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http://www.zillow.com/homedeta...118/2119608000_zpid/

The realtor started at $199,000.00 because the market in May 2012, dictated that price. It was listed as "NEGOTIABLE." Dropped it to $192,000.00 and now $184,900.00. I had one offer even with tons of traffic and people coming back 3-4 times.
$164,000.00 was the only offer, and the house next door, not as nice, no double garage, no in-law apt, and the floors are nothing like this house, and it sold for $173,000.00. I think $180,000.00 is my bottom price. I think it is the time of the year as well as the market. The realtor I have now,( I hired someone new) said the "house is staged nicely and did I do it myself?"
So, that is not the problem. TONS of storage, no clutter, the yard is huge and flat and their is woods behind and deer even come in the yard.

I do not get why after 7 months, the house has not sold. Sure it needs some updating but my mother died so I cannot put money into it. I have to sell it as is. Granite counter tops can be added by the buyer, I may not pick a color they like. This house has GREAT BONES, and I think $180,000.00 is a more than fair price.

Rootsgal, Thanks for posting the link to the listing ~ it's MLS ID G637362 ~ much easier to comment when we can see what you are talking about!

First of all, a BIG compliment ~ many people claim that their homes have been cleaned and de-cluttered ~ then we see them and are dismayed at their condition. In this case, you are absolutely right that the hardwood floors are gorgeous, it is sparkling clean and nicely presented. Kudos to you - I can see the sparkle all the way from the east coast to Idaho!

So why haven't you found a buyer and what can you do? Well, first I think you have, inadvertently "chased the market down" with your price reductions and the listing is now stale. It's showing 212 days on the market ~ that's enough to turn off many people. They figure, rightly or wrongly, SOMETHING is wrong with the property if it hasn't sold in that amount of time.

So my first suggestion would be for you to take it completely off the market and then re-list ~ of course, savvy online buyers will see its listing history anyway but, at least, the days on the market won't jump out waving a red flag to new lookers.

Then, while waiting to re-list, I have a few suggestions re the photography which actually is pretty good re clarity and sharpness; but lacking a bit in composition.

First, I would eliminate #4 and, most importantly, #25!!! One of the biggest drawbacks to this house is the age (built in 1948) so why in the world would you have a picture of the heating unit as the last photograph? Very, very bad marketing. Get rid of it!

Speaking of heating, the listing says that it is oil with baseboards; for whatever reason, they seem to be the focal point in way too many pictures. If you do re-photograph, I would try to de-emphasize them.

I understand the bedrooms are large and difficult to photograph (numbers 16, 17, 18, 20, 21 and 22) but, even with six of them, I am left without an idea in the world how they relate in the layout to one another or which one is the "possible true in-law suite." Speaking of which, since this is a 4/2, I don't think marketing an "in-law" suite is a good idea if it leaves the entire house with only one bathroom including guests?

A few other nit-picking comments, before I summarize, just for consideration if you re-photograph: In #12 - why in the world would anyone show a dish-drainer on the counter top right above a dishwasher? I like the kitchen towel on the stove (usually I don't) since it breaks up the black square of the oven BUT please fold it properly!

In #13, remove the magnets from the refrigerator and add some color ~ maybe a bowl of fruit or a flowering plant on the counter to the left of the refrigerator?

In #18, well this isn't a very helpful photograph but it would be better if the shades were even as they are in the other photographs - just a suggestion.

And #23, I see wallpaper and borders which are definitely NOT in the main kitchen, is this the "kitchenette for the in-law suite?" In any event, might be a surprise to those who know about my aversion to wallpaper but I would leave them ~ adds to the charm of the era of this house.

Bottom line, I think that you have a really charming, older house and one that someone will be lucky to buy. If you are really serious that $180K is your bottom line based on the comparables you have seen such as the house down the street selling for $173K, then you certainly shouldn't agree to list at $179,900. You are right ~ nowhere to go but down from the listing price.

I think your biggest challenge is a stale listing which you can solve and the fact that it is simply an older home with an older style kitchen but it has so much character that I would not even begin to think about doing any renovations ~ well, maybe, if I was willing to do any work at all, I would replace the flooring in bath two.

Hang in there and let us know what you decide to do.

PS. Sorry that I wrote a book BUT thought you'd like to see the last chapter. Zillow, which we all know is notariously unreliable, priced the property at $172,628 at day 79 of your listing; it's priced at $189,853 today at day 212 of the listing. As REL said, markets are looking up so hang in there!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Idaho Resident,

Sorry to hear of your loss, Roots. (You didn't mention an estate sale, previously.)

Great job staging your mother's home! It's far better than many or most estate sale homes, IMHO.

Agree with Idaho that the photos are critical. Today's online photo arrays and videos represent the drive-bys of yesterday. When potential buyers review photos, IMHO, they hope to save time by eliminating homes and reducing their tour list.

