Real NEastate: Why don’t sellers clean their homes before showings?

Q: I’m looking for a home around Holme Circle for a decent price. I have been into many homes I might have considered buying if they weren’t such a mess. Why do people selling homes think I might want to buy their dirty house?

A: What can I say? Some sellers don’t realize how important a clean, clutter-free house is to their bottom line. Obviously, buyers like you are a prime example why they need to keep it clean at all times or risk actually selling their home.

My advice to you would be to try to look past the mess. The home will be empty when you take possession anyway (hopefully). While I agree sellers should keep their homes in tip top condition while they are on the market, I also can understand how hard it can be. After all, many are still living there, so there may be days when sellers might have been unable to clear the mess in the kids’ rooms, or the laundry may not be done.

Another reason may be that their home has been on the market for so long, they have gotten discouraged and as a result lax about keeping it clean. And then a showing appointment comes along while they are in work and they can’t get home to do it before the appointment.

Sellers, take note. It’s a fact that many potential home buyers will pass up seeing a home if even the pictures aren’t that good. And bad pictures might not even be the sellers’ fault – it could be their agent took the pictures with his cell phone (true story). As much as pictures are worth 1000 descriptive words, a clean and organized house is worth something too – your potential sale.

Stacey McCarthy is a real estate agent with the McCarthy Group of Keller Williams. Her Real NEastate column appears every Wednesday on NEastPhilly.com. See others hereRead other NEast Philly columns here.

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