mcsangel2 , Knowing more of the story, can you talk to the realtor and ask their advice? Can you try to become a point person, even though you live further away? I know your sister wants to run the show, but she has a lot going on and it might be getting in the way of things. Your goal is the same, you want it sold and the sooner the better. So, see what things are suggested to make that happen. I do think new pictures will be really help a lot, removing some items from the house and maybe just new counters, hardware and maybe a backsplash in the kitchen. That would be a pretty small project and could be done in a week (after materials are in).
Hang in there!
The realtor is my sister's friend and they work together, which is why we are using her (and that she lives in that area too). She's taking a reduced commission for the sale. It is what it is and this is what it is.
I get that, but has she suggested things and your sister has ignored it? I really think it is about some small cosmetic type stuff. Otherwise, it is lovely with nice sized rooms and outdoor area.
The realtor is my sister's friend and they work together, which is why we are using her (and that she lives in that area too). She's taking a reduced commission for the sale. It is what it is and this is what it is.
I get that, but has she suggested things and your sister has ignored it? I really think it is about some small cosmetic type stuff. Otherwise, it is lovely with nice sized rooms and outdoor area.
Actually, my impression is that....she's maybe not a very good realtor. She's the one that insisted for weeks that there was nothing wrong with the price and the kitchen was the only thing people complained about. I said...if they complained about the kitchen, isn't that another way of saying the price is too high? She looked stumped.
Ok, after looking at the photos again, I agree with aliciabella. I think the cabinets are fine. Just add some hardware and replace the countertop with a solid surface and maybe replace the appliances, but I think countertops, backsplash and hardware are the most important. In the bathrooms maybe just replace the vanitie, even just the countertops with the sculpted sinks, but if you can’t afford that, I think they’re not too bad.
ETA: I don’t know how much ripping out the fake grass would be, but I imagine replacing it with something might be pricey.
I get that, but has she suggested things and your sister has ignored it? I really think it is about some small cosmetic type stuff. Otherwise, it is lovely with nice sized rooms and outdoor area.
Actually, my impression is that....she's maybe not a very good realtor. She's the one that insisted for weeks that there was nothing wrong with the price and the kitchen was the only thing people complained about. I said...if they complained about the kitchen, isn't that another way of saying the price is too high? She looked stumped.
Well, that is not ideal. :/ So, if the feedback you are getting is about the kitchen, spruce it up and leave the price as is. THe potential buyers are telling you the issue, for the price of the house, the kitchen is too old or at least not up to date to what they expect. I really think you can do this fairly cheaply. I think the cabinets look to be in good shape. Hardware, new counters and backsplash will do wonders and it will give the look that people are expecting.
The floors are nice. The covered patio area is a seller in most area. the front yard is nice and well groomed. The bathroom with the better shower curtain isn't that bad.
I think just changing out the vanities in the bathroom will help a ton. Also some new countertops. Perhaps add in a cash incentive to towards the counters of their choice so the owner can pick their own. I think resurfacing the cabinets and new hardware couldn't hurt. Also taken off all the non important pictures would benefit you.
I would also prioritize new hardware, countertops and backsplash for the kitchen. I would probably also get them painted. If you want something less intensive time wise, you could also try to find a custom cabinet maker to just make new cabinet doors and leave the boxes (and then paint everything). We have flat drawer fronts on our kitchen and bathroom but traditional and shaker cabinet doors which (I think) looks a bit better than all flat drawers and doors.
Post by dancingirl21 on Oct 31, 2018 12:56:40 GMT -5
I think others have made good suggestions - painting or resurfacing the cabinets in the kitchen would be good. Add new hardware and countertops. If you can do new counters in the bathrooms, I would do that too.
Get rid of the drapery against the sliding glass door. It doesn’t look very modern and might be adding to the darkness.
Most importantly, get some professional photos taken. They do wonders!
Overall it looks nice. With just a few updates, I think you can sell quickly!
Post by pantsparty on Oct 31, 2018 12:59:12 GMT -5
Does your realtor have any comps for properties that have sold in the past 90 days in this community? She should have access to this with the MLS. Seeing those might help you determine if you need to reduce your price or take on a renovation.
I actually don't think the house or the kitchen is bad the way it is. I think if you are going to sink money into selling it, hiring a staging company and a professional photographer could be all you need. I agree with others that the pictures are weird and distracting - some are just fine, but the decor and pet door pictures are pointless, and the pictures with tiny furniture in a big room just look awkward. If you could have a professional stager bring in some furniture and a photographer take pictures, that would make a huge difference.
I don't like the mini golf fake grass on that patio, but I think sweeping up whatever is all over it could help a lot. Maybe if you are staging the rest of the place, adding some patio furniture would take the focus off of the ugly green carpet. I'd also photo shop out the garage floors.
Personally I think adding some finishes and paint to the kitchen would look nice, but the kitchen doesn't really bother me. I've seen WAY more outdated kitchens, this one doesn't bother me much.
I agree with a lot of other suggestions, but here's a really minor one that would help the kitchen instantly - take the command hook/strip and towel off the cabinet. Sure, it's convenient and practical, but it also highlights a flaw that there's no closer place to have a hand towel near.
And before I put any work into it, I'd just offer a $5k-$10k remodel allowance reduction upon successful sale. Don't reduce your list price - just grant the allowance at closing.
