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And destroy all the sometimes valuable statistics that can be gathered from the number of views. And get the OP even more worried when everybody opines about the photos, the description, the furniture, the exterior color of the house, the toilet seat being left up, etc etc etc. I've been around for long enough to have seen this many times. OP - just don't.
My feeling is that the busy road is certainly a deterrent. But so is having one bathroom. (The one in the unfinished basement creeps out a lot of people.) And if your listing say 2 bathrooms, you're probably getting a lot of showings to people that will find the single bathroom unacceptable,
ETA: gothereasquickasicould gave terrific advice in his/her Post #13.
I agree - it would just make my anxiety worse. And I'm honestly just not comfortable putting my info out there. Don't ask me why...maybe it's the anxiety again? Lol
We do have the house listed with 1.5 bathrooms and in the info it states it's a bathroom in an unfinished basement, etc. But you're right - we definitely could be attracting people who are expecting something else. I'm going to bring this up with my agent. Thank you for pointing this out!!
Last edited by sunnibagel; 10-31-2021 at 10:32 AM..
Just wanted to send an overall reply and let everyone know I genuinely appreciate the positive vibes and advice. Our open house is happening as we speak. We haven't heard anything, but I'm trying to remind myself that there IS buyer out there. Just have to stay calm and be patient. SERENITY NOW! Hahaha
I'm located in a suburb south of Pittsburgh.
We're in the process of selling our first home. Our market has been pretty hot, but admittedly, it appears to be cooling down a little bit. Our home really is lovely and we're very proud of the updates we've made in the 8+ years we've lived there, but our family has grown, as has our need for additional space. Because of this, we found a home we loved with plenty of extra space for a great price that needs a little cosmetic TLC (the bathrooms/house are gorgeous...the kitchen needs remodeled). We closed on it a couple weeks ago, right as we listed our first home.
We've saved up to ensure we can carry both homes for awhile, but of course, we'd prefer not to drain our savings completely. Additionally, as we completed the process, I found out I will likely need brain surgery in the next few months, so that is going to be a very hard financial (and personal) hit.
Now, I'll be honest, we've only been on the market about 10 days, but I can't help but dive into the anxiety rabbit hole over selling this house. It's a great house in good shape...a little on the small side...with 3 bedrooms, 1 full updated bath upstairs, and a bathroom with a shower/toilet/sink in the unfinished basement. That bathroom isn't pretty, but it could certainly be updated if someone wanted to go that route. We've updated light fixtures, countertops and backsplash, and the house has hardwood floors. It also has a nice backyard, brand new shed, newer trex deck, etc. Lastly, it's in an excellent school district. The drawback? It's on a 4 lane, 35mph road, which I know is stopping a lot of people. We always kept the hedge out front on the higher side for privacy, but cut it down halfway yesterday with the hope it would make it easier to see getting out of the driveway.
Homes usually sell for 190-350 in our immediate area, depending what neighborhood you're in. We initially listed at 169,900 at the suggestion of our agent. I'd say we've had around 11 showings, all of which provided great feedback, with one or two directly mentioning the road or the house not being large enough for their family needs. As of Thursday afternoon we dropped the price to 155 with the hope it would help attract more viewers. We've had two showings scheduled since (a last minute one last night, which I'm not sure even showed up) and one scheduled for this afternoon. We're having an open house tomorrow.
I guess I'm wondering... should we drop the price again in the very near future? We were really banking on some of the money from the sale to help us make our new home "ours," but more importantly, we're trying to be realistic (and not greedy) as we're incredibly motivated to sell, specifically because of my surgery. My husband and I are both stressing ourselves out at this point and conflicted about how to move forward. Our agent is being as helpful as she can and doing her part, but I figured it never hurt to get a second opinion from others who may have gone through something similar. I am open to any and all suggestions - even if it's just something like "calm the hell down, lady, it's only been a few days "
Just a disclaimer: I'm not a realtor, but I'm in and out of houses that are being put on the market as part of my work. I "follow" the houses after I've done my bit to see how quickly they sell once they are listed on the MLS.
