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She also has it listed "as is" because i said I am not fixing anything else. Which means i am not replacing a roof, the deck, etc. i already have a new hvac, hot water heater, garbage disposal, etc.
I disagree with her. I think one old photo is a huge issue. She should have 20-30 spectacular photos on the listing.
You're right of course. If there's only 1 picture, especially if it's just of the outside, people are going to assume the place is not in good shape. You don't want them to assume this if it's not the case.
How could you give such advice without knowing any of the circumstances. She said she already bought another house! So time and money are probably of the essence. She needs a good realtor to get it sold!! Not a FSBO that could take forever and cost her money!
Oh yeah time and money are important. I currently have about a half million dollars in mortgages on a low income. Gasp
You're right of course. If there's only 1 picture, especially if it's just of the outside, people are going to assume the place is not in good shape. You don't want them to assume this if it's not the case.
The inside needs paint and carpet. Not huge issues. Certainly no where close to being considered a fixer upper, rehab property. But i am apparently not a typical buyer because i bought a house that needed all new plumbing just to have running water. That is "as is" worthy in my mind.
You both have points. The pictures should be updated and feature any distinctive features or advantages you have over the competition. Fresh paint is a no brainer.
20-30 pics? You lost my attention after 5-6. I am not going to wade through a bunch of pictures of things I get no matter which house I buy. A microwave? You actually think a $65 item is going to sway me? You would do better by including a (very very short) list of all the properties that do NOT have a microwave in this day and age.
Point out the things that make your property better than the rest. Forget the mundane and common stuff as it is a waste of time. I would rather see you have a few "spectacular" pics than a deluge of crap.
Do a better competitive market analysis for your price point than simply basing it on a few nearby sales, especially if the comparables are not directly comparable to your property. You can use dissimilar properties IF you have a good basis for understanding what different features are worth and can accurately compensate for pluses and minus of the comps. Just throwing a few grand into the price because you have an extra couple of rooms is nonsense.
I had an appraisal done on my property recently and noticed that the number of rooms and number of bedrooms was not counted as a financial difference when the comps were adjusted. The square footage those rooms provided made a difference, but 3, 4 or 5 bedrooms was not a specific adjustment. I got credit for parking spaces, fireplaces, bath rooms, decks, storage building, appliance quality, etc, etc, etc. No mention of the bonus rooms or the extra bedroom or any adjustment for single or double story. Most of the adjustment was simply square footage and feature differences like the quality, fireplace and baths. It makes a huge difference between 2 baths and 2 1/2 baths believe it or not. Zero difference on 5 small bedrooms vs 4 standard bedrooms as long as the overall square footage is close. (my area supported a base of $20 per square foot for an adjustment value).
I cannot comment on the price point you picked since you did not indicate any supporting FACTS for your price OR her suggestion. Both appear to be emotional gut feelings rather than scientifically derived valuations.
Bottom line: price it objectively with your time frame in mind using established comparables and fact based adjustments. Highlight the features and advantages, minimize the negatives as much as possible without "hiding" them. Keep the marketing simple and clean, dont try to overwhelm the target audience or you could lose them to the details. You never know who will love white and who hates white. Just because you fell in love with something doesnt mean your buyer will have the same attraction, so market the overall rather than the small details.
The inside needs paint and carpet. Not huge issues. Certainly no where close to being considered a fixer upper, rehab property. But i am apparently not a typical buyer because i bought a house that needed all new plumbing just to have running water. That is "as is" worthy in my mind.
Well then maybe limiting the pictures is actually a good thing. You want to highlight the nice things, not the eyesores. It still sounds like your agent is lazy since she's just reusing a picture from 2008 though.
20-30 pics? You lost my attention after 5-6. I am not going to wade through a bunch of pictures of things I get no matter which house I buy. A microwave? You actually think a $65 item is going to sway me? You would do better by including a (very very short) list of all the properties that do NOT have a microwave in this day and age.
Point out the things that make your property better than the rest. Forget the mundane and common stuff as it is a waste of time. I would rather see you have a few "spectacular" pics than a deluge of crap.
With townhomes/condos that have close by amenities, many buyers like to see the inside of clubhouses, pools, nearby trails, etc. You are the rare buyer that only wants 5-6. With that you can't see all the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living space that this property would offer since it has three bedrooms.
She also has it listed "as is" because i said I am not fixing anything else. Which means i am not replacing a roof, the deck, etc. i already have a new hvac, hot water heater, garbage disposal, etc.
I think advertising homes "as-is" is a really bad idea. It makes people think there is some big ticket item you don't want to repair.
With townhomes/condos that have close by amenities, many buyers like to see the inside of clubhouses, pools, nearby trails, etc. You are the rare buyer that only wants 5-6. With that you can't see all the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living space that this property would offer since it has three bedrooms.
And this is precisely what i said this morning. The best part of the neighborhood is the pool. She should locate a picture from last summer and add it to the listing. The townhouse is one of three to four models in the neighborhood.
20-30 pics? You lost my attention after 5-6. I am not going to wade through a bunch of pictures of things I get no matter which house I buy.
You're entitled to your opinion on this, but when selling a house you have to market to the greatest number of buyers and 5-6 pictures is not going to satisfy the interest of the majority of them. Additionally, the number of pictures added to the listing has an effect on the indexing of it on many major real estate websites. Meaning, the more the pictures you have the higher the listing will appear on some major national RE sites.
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