. Fixer uppers are Risk uppers to me, 🙂 You never know what you’re going to get. It’s like going to the mechanic X10 with so much potential for problems. Then when things are all fixed up who knows the likelihood of something else messing up in 3 months, 6 months, a year?
SMM recently posted…Are Colleges Teaching Personal Finance?
Thanks for stopping by SMM!!! You are absolutely right. You have no idea what else you will uncover when you open up those walls!!!
We were fortunate and bought an “ugly house,” which was perfect for us. It had hideous ceiling-to-floor lime green paint (no, seriously) and wood paneling, but structurally, it was sound. We were able to do a renovation on the cheap to make it easier on the eyes, and I love it. 🙂 I say go with an “ugly house” whenever possible.
Mrs. Picky Pincher recently posted…What a Frugal Weekend!
Thanks for sharing Mrs. Picky Pincher!!! We are definitely intrigued by ugly houses 🙂 Now we just have to find one that fits in our price range!!!
Unless you are a general contractor, I would not recommend the average person to buy a fixer upper. It’s even worse if this house is your first. I have a friend that tried to expand her home couple of years ago, they are still doing it now and they have spent thousands on permits and consulting. Sometimes it’s best to pay a bit of a premium for a better quality home. It’s worth it in the long run.
Leo T. Ly @ isaved5k.com recently posted…A Beginner’s Guide To Owning Rental Properties
100% agree! Our home wasn’t really even a fixer upper just out dated. Every “little” project has ended up costing way more than we thought it would and has taken way longer. We will be buying/building a much newer home on the next one.
Grant recently posted…Working Out With Asthma
Thanks for sharing Grant!!! It sounds like turnkey is sounding better and better each day 🙂
Thanks for sharing Leo!!! As someone in the real estate industry I definitely appreciate your insight 🙂 While a turn key would be fantastic I’m ok with an ugly house. Now a fixer upper…no thank you!!!
It’s one thing to have to do cosmetic work, but an entirely different matter when you’re dealing with structural issues. That floor would have me running away fast. We are totally fine with doing flooring, drywall, cabinets, etc., but try to avoid any foundational/structural issues. I bet that house tour provided a ton of entertainment, if nothing else!
Amanda @ centsiblyrich.com recently posted…How to use money as a tool
Thanks for stopping by Amanda!!! That house tour was a hot mess and the realtor knew it. I’m sure he was shaking head thinking what have I gotten myself into.
I think your first picture says it all. Just watch “The Money Pit” if you need a reminder, keep looking and run as fast as you can from this one.
Brian recently posted…Finding Better Balance
Thanks for sharing Brian!!! Money Pit was something I couldn’t fully appreciate when I was younger. Today though it makes a lot more sense 🙂
No, no no. Not the floor or the improperly ventilated indoor pool. You could end up spending much more than even 25% of the home’s potential value to fix them.
We bought an ugly house and sometimes I really regret it though the structure is sound. We went 5 years without a dishwasher (in a home that had never been wired or plumbed for one). The fixtures and design are still very much set from the sixties, and we haven’t made much progress in updating them over the 7 years we’ve lived here.
Emily Jividen recently posted…Mutual Fund Terms: Don’t Guess the Flavor Edition
Thanks for sharing Emily!!! I can’t even imagine the amount of money that will need to be spent fixing that place up. Hopefully they have a good contractor!!!
Avoid that death trap! There is a MURDER POOL in the BASEMENT and Fake Flowers at the front door. I’m surprised the realtor didn’t give you lotion for the skin as you walked in.
Those estimated amounts seem pretty fair too. Unfortunately we had to do an emergency kitchen remodel two years ago and it cost about that. We were blessed it was covered by insurance. Do not mess with mold/water damage. Sheesh.
Jack Catchem recently posted…Why You Should Start a Cop Blog
Hahaha…I can always count on you for a good laugh Jack 🙂 Love the Silence of the Lambs reference!!!