If the house is where I have a hunch that it is, you're going to be fine. Yes, things have slowed down a bit here in the Pittsburgh metro (which is still darn fast by what once were normal metrics) , but I wouldn't be so fast to pull the trigger on selling for a low-ball offer. Give it a bit more time as ten days on the market is still very early in the game.
Just a disclaimer: I'm not a realtor, but I'm in and out of houses that are being put on the market as part of my work. I "follow" the houses after I've done my bit to see how quickly they sell once they are listed on the MLS.
If the house is where I have a hunch that it is, you're going to be fine. Yes, things have slowed down a bit here in the Pittsburgh metro (which is still darn fast by what once were normal metrics) , but I wouldn't be so fast to pull the trigger on selling for a low-ball offer. Give it a bit more time as ten days on the market is still very early in the game.
Hahaha, I'm betting you're correct.
Thank you for your input!! We're going to sit tight and keep our fingers crossed!
Hahaha, I'm betting you're correct.
Thank you for your input!! We're going to sit tight and keep our fingers crossed!
You're welcome. I think that a lot of the other posters don't realize just how common the bathroom situation in the house that you're trying to sell is in the Pittsburgh metro--especially in certain eras of houses (1920s-early 1960s). Simply having at least one extra toilet somewhere, anywhere in a house is big deal at certain price points--especially if it lands the buyer in a prime school district as well.
If it makes you feel any better, if you're familiar with Bower Hill Road (and if you're in the South Hills, you likely do), a house that's similar to yours with very limited upgrades (original bath, Pittsburgh potty, one car garage, decent yard) that I worked in several weeks ago recently had a serious offer at a listing price that's significantly higher than your house's listing price.
Your agent has likely looked at all of the comps in your neighborhood. Trust her judgement and give it a bit more time before further dropping the price. In my partially educated opinion, it's certainly not going to take sixty days(!) to sell. Not in this market and definitely not out your way.
You're welcome. I think that a lot of the other posters don't realize just how common the bathroom situation in the house that you're trying to sell is in the Pittsburgh metro--especially in certain eras of houses (1920s-early 1960s). Simply having at least one extra toilet somewhere, anywhere in a house is big deal at certain price points--especially if it lands the buyer in a prime school district as well.
If it makes you feel any better, if you're familiar with Bower Hill Road (and if you're in the South Hills, you likely do), a house that's similar to yours with very limited upgrades (original bath, Pittsburgh potty, one car garage, decent yard) that I worked in several weeks ago recently had a serious offer at a listing price that's significantly higher than your house's listing price.
Your agent has likely looked at all of the comps in your neighborhood. Trust her judgement and give it a bit more time before further dropping the price. In my partially educated opinion, it's certainly not going to take sixty days(!) to sell. Not in this market and definitely not out your way.
Ahhh it's great knowing there's someone on here familiar with the Pittsburgh potty!! And thank you for that info. I just shared that withy husband and he chuckled. That instantly gave him some relief. Thank you again for your response. We both appreciate the positivity!
I agree that it's most likely the staging. Is it empty? If so, it shouldn't be. If it's not empty, then get rid of any unnecessary stuff and nick nacks.
Clean it, clean it, clean. Better yet, have a professional clean it, including the inside and outside of the windows.
I notice there are more single people living alone in houses now. Some never married, some divorced with children all grown. Think outside of the traditional family with 2 kids and a dog.
For a professional single, 3 bathrooms is not needed! I imagine the single person would use one bedroom, and the other rooms will be office, and guest room.
We had a very similar situation when we sold our first home in 2007. It was a small two story 3br colonial with a finished basement and a second bathroom in the basement. We showed the house 57 times before we sold it 6 months after listing it. We started at $425K and dropped the price twice in 4 months down to $399K. We sold it for $385K. We had a couple of low ball offers at $325K.