Post by pinkalicious on Oct 31, 2018 16:04:49 GMT -5
So, as a realtor, those pictures are terrible. I don't want to see the decor in a picture- you are selling a house, not a decoration. I want to see the rooms. However, I see that you've already acknowledged that the pictures aren't great. Yes to opening all blinds/window coverings when taking pictures. You want to get the most natural light in there you can. The floors are really nice. The kitchen could be easily updated without spending a ton of money. I agree with the pp that said the bathroom could be updated as well. You don't have to go all out, but painting the cabinets (rather than buying new) and a new countertop/mirror?
ETA: I agree with your assessment that maybe the realtor isn't that great. Typically if I list a home for sale, and I don't get any or very few showings in 5-7 days, I know it's overpriced. If I don't get an offer in 30 days, I know it's overpriced. FWIW, I've never had a home go longer than 21 days without an offer. (Manufactured/mobile home, commercial property, and vacant land are a different story!) So, if you are priced the same as a home that is exact same size/# of beds and baths (or same model home) and that home has updated kitchens and baths, you are overpriced. Think about the value to a buyer- if I take a client out to look at 2 homes that are very similar or the same, and are priced the same, except one has a completely updated kitchen, which one is the buyer going to choose? That being said, either drop your price a decent amount to compensate for the lack of updates, or do the updates-again, not too expensive, but enough that it will attract buyers and lend to the price you are asking.
To those saying the kitchen doesn't look that bad, I agree. But this is feedback they're getting from showings. So if buyers in this market who see it in person think it needs to be redone, it probably does.
Is there a cabinet door missing over where the fridge would be? I conjoint tell from the pictures. My initial response is that you could add hardware, backsplash, and countertops, but looking closer, I think you do need to address the cabinetry. I’d prob do whatever was both the cheapest and fastest.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Oct 31, 2018 17:22:32 GMT -5
I'll be blunt: it's the price. It's always the price when a house doesn't sell. As a realtor, if you give me a 500 sq ft house that smells like cat pee, I can get it under contract (sometimes with multiple offers) within days if you're realistic about the value of the home. Honestly, the kitchen and the bathrooms are dated but they don't look like they're decrepit in the photos, and even if they were, if the house was priced to sell, it wouldn't matter.
If your sister wants to sell the house, quickly, she needs to have a sit down with the realtor, get a sufficient and realistic idea of the home's value in the local market, and adjust the price accordingly. If the realtor insists that the current price is fine, dump the realtor and get a better one, preferably one who utilizes a professional photographer. Those photos aren't doing the house any favors (although if you're still getting showings, that's a good sign that people are willing to overlook bad photos.)
First of all, again, yes I think the pictures are terrible, but it's not the pictures. We have had plenty of regular traffic since September (when the snowbirds came back).
I knew it was overpriced at the beginning when I saw last month (after 70 days) 2 houses at the same price with new kitchens. we dropped it $10k and that's when we got the offer that fell through last week.
Sis called me this morning wanting to drop it another $5k, and when I chatted with her at lunch they hadn't done it yet because they are thinking of dropping it $10k instead and buying a new fridge (my sis took the one that was there). She wants to do that first, thinks that refacing will wind up being more than we think.
Even though refacing means, I think, we could ask and get our original price, I'd rather do whatever is faster.I think she would too and I know she's tired of keeping the yard clean and everything. Just worried now that November is here.
My initial thought was that you need to fire the realtor who thought those photos were part of a good marketing plan. Then I read that your sister is the person driving the photo choice, so that makes it tough. I would do just a very basic Reno of the kitchen and bath. Then I would rent furniture for even just one month, long enough to get better photos. And have the realtor pull your sister aside and be the bad guy who insists on using a professional this time.
It's like this. It's Sun City. It's a retirement town. You have to be over 55 to live there, no one in the house can be under 18. There's no schools, so the taxes are very very low there. People from all over the country move here when they retire. Most people are buying and selling during the high season, which is October through April.
If a person is looking to buy here, they basically look to see what's listed in their price range, and they will go see it. There doesn't even need to be pictures, when a property comes up for sale, people will go see it.
It's a bit different from regular markets. We have had no issues with traffic. I'm only trying to figure out now which of our options will get a sale quicker.
Post by sandandsea on Oct 31, 2018 18:13:43 GMT -5
I would at least paint the cabinets, add some new hardware, and a new countertop and sink. As long as the cabinets work, I don’t think the plain fronts are all that bad.
Post by turnipthebeet on Oct 31, 2018 18:25:22 GMT -5
It looks like a competitive market. I know you are saying that the pics don’t matter, but most of the properties I looked at had nicer pics than yours. After they tour the house, they go home and look at the pics to remind them what they liked and didn’t like.
I honestly don’t think the kitchen is bad compared to the other houses. I probably wouldn’t bother making any big updates there. If I replaced the counters, I would go with laminate (based on what I saw in other similarly priced houses). The biggest difference is pics and yard.
ETA: I guess what I’m saying is, in a competitive market, you need to find a way to differentiate. Your house is comparable to the others. Their pictures stand out better in a good way.
Again, we repainted the entire interior (after removing wallpaper and repairing drywall, and painting all the baseboards and doors) before we put it on the market.
Maybe take down the heavy drapes and get some cheap white ones at ikea or just keep them out?
Kitchen hardware from amazon basics is like $30 and actually decent quality (we have it in our kitchen).
What about lowering the price $5k and paying for it to be staged for a month?
We are lowering it another $10k (after a 10k reduction at the beginning of the month) and buying a fridge. We'll try that for 2 weeks then revisit the strategy.