I’ve bought fixer-uppers and done quite well with them, but they for sure aren’t for everyone. Doesn’t sound like you are being too hard on this house at all. Maybe not hard enough on the sellers though 😉 I’d keep looking. Big difference between a house needing a bit of elbow grease and major structural renovations. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing Amy!!! It sounds fun to do a fixer upper but the work involved seems like it can be overwhelming at times. I think we’ll take a pass.
That definitely sounds like too much work to me! I suppose it depends on the buyer and how much experience and interest they have in reno work, though. I’m glad we ended up buying what might be considered an “ugly” house or at least a bit outdated. A few others we looked at had some big red flags like structural and water damage. We’re perfectly happy with our new place that could use a few fresh coats of paint and maybe updated appliances eventually. Another home we saw was totally finished and updated and beautiful, and we thought, hmm…we have two toddlers and three cats. We certainly don’t need a “perfect” house at this point because we would end up bringing it down, haha! Good luck with your continued search!
Mrs. COD recently posted…Frugal Friday: Free Summer Fun
Thanks for sharing Mrs. COD!!! I do wonder about buying a turnkey house with a toddler and another one on the way. I’d like the next house to be nice but not model home nice 🙂
And I love the Money Pit reference! I have never seen it all the way through, but just watched a bit last night. Really hoping our new place won’t be a money pit!
Mrs. COD recently posted…Frugal Friday: Free Summer Fun
Hahaha…I hope for your sake it’s not either 🙂
We bought a house recently to avoid having to do some fixing. However, with any house, there will be things that need fixing. Our basement flooded two weeks ago, which caused a few headaches. The dishwasher in the house didn’t clean well. When I took it apart, it had a ton of mold – in came the new dishwasher! This is all part of being a homeowner. Sometimes I ponder if renting would be a better option…
The Grounded Engineer recently posted…Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps Versus My Five Step Plan: Take Control of your Finances
Thanks for sharing!!! I think overall I’m really happy with owning a house but every once in awhile when things go wrong I do start to wonder 🙂
I definitely think you’re wise to avoid a fixer-upper for only an 8% discount! I could see spending a lot more than that in repairs!
On a side note, I still think you’re crazy for wanting a pool- especially an indoor one, but to each his own :)!
Daniel Palmer recently posted…10 Side Hustles a Kid Can Do
Hahhaa…I’m getting talked out of it at this point. Some dreams die hard.
My wife and i bought a fixer upper with our first purchase of a town home. It needed a new kitchen, all new floors, new pipes, everything painted, two new bathrooms, and some major exterior work. It was a great learning experience and we made some $$ when we sold 4 years later, but I would never do that again. That first house was without a kid. Now with a kid it would be really hard. An indoor pool scares me a bit also. Especially with little ones around not to mention the issue of Mold and smell.
ReachingTheCrest recently posted…Why You Can’t Just Run. A New Runner’s Guide to Avoid Injury
Thanks for sharing Reaching the Crest!!! An indoor/outdoor pool definitely scares me with little ones as well. I think when push comes to shove we’ll be passing as well 🙂
8%! I couldn’t believe that when I saw it. We bought our home 4 years ago and it was in decent shape, needed some minor cosmetics and a new roof and water proofing done in the basement / crawlspace. The cost of those projects alone would have been close to 5 or 6%. If you add in a kitchen and floors and anything structural that cost goes from 8% to 20 % pretty fast. I would agree with your conclusion. That house may be a great flip for someone who has the time to invest in it, but based on your review it sounds like it needs a substantial amount of work especially if the pool was not ventilated properly. Mold is a serious problem, we looked at a house a 4 years ago that had mold in the basement due to a hot water heater exploding and not being cleaned up all summer. The cost to remove the mold and redo all the drywall was over $20k! Best of luck house hunting!
