Does weather affect how many people view your house when it first lists? (contingencies, agents)
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I like to look at a house after it's been raining a while, just to see if there are any rain related issues.
Me too! It rained one of the times we were looking at houses in Williamsburg. I remember there was one we really liked. Thank goodness we saw it in the rain, however, because the entire backyard was one big pond. No thanks! Wouldn't have known that if we had seen it on a sunny day.
One of my friends bought their home on a stormy windy day...
They were one of two that came out... the seller stayed in as the weather was so bad.
My friends drove up and saw the lights on... came into a well lit home with a warm fire going and the smell of coffee brewing... they looked at each other and said this might be it...
I really think the respite offered on such a miserable day with the hearth and all it's warmth sold the home...
Even though having the seller present is not typical... the older couple were also warm and inviting... saying all the wonderful years they had and now it was time to move closer to their son and daughter... or they would never be selling...
One of my friends bought their home on a stormy windy day...
They were one of two that came out... the seller stayed in as the weather was so bad.
My friends drove up and saw the lights on... came into a well lit home with a warm fire going and the smell of coffee brewing... they looked at each other and said this might be it...
I really think the respite offered on such a miserable day with the hearth and all it's warmth sold the home...
Even though having the seller present is not typical... the older couple were also warm and inviting... saying all the wonderful years they had and now it was time to move closer to their son and daughter... or they would never be selling...
I feel cozy just reading this! What a nice way to visit a house. You're right, a stormy day can work to your advantage if your house is warm and cozy.
One surprise that came up was my realtor didn't end up liking the bench idea. I thought it was smart, myself. I can totally see that a little bench would make it easier, and keeping potential buyers happy strikes me as a good idea. But she is concerned it would distract from the open concept view you get when you first open the door. (plus the bench I offered to use is from IKEA, which I guess sends a message she didn;t think we should send, LOL). I sort of understand, but I can't say I agree. But I do know the smart thing to do is trust the realtor and figure she knows her job and has dealt with rain before. We do have mats, a little sign and the booties so I guess that's enough.
Good grief. Seriously? People are nothing if not funny! I think most people can imagine an "open concept" entry way both with and without a bench in it. And they don't care where you bought the bench.
I guess I give people more credit than most.... but then... she can't imagine what it's like to have trouble tying her shoes.
On edit... Afterthoughts... Good luck! This is probably not a deal breaker or a hill to die on... I just think it's amusing what people think and say. IMHO, if the house is furnished, people who need to will find a place to sit to put their shoes back on, even if it means a few steps across your floors to get there. I wouldn't fault them for it, it beats falling down and getting hurt.
Last edited by Diana Holbrook; 09-01-2018 at 03:04 PM..
she can't imagine what it's like to have trouble tying her shoes.
Exactly. Maybe she just wears slip ons and has forgotten what it can be like with shoes you tie. Or maybe there's a little bit of "I'm the realtor, you're not, so please don't make suggestions" going on. Who knows.
It's ok, I'm sure people will still take their shoes off, even if it IS a little more difficult for them. Maybe it won't even rain that hard. And if she has a change of heart, I suppose she could always bring by a chair from her own house that she approves of.
While I'd prefer to see a house in the rain (see if there are any obvious leaks, etc.) and can see how many would want to do the same to give them something to do outside of the house on an otherwise crappy day, I also know that many would prefer to see a place when it is sunny.
My wife and I toured our current house on a very rainy day in February (North East). I appreciated the fact that I could check out the basement, attic, and general drainage/grading around the house during the worst-case scenario.
We also checked out a few other houses that day, and the rain brought up some issues that made us decide against them. One had a creek in the backyard that, while it wasn't flooded, clearly carried a good amount of water when it was wet out. I'd hate to have seen what that creek was like a couple weeks ago when we had massive flooding conditions due to a large amount rain over a short period.
Are you selling your house in Williamsburg?! I've read many of your posts and from what I recall you loved your home and Williamsburg. Has something changed? I only ask because I really like Williamsburg and am considering it for possibly 2nd home and/or eventually retirement. Are you moving out of the area? Just curious as you've been a big proponent of Williamsburg.
Regarding open houses on rainy days, yes the traffic is much slower. I've been to numerous open houses and it's definitely much slower on rainy vs. sunny days. I often skipped going to open houses when it rains and most real estate agents will tell you the traffic will be slow. I personally would not hold an open house on a rainy day. I went to an open house last Sunday in my neighborhood and there was hardly anyone there all day, the agent said it was because the kids were staring this week. So various things can affect open house. Having said that, although the the open house was slow, the house sold a couple days later. So it's not about the quantity but the quality of the buyers.
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People are nothing if not funny! I think most people can imagine an "open concept" entry way both with and without a bench in it. And they don't care where you bought the bench.