Our issue was our next door neighbor who was a hoarder and his back yard which was visible from our second floor and from the deck was a total junk yard. Car parts, plumbing parts, 5 sheds littered the entire back yard. Also he fixed cars as a side gig and there were always 4 or 5 cars parked in front of his house. We finally sold the house to his relatives, who weren't put off by him being there. Otherwise he was a really nice guy, but I'm pretty sure he cost us at least $30K.
We used that six months to get our new house up to the way we wanted it. We pulled up the carpets, installed hard wood floors, floor and ceiling molding, new storm doors and painted all the rooms.
We lowered our price twice, at two month intervals. At those times we had enough showings to realize we were overpriced at those price points. It doesn't pay to lower the price too quickly or too often, because it sets an expectation that you are desperate. Also you have to expect some negotiation to lower the price by the buyer, and additional cuts after the inspection when they point out items that need repairing. Carrying two houses is not that expensive, so you need to balance the real costs against reducing your selling price, and not getting the best price you can. In the end, the house will probably sell for what it is worth in the market.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunnibagel
Hi all,
I'm located in a suburb south of Pittsburgh.
We're in the process of selling our first home. Our market has been pretty hot, but admittedly, it appears to be cooling down a little bit. Our home really is lovely and we're very proud of the updates we've made in the 8+ years we've lived there, but our family has grown, as has our need for additional space. Because of this, we found a home we loved with plenty of extra space for a great price that needs a little cosmetic TLC (the bathrooms/house are gorgeous...the kitchen needs remodeled). We closed on it a couple weeks ago, right as we listed our first home.
We've saved up to ensure we can carry both homes for awhile, but of course, we'd prefer not to drain our savings completely. Additionally, as we completed the process, I found out I will likely need brain surgery in the next few months, so that is going to be a very hard financial (and personal) hit.
Now, I'll be honest, we've only been on the market about 10 days, but I can't help but dive into the anxiety rabbit hole over selling this house. It's a great house in good shape...a little on the small side...with 3 bedrooms, 1 full updated bath upstairs, and a bathroom with a shower/toilet/sink in the unfinished basement. That bathroom isn't pretty, but it could certainly be updated if someone wanted to go that route. We've updated light fixtures, countertops and backsplash, and the house has hardwood floors. It also has a nice backyard, brand new shed, newer trex deck, etc. Lastly, it's in an excellent school district. The drawback? It's on a 4 lane, 35mph road, which I know is stopping a lot of people. We always kept the hedge out front on the higher side for privacy, but cut it down halfway yesterday with the hope it would make it easier to see getting out of the driveway.
Homes usually sell for 190-350 in our immediate area, depending what neighborhood you're in. We initially listed at 169,900 at the suggestion of our agent. I'd say we've had around 11 showings, all of which provided great feedback, with one or two directly mentioning the road or the house not being large enough for their family needs. As of Thursday afternoon we dropped the price to 155 with the hope it would help attract more viewers. We've had two showings scheduled since (a last minute one last night, which I'm not sure even showed up) and one scheduled for this afternoon. We're having an open house tomorrow.
I guess I'm wondering... should we drop the price again in the very near future? We were really banking on some of the money from the sale to help us make our new home "ours," but more importantly, we're trying to be realistic (and not greedy) as we're incredibly motivated to sell, specifically because of my surgery. My husband and I are both stressing ourselves out at this point and conflicted about how to move forward. Our agent is being as helpful as she can and doing her part, but I figured it never hurt to get a second opinion from others who may have gone through something similar. I am open to any and all suggestions - even if it's just something like "calm the hell down, lady, it's only been a few days "
Last edited by bobspez; 10-31-2021 at 01:06 PM..
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I think that a lot of the other posters don't realize just how common the bathroom situation in the house that you're trying to sell is in the Pittsburgh metro--especially in certain eras of houses (1920s-early 1960s). Simply having at least one extra toilet somewhere, anywhere in a house is big deal at certain price points--especially if it lands the buyer in a prime school district as well. 