Courtney @ Your Average Dough recently posted…Tips for the First Time Homebuyer
Oh my gosh $20k just to re-mediate mold. That seems so expensive but I’m guessing there was probably a ton of work that had to be done. I’m not sure I would want to spend $20k on something that wasn’t fun either 🙂
We moved into our current house 2 years and there’s pretty much almost nothing we would change about it. The previous owners pretty much upgraded nearly every room – and we love it! Aside from the normal maintenance stuff, we’ve put very little into remodeling our house; not nearly as much as we did at our last one. Going move-in-and-love-it-ready was the best decision we ever made.
MyMoneyDesign recently posted…The Power of Saving More and Spending Less – The Double-Ended Approach to Retire Early
Thanks for sharing MyMoneyDesign!!! Turnkey definitely sounds like the way to go and I’m sure when the new baby arrives something that my wife will push even more 🙂
There seems to be some general consensus that you made the right call in walking away from this house. The pool issue alone should keep you from considering it further. Growing up there was a house in our neighborhood that had an indoor pool and one of the past owners hadn’t properly managed the moisture and eventually this house had to be completely gutted because black mold had spread throughout the entire house!
We recently bought a fixer upper to manage as a rental property (we are in the final month of remodeling!). So if you interested in either doing the remodel yourself or hiring the work out, buying an ugly house with lots of potential can be a great way to create your dream house. Good luck with your house search!
Thanks for sharing Unconventional Sustainability!!! Black mold throughout the house sounds terrible. Knowing that this is possible is probably cause enough for me to give up the dream of an indoor pool.
I bought a fixer upper right out of college. It was a FSBO and the owner had rented in out for years. The living room had been turned into a makeshift garage (parts everywhere), it was clear the renters never let the dog or cats outside. It was disgusting, but as I was walking through the house, the owner keep dropping the asking price. He was literally taking 5K-7K per room off the price as we walked through the house. I ended up writing him a deposit check and bought the house 40 days later.
It took about 6 months to go through the entire house. I should say I was fresh out of college and basically worked on the house every night after work. Did all the work except the roof, we hired someone for that. It was a great experience, but don’t think I could do it again at this point in my life.
FIbythecommonguy recently posted…Net Worth Report #1- Baseline
Wow I can’t even imagine listening to the owner drop the price as you walked through each room. That must have been quite the scene. You are a braver man that me because I would have been way over my head if I had to do all that work.
All I know is that projects are slow if you have a day job. Then I had my first kid, the speed of projects went from slow to half of a crawl! Then I had another kid, and another kid, up to 5. So ….. I lean towards 2 things:
1. Buy a home with fewer projects.
2. Need less, then you can just cancel projects!
Thanks for sharing Tepid Tamale!!! The more and more I think about it, the less enamored I become with an ugly house. I’m ready to move in and be done with it 🙂
Finding the right house sure can be a pain. Sounds like you made a good call on passing up on this one MSM.
The Magic Bean Counter recently posted…The Power Of Consistency
Thanks for stopping by!!! It’s been way harder to find a house that we like than we anticipated. I didn’t realize how picky we were.
That place would not be for me. Granted I’m not handy with that stuff but it sounds like it had some big red flags. Anything with the slightest hint of a structural issue is bad news! I like houses that have been kept up well and leave little for me to do. Just not how I want to spend my time. I’m willing to pay a little extra for that. Take care man!
Mr Defined Sight recently posted…Extended Vehicle Warranties Are A Waste Of Money
I’m leaning more and more towards turnkey. With an 8% difference in price between a fixer upper and normal house. I’ll gladly pay the price 🙂
Ugh, we’ve been to properly maintained indoor pools (municipal and privately owned) and they did NOT reek of chlorine.
I don’t think you’re too hard on the house, this sounds like a ton of work and it’s not worth it if you’re not in a place in your life where you wantto dedicate tons of time to DIY.
Whatever home we end up with here in SF will require at least this much work and that’s “just” to buy a modest home at 15% over list price or more if we want to stay anywhere near our price point. We’d save so much money if we could DIY but some serious things in our life would have to be different to make that happen.
