selling a house - vent

eeyoremum

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Messages
542
So our nice raised ranch has been for sale for months. It is on the internet so it is quite clear that it is a raised ranch painted in greys, greens, blues. We don't have hardwood, evident in pictures and the room sizes and square footage are listed. No, the basement is not finished but pictured. Oh and the back yard has a fence, play area, shed and deck. So please don't schedule a viewing and tell me:

it is too big/small
we want neutral colours (really grey is neutral)
too bad there is no hardwood
oh there are stairs
no finished basement (house priced to reflect that fact)
we could not possibly do ANYTHING with the back yard
we would have to buy all new furniture to live here

you are wasting my time and your own. Did you think we took pictures of the neighbours house.

Thanks for listening. I really needed to vent.
 
I feel your pain. We've been on the market for 4 months. If we had a pool, we would have listed it! (we get a heat-wave & suddenly everyone wants a pool.) And no, we can't make the backyard any bigger - it is what it is.

We got complaints about the color of our hardwood floors, so we painted the entryway and hallways a neutral beige - the pale terracotta probably clashed with the floors.

Nope - we aren't changing out the oak kitchen cabinets. If you want cherrywood, you'll have to put them in yourself. We happen to like oak.
 
That's annoying! Why do people do that? My fiance and I just purchased our first home and close on Friday. We spent a lot of time checking out homes online, looking at pictures and sq footage and all that and I think we only looked at 4 total houses in person and that was only because they looked VERY similar online and wanted a "feel" for the house.

I'm so sorry you're having a hard time selling your home. Dang economy :confused3
I wish you the best of luck. No matter how easy you make it for people, some of them you just can't please.
 
Trying to sell a house is always a pain, but I think it has gotten worse. I think too many people are watching HGTV. They think every house must have hardwood floors, cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances or it just isn't worth buying. Ridiculous! In another ten years, all those things will be out of style and people will be looking for just the opposite.

OP, hope you find the right buyer soon! :hug:
 

sounds like the people from house hunters are there looking for the "perfect move in ready" home with huge closets and stainless steel appliances. i agree with you, if they've read the ad why do they expect anything different? it's frustrating and insulting when folks do that. good luck to you in selling your home.
 
Trying to sell a house is always a pain, but I think it has gotten worse. I think too many people are watching HGTV. They think every house must have hardwood floors, cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances or it just isn't worth buying. Ridiculous! In another ten years, all those things will be out of style and people will be looking for just the opposite.

OP, hope you find the right buyer soon! :hug:

sounds like the people from house hunters are there looking for the "perfect move in ready" home with huge closets and stainless steel appliances. i agree with you, if they've read the ad why do they expect anything different? it's frustrating and insulting when folks do that. good luck to you in selling your home.

I agree. I think all the "home staging" shows are responsible. This is not the first house I have sold in a bad economy. These days I think they want to walk into the perfect home. Here are some things I want to tell potential buyers:

No, I am not going to paint. I still live here and like these colours.
No, I am not putting in hardwood, if I put it in for you I will put in the cheapest I can find. If I put it in for me I am putting in what I like. Go get your own.

Sorry this is not tv but reality. All houses need your finishing touches.
 
Trying to sell a house is always a pain, but I think it has gotten worse. I think too many people are watching HGTV. They think every house must have hardwood floors, cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances or it just isn't worth buying. Ridiculous! In another ten years, all those things will be out of style and people will be looking for just the opposite.

OP, hope you find the right buyer soon! :hug:

Totally agree!! :happytv:
 
Hugs! I feel your pain. My home has been on the market forever. Price reduced several times, can't compete with the forclosures in the area. Everyone that comes to see it says it is too small. It IS small 1000 sq feet. That is listed in the listing and description. Oh and apparently no one likes the yellow paint on the bathroom walls. The house is practically free at this point, you don't like the yellow you can paint it yourself. It does have stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, new plumbing, new electrical, new kitchen and new bathroom.If all you need to do is paint one room when you move in, consider yourself lucky.

Seriously, if I could live in it I would but had to relocate for my job. People are irritating.
 
Hugs! I feel your pain. My home has been on the market forever. Price reduced several times, can't compete with the forclosures in the area. Everyone that comes to see it says it is too small. It IS small 1000 sq feet. That is listed in the listing and description. Oh and apparently no one likes the yellow paint on the bathroom walls. The house is practically free at this point, you don't like the yellow you can paint it yourself. It does have stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, new plumbing, new electrical, new kitchen and new bathroom.If all you need to do is paint one room when you move in, consider yourself lucky.

Seriously, if I could live in it I would but had to relocate for my job. People are irritating.

Oh My, sounds lovely!!

I am about to begin selling my dads house very shortly...I am dreading the clear out of 50+ years of accumulation...room by room and the "stuff" OMGosh, the house will never sell with it all...I mean collections, YES, they are lovely, valuable even, (they traveled the world, literally) but now it all HAS to go so I can "stage" it to sell....we're going room by room and selling, donating, giving to kids/grandkids and moving some to a much smaller condo (from a House, OMGOsh!!)
anyhow, I am sorry to hear about the crazy things people say and sad that so many waste your time.
We are going to use a RE agent, but first we're going to clear it to minimum furniture, and make it shine...we are fortunate that my dad can stay in it while he renovates his new place, but I think I have quite a job ahead of me to explain how we really have to get it "staged" for buyers...we are going below market value, and we are hoping to sell within 6 mos, most in the area are selling so we figure if we go a bit below, well unload it...I have my fingers crossed for him....
Having bought and sold my own home, I feel like I know what/how to do it, (but in todays market)...UGH, headaches seem to be everywhere.
Just wanna wish you all LUCK in selling....:wizard:
 
Trying to sell a house is always a pain, but I think it has gotten worse. I think too many people are watching HGTV. They think every house must have hardwood floors, cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances or it just isn't worth buying. Ridiculous! In another ten years, all those things will be out of style and people will be looking for just the opposite.

