Untidy and Full

[lewens]

This looks like one of those places that commit suicide as you enter. Looks like my ex wifes home.
Larry

[bandag]

I don't have any pity on people that live like slobs. My grandmother used to say it costs money to buy fancy clothes, it cost money to have a fancy car, but it costs little or nothing to be clean or keep a clean house, and that she did.

[Mark R. Long]

I'm very often amazed at the condition of some of the homes I've entered, particularly when you consider that they are trying to sell their home. (Of course, if I'm there doing an inspection, it must mean that they've at least gotten a contract.) And it's not just clutter, but sometimes downright filth. A few weeks ago, when I went up to the second floor of a home where the bedrooms were located, the stench of cat urine was so strong that I had to open windows to let the area air out so that I could breathe. And I'm not a wussy, I've had pets, including cats, and currently have a dog.

Anyway, after a few homes like this in close succession it gave me for an idea for a marketing e-email to realtors. I use Home Hints eNews on a regular basis, but periodically I send out an additional letter or e-mail for some extra attention. This is what I sent out in January.

"Dear Realtor,

I hope that that the New Year has been good to you so far and that you continue to experience a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2007!

I'm Mark Long, of Peace of Mind Home Inspections, and an affiliate of the Pen-Mar Regional Association of Realtors. I provide professional home inspection services throughout north central Maryland and south central Pennsylvania. I know that your time is valuable, but if you would bear with me for just a moment, there are just a few important thoughts that I would like to share with you (and please accept my apologies if you got this e-mail more than once).

I think that most people would agree that this is a "challenging" market for home sellers at the moment, and most indications are that this environment will remain with us for awhile yet. With this in mind, I would like to offer some assistance to your home selling clients and to you, which may help their homes move a little more quickly. It has to do with Preparing the Home for Sale and Pre-Listing/Pre-Selling Home Inspections.

I'm going to stick my neck out a little, first, and share some free, "friendly advice". Actually, this is something that I'm sure you know, but I'm going to say it anyway, because I believe that it's important. Pleeease, strongly encourage your client's to clean-up and de-clutter their homes, inside and out, before they put them on the market. This of course doesn't apply to all home sellers, but I go into a lot of homes where I really wonder what people are thinking. A lot of homes that I see are a mess and the owners are trying to get someone to buy them!

I realize that many times when I go in for an inspection, the sellers may already be in the process of packing up and moving out, but that certainly isn't always the case, and I usually can tell the difference between that kind of clutter and the kind that has been there for some time. And yes, I realize that sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. The family may be going through a divorce and/or may be under severe economic distress and generally in a kind of emotional meltdown just trying to get through the day and on to the next, and in the midst of all that, trying to sell their home. I understand all that.

Regardless, there are many times when I believe that homeowners just aren't aware of what their home really looks like, especially how it may to look to an outsider and potential buyer, because they've become accustomed to it. That's when I think that their professional realtor can help them out by looking at their home with unbiased eyes and offer some "friendly advice" as to how they may improve the overall appearance of their home in order to help it move more quickly. I realize that some of you may be uncomfortable doing this, and some home owners aren't going to listen anyway, but I think that you owe it to your clients to make the effort. Having a clean, uncluttered home, of course, won't create home buyers, but when the lookers do come, and all other factors being equal, it may make the difference between them giving the home serious consideration or moving on the next one. In today's market, every little edge that a home seller can get, I believe will pay off. Please share with your clients, Preparing Your Home for the Sale.

A simple clean-up and un-cluttering of their home is something that the home seller can do for themselves to give their homes a little more appeal. After they do what they are able to do on their own, however, if they then want to take it to the next level, and give themselves even more of a competitive edge, they can then contact me to do a Pre-Listing/Pre-Selling Inspectionfor their home.During a Pre-Selling Inspection, I evaluate the home the same way that the buyer's inspector will evaluate it. The advantage is, that if issues turn up, then the home seller can address them on their terms and at their pace, and not be under the gun of a settlement date looming on the horizon. The process is a little more relaxed, plus, the pre-selling inspection can be used as an effective marketing tool, to give the home seller just one more leg up in this challenging market. Please go to Pre-Listing/Pre-Selling Inspection to read more. And if I'm at the clients' home doing a Pre-Selling Inspection, I'll be happy to offer some "free, friendly advice" about cleaning up and staging their home to make it more appealing to potential home buyers.

Finally, for those of you that I have not yet had the pleasure of working with, I would just like to mention that I work very hard for my clients, whether they are home buyers or home sellers, and I strive to make sure that they are getting a true, objective picture of the condition of their home, or prospective new home. I try to make the whole home inspection process as meaningful and helpful as possible, and also to go as smoothly as possible for everyone concerned, buyers, sellers, as well as realtors. Please give me a call at your earliest convenience so that we may discuss how I may help you and your clients in the future.

friendly regards,

Mark

Peace of Mind Home Inspections "

[Mark A. Timpani, CMI]

yesterday

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Originally Posted by mtimpani

yesterday

Mark T., I guess I can assumme that you did not inspect that room. ha. ha.

Marcel

[wforsyth]

Originally Posted by mthomas2

Makes ya wonder what the "buyer" was thinking.

I've bought buildings with apartments that bad, and worse.

Back in the day - before they made "Invasion of the Filppers" - you could get some terrific bargains that way.

I remember one - actually a basically sound property - where a tenant had placed self-adhering cork tile above the kitchen counters and the range, and then did a lot of high-fat cooking.

I lifted the corner of a tile (this was before I became a HI) a bit to take a peek at the wall below it, and around 5' of tile and the wall-paper underneath just fell off the wall.

It was saturatedwith maggots, which spilled out over everything, the buyers and the Realtor included - she lost her lunch in the sink.

I think that problem alone reduced the price by around $5K on a building listed at $120,000.

I feel ill.....

[wforsyth]

Originally Posted by bandag

I don't have any pity on people that live like slobs. My grandmother used to say it costs money to buy fancy clothes, it cost money to have a fancy car, but it costs little or nothing to be clean or keep a clean house, and that she did.

Very wise grandmother!

[Mark A. Timpani, CMI]

3 of the rooms were like that, very full.....

[Richard W. Washington]

Easy $ Mark. disclaiming 3 rooms is sweet however

i am gagging just looking at these slobs. can't imagine in person.

i'm such an anal cleano i might not be able to inspect crap like this.