I’d be happy living in an ugly house at a discount, as long as it was functional or relatively nice inside. I like an ugly exterior to serve as a deterrent for thieves who assume that such an ugly house couldn’t possibly contain anything worth having 😉
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life recently posted…On the home(buying) front: SF Bay Area eccentricities
You bring up a great point that ugly houses definitely would be a deterrent for potential criminals 🙂 I never thought of that angle but you’re absolutely right!!!
Fixer uppers are great. We got into a neighbourhood we wouldn’t be able to afford if it was pristine. Not one window opened in the house the master bedroom and main living room lights didn’t work (wired wrong) sample paints on walls fireplace was a nightmare garage door broke shortly after purchase. The carpets were dog piss carpets. Moldy gut job bathroom. We lived in it as we worked on it. It has almost doubled in price from the rEnos. Slanted floors would make me run tho. A 5 bedroom house seems like a mansion! Good luck on your search
Passivecanadianincome recently posted…Kiss- Keep It Simple Superstar
Thanks for sharing PassiveCanadianIncome!!! You are definitely braver than me. Sounds like you got the perfect house!!!
Exposed wires near a pool? Yikes! (Maybe they weren’t in terribly close proximity, but I think you’re right to walk away from this place.) We have lots of friends who are house-hunting in our area and this question of fixer upper vs. ugly house has come up–though not in such clear terms–thank you! We’ve had several friends walk away from fixer uppers they even had offers accepted on after the inspection revealed major problems like windows, roof, foundation, plumbing, electric, etc. It almost seems like people are more drawn to the fixer upper because it has some cool features or selective updates, rather than just buying an ugly house and putting a reasonable amount of money into paint, carpet, and maybe a kitchen.
Kalie @ Pretend to Be Poor recently posted…How Do You Uncube? A Philosophy of Hobbies
Thanks for sharing Katie!!! I definitely agree there is an allure and magic about fixer uppers. I know my strengths and weaknesses and I know I don’t have the patience for one 🙂
I was convinced that my home only had “cosmetic issues” and wasn’t a fixer-upper. Considering how much money I put in to fix up the kitchen and bathrooms, it wasn’t really worth it for me in the long run. Especially when you consider how I purchased the home pre-crash and it has never regained its value in the 10 years I’ve owned it (making the discount I received on the sale price a joke now).
Shanetta recently posted…How to Make Money Blogging So You Can Quit Your Day Job
Thanks for sharing Shanetta!!! I have friends that are still underwater on their house. Definitely was a tough market that people are still paying for unfortunately!!!
I thought you wanted a home, not a fixer-upper? Given that you have a little one, a turnkey would be a much better solution for you. Just my personal opinion as a Realtor.
However, I don’t know why a Realtor would EVER have an open house on something like that. Nobody sells a house at an open house, but you do get lots of buyer clients. Do you want your potential buyers to think of you as a professional or someone who can only get junky homes? Yeesh. Not the best professional move. Glad you chose not to go through with the purchase on this one!
Cash Flow Celt recently posted…Door Knocking: A True Professional’s Guide
Thanks for stopping by Cash Flow Celt!!! I definitely agree it was a little embarrassing for the listing agent. Especially since he didn’t even bother to show up and had one of his colleagues show it for him. Clearly he knew it wasn’t ready.
Ahhh, so it wasn’t the listing agent. It was probably some new guy who was just hoping to get buyer leads as they start out. Not uncommon, but a rough roll of the dice for ’em nonetheless.
Cash Flow Celt recently posted…Door Knocking: A True Professional’s Guide
This is the best example of how not to sell your home but if the owner knows there are serious issues then do not try to deceive by posting good pictures and planting those artificial flowers, just be honest and indicate all the issues house has and that he is a motivated seller at the onset. This would have the better chance of the house being sold, as buyers will not come with unrealistic expectations.
Ron Pickle recently posted…How Clogged Gutters Cause Roof Leaks
Thanks for stopping by Ron!!! Interestingly enough that house is still for sale and is not moving. I have a feeling it will probably sit for awhile as it was in much worse shape than the owner is willing to admit.