Because you mentioned the neighbor's recent sale at 173K, in order to check out your listing, I pulled up the neighbor's photos and compared their property to yours. Hope you don't mind but I put on my buyer's hat. Comparing the two properties side-by-side, it did appear that the neighbor's photos might generate many showings.

One critical factor could be your detached garage and CT winters. Even though your neighbor's garage was smaller, it was attached. Other things also appeared attractive, including their curb appeal (blooming trees and house colors) and backyard (some fencing and small paver patio), sunroom, kitchen and interior paint.

WRT the staging, although you did a terrific job and they have less square footage, their home actually felt more spacious to me. Primarily, it had less furniture and other items, especially in the public rooms. The kitchen was cleared out.

Another important factor was the overall feeling of their home from the photos. Even though it's about the same age as your mother's home, it felt newer and updated, probably b/c of their staging furniture and both interior and exterior colors/paint. It also felt homey and ready for a new family to move in.

JMHO but I would suggest you continue working on the staging. One thing I noticed: even if I hadn't read your board posts, I could have guessed that the previous occupant of the home was female and probably her approximate age. Very tough to do (I understand) after experiencing a loss but it's critical to the sale of her home (IMHO) to neutralize it and make potential buyers see it as their own.

Besides removing more furniture and accessories/wall hangings, you may wish to remove all the feminine items, e.g. the pink wallpaper, flowery sofa, frilly curtains, etc.

For example, if it were my home, I would remove all the living room furniture except the couch, wing chair and the table plus lamp that's currently behind the plaid chair. (The wing chair and table can be strategically placed in front of the vent to hide that in your photos, BTW.) That allows buyers to walk around and get a better feel for the rooms, i.e the real estate. That's what they're buying.

WRT the smaller items and accessories in the living room, I would remove basically everything but the clock on the mantel and the shelf plus plant. Unfortunately, the smaller accessories make the home feel smaller, IMHO. Again IMHO, the gold framed items and older pictures age the home. You may wish to pack those items for yourself or give them to other family members. A larger mirror or wall hanging could move into the gold frames' slot.

In the kitchen, as Idaho suggested, I would remove all the small items, from the magnets to everything on the counters plus small hanging items, hanging plates, mirror, visible trash can, pictures and most of the items in the built-in. A bowl of limes on the counter (they usually keep longer) could provide a splash of color.

WRT the kitchen furniture, I would, like the living room, remove absolutely everything but the table and 4 chairs, including the sideboard, TV and grandfather clock. That will allow buyers to circulate around the room and make it feel spacious. You could retain the hanging clock but move it to the wall where the g-father clock currently lives.

Might be preferable to pare each bedroom down to a bed, 1 table or chest and possibly a chair. For the in-law, if you remove the couch, the plaid chair (from the living room) could move into the couch's slot with the other chair and a small lamp/drink table inbetween.

Don't know if you plan to pull it off the market for the winter. If you do, that would allow you to continue staging and also take new photos. For the exterior, you might think about adding some colored plants, selecting an accent color for the shutters and possibly some trim. Obviously, you'd probably want to do new exterior photos during good weather.

If you want to invest a few **$ before you relist, I can see many small projects that might make a difference, e.g. removing the bathroom wallpaper, changing out the eating area light fixture, lightening up the kitchen beams and most importantly, enhancing the curb appeal as mentioned above.

After reviewing your listing, the neighbor's plus a few other East Hartford homes, I still recommend that you update your comps and also tour or review the competition. I believe that will give you a feel for the current market conditions, 6+ months into your listing.

Didn't mean to do a long post. Hope you wanted the feedback and don't mind the frank comments. It's only MHO.

You have a lovely home! Best of luck as you go forward with everything -

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AguaBella,

Rootsgal - Thank you posting the additional info. Like I said - you will get lots of suggestions.

I think both IR and Aquabella make some excellent points. I agree you should not put too much money into updating the property. If you do not have to sell right away, taking it off the market through the holidays and possibly in your area until early spring is not a bad idea. That will allow you to view the competition and decide what steps you need to take to sell the property for the best possible price.

The hardwood floors appear to be in excellent condition, however, most in today's market are accustomed to the wider plank engineered floors and do not find yours as charming as many on here would. Nothing you can do about it - it just is.

When prepping to relist - I agree about giving it some exterior color - painting the shutters would be a great way to give character. One other - The angle of the exterior used in the 2nd photo would be the better picture (without the view of the Realtor's sign) for the MLS. It is a more flattering angle and shows the chimney.

As Aquabella posted - inside it looks like Grandma's house. Nothing bad about that, but there are some things you can do to reduce that appearance. The flowers in the fireplace, the oval pictures, the shelf with greenry, the furniture arrangement, etc.