OP, hope you find the right buyer soon! :hug:

I watch House Hunters and I am always surprised by the people who say "this paint color is awful" or "i hate these fixtures", and use those items to disqualify the house.

Um, paint and fixtures are easy fixes. Actually, so is flooring (we have changed our floors twice since we have had our house). What is the big deal about putting some work into your home?

OP, I am sorry for your frustration. Hope your house sells soon...
 
I also have a home sitting on the market. People have the weirdest comments. Home too small, kitchen too bright (yup someone said that), and a lot of complaints about the paint. We painted everything neutral to sell the home per the realtor recommendation.

Bottom line, can't please em all. Just hope the right one comes along for all of us!
 
I watch House Hunters and I am always surprised by the people who say "this paint color is awful" or "i hate these fixtures", and use those items to disqualify the house.

Um, paint and fixtures are easy fixes. Actually, so is flooring (we have changed our floors twice since we have had our house). What is the big deal about putting some work into your home?

OP, I am sorry for your frustration. Hope your house sells soon...

Flooring was a dealbreaker for me when we were house hunting. Buying a house is expensive enough without having to replace carpets!
 
Flooring was a dealbreaker for me when we were house hunting. Buying a house is expensive enough without having to replace carpets!

Yeah, I understand everybody's got their dealbreakers.

We are just starting to think about moving and are looking at houses. Right now, flooring isn't a dealbreaker. If I found a house where I loved the layout and location (and the price was right), I would gladly just replace the floors.

But, ask me a year from now when we are really getting serious and, maybe, my thinking will be different :laughing:.
 
I really don't get it when people looking at houses say they don't like the paint. What the heck - go to walmart and buy a color you like! Paint really shouldn't be a deciding factor on a HOUSE! It astonishes me to see people walk into a home and give a nasty face because they don't like the furniture or the color. Well, the OWNERS will most likely take the furniture with them, and paint the walls when you move in!
 
I'm always flummoxed when people don't like a house b/c of the paint!! Paint it!!! I've lived here for 9 yrs and painted the living room, bathroom, and dining room TWICE! b/c after painting it the first time, I didn't like the color *I* had chosen! So chances are, you aren't going to like the colors someone else chose.

The oddest comment I got about our house, though, was a friend I had emailed a pic of the front of our house to... she came after we moved in and our house is yellow. She says I thought it was green in the picture and didn't know why'd you'd buy a green house. What? I mean, I'd def. think twice about buying an orange house, but to pass on a house that's perfect except for the exterior (or interior) color is just crazy.

My brother and his wife are house hunting now. They've looked at all sorts of houses (including one that didn't have a kitchen! the room was there, but no cabinets, sink, etc) and plan on changing paint colors, flooring, etc to suit them. Then again, they also are planning on buying well within their means and not some "perfect dream house".

I wish you luck!!
 
I think this is why most folks use a Real Estate agent, and leave anytime someone comes to look at the house.
 
I agree. I think all the "home staging" shows are responsible. This is not the first house I have sold in a bad economy. These days I think they want to walk into the perfect home. Here are some things I want to tell potential buyers:

No, I am not going to paint. I still live here and like these colours.
No, I am not putting in hardwood, if I put it in for you I will put in the cheapest I can find. If I put it in for me I am putting in what I like. Go get your own.

Sorry this is not tv but reality. All houses need your finishing touches.

Well, you COULD put it in for them but then the price of the house is going to go up $20,000 and then they couldn't afford the house :lmao:

I also have a home sitting on the market. People have the weirdest comments. Home too small, kitchen too bright (yup someone said that), and a lot of complaints about the paint. We painted everything neutral to sell the home per the realtor recommendation.

Bottom line, can't please em all. Just hope the right one comes along for all of us!

People like this really aren't looking for a house. We have sold houses on our own and people would look at the house and come out with stupid comments like "our furniture wouldn't fit"--they are just being nosy and not really looking I think.

I am amazed at the number of people that can't look past paint colors. Painting is the EASIEST upgrade anyone can do. I would prefer to have things a little outdated so we can do what we want to the house. We've looked at houses that have been "updated" but not to our tastes and would have a hard time ripping out brand new carpet, etc. Now, if your house has wallpaper in every room, that just might be a deal breaker for me--not because I can't change it, I don't WANT to change it. In our last house there was wallpaper on EVERY wall in the house-and some of the ceilings. We spent 2 SOLID weeks taking wallpaper down--NEVER AGAIN.\

I agree- all of the home buying shows have really jaded people, especially younger people that really don't know what they are doing when they buy their first house.
 
Flooring was a dealbreaker for me when we were house hunting. Buying a house is expensive enough without having to replace carpets!

Well, you COULD put it in for them but then the price of the house is going to go up $20,000 and then they couldn't afford the house :lmao:

Exactly! We have vinyl wood planks through a lot of our house. We love it, it's easy to maintain and looks great. I understand if we go to sell that people may not love it as much as we do. Well, the price of the house will reflect the value of the flooring. The house would be priced much less than if we had hardwood or expensive carpeting. This flooring would be so easy to replace - no glue, staples or anything. Just pull it up, toss it and the subfloor is ready for whatever you would like. So you can take the savings from the sale price and put in exactly what you would like.
 
When we were selling our last house, we had realtors go through and got comments. One was that we should make our beds. We have duvets. :confused3
 
I bought this place and it had a lime green bathroom.

I painted it.

A weird idea, I know.
 


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