Do add some color to the rooms perhaps you can find some inexpensive area rugs to tie areas together. To show off the space reduce the small pieces, get rid of things like the rug in the bathroom, extra floor lamps, magazine holder, etc.

I see you have removed some of the curtains but left up the large curtain rod in one of the bedrooms.

I think what might be hampering your staging is your familiarity with how you mother had the house furnished. Like most of us we cannot see beyond how Mom wanted her home. There is nothing wrong with that - to help in rearranging the furniture for a better display of the rooms pull all all the furniture into the middle of each room and have someone help you rearrange the furniture to a more contemporary layout. Have at least one night stand beside each bed with a lamp, foot of the bed facing the door where possible, etc. Get some color on the beds. In the eat in kitchen I would toss the chair pads and place mats. Put something large with color in the middle of the table. I like the little nook beside the refrigerator - stage it more as a small kitchen work nook - small chair or stool with a couple of cookbooks or laptop.

The photo layout - Have the one nice exterior (beauty shot) first then have the remainder of the photos as a walking tour through the house. Put the remainder of the exterior photos at the end. People want to see inside.

If you can spend some money - I would replace the backsplash in the kitchen. If you could replace the shades with blinds (I think it might be a regional thing, my friend in NY has similar shades on all her windows and I feel extremely claustophobic in her house) you can regulate the light and still have some privacy. Do keep personality in the house. Too often in a zeal to depersonalize we strip a home of all character.

Talk to your new agent about all of this and your concerns. Make sure she shows you all the details on sold comps.

Good luck and report back!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charming,

I have resisted chiming in so far, but here goes:

Rootsgal, please accept my condolences on the loss of your mother. This is a difficult time for you, and having to sell her house can be an unpleasant duty. I've had to deal with this, as executrix of my parents' estate,as have many others here.

So here goes: even if the house is fully paid off, you or the estate are still paying taxes and other common household expenses. The longer it takes the home to sell, the more expenses and aggravation.

After a while, you will want to cut your losses.
IMO, the best thing you can do to is to 1) take it off the market for a brief period of time. 2) spend NOT one more dime on renovations or updates; just some decluttering and routine maintenance. 3) relist for slightly under the highest comps to move the house FAST.

This is what we did. My parents' home (built in 1953) needed updating and was not in the greatest shape. We spend no money except to correct a minor code violation, and that was it. We priced the home about 10 percent under the highest comps and it sold in less than one week. WHAT a relief. As executrix, I had a fiduciary responsibility to the other heirs, my siblings, to make sure that I was not going to waste estate money and incur expenses by chasing down the market.

I am not saying you should list it 10 percent under, but it seems the market in your area is telling you what you may not want to hear.

First of all, I have a realtor so she is the one that took the pictures, not me.
Second, I know that older homes are actually better built homes than the newer ones with plywood.
Obviously the REALTORS are the ones putting the price up, I have no idea what "market price" should be. There seems to be a lot of blame on me for the choices the realtors have made. I got rid of one and I just hired someone new. I had an ESTATE BUYER come in so he will help me out when it does sell. I am keeping a really cool, old desk in great condition,the hutch in the kitchen, a living room chair and another table, plus a few lamps. I cannot have him take some of the stuff now and some later. They do not work that way.
I will call her and tell her to take the photos out of the furnace. I think she put it in to show the condition it is in. That is bad?

The market price in MAY 2012, was higher than what we listed it as.
I told all of you the SMALLER house next door, sold for $173,000.00 and you think I am expecting too much to want more than that home?

I do not agree so lets agree to disagree on that remark. I am not emotionally attached to this house at all...so I am not asking an unreasonable amount based on "comparable" homes in this area.

What would all of you list it for? Please do not tell me that I should take less than a home that sold for 173,000.00 that really was a pit inside and it only has a single garage and 2 bedrooms to this homes four bedrooms.

Thanks for your constructive criticism. If the moderator wants to delete my post (like this one) from the other part of the message board, feel free.

You've gotten a lot of advice: feel free to take it or leave it.

Rootsgal - No one is blaming you for the photos, I'm sorry, when we say "you" about the pictures and the listing we only mean in when working with your realtor you should make suggestions to get the best display possible for the listing.

We also do not want to second guess what the professional in your community suggests. As for pricing - meet with your current agent. Ask her/him to show you recent sold comps and discuss the pricing. Then visit some of the competition. After you do that walk through the house as a buyer who has never seen it before and is being asked to invest over $180,000 to purchase it.

The furnace - listing the age of the furnace and providing a home warranty will reduce the need for a photo of the actual unit.

Each of us comes to viewing a property and making suggestions from a different point of view. Some of us are professional Realtors, others are interior decorators and still other members have bought, renovated and sold a number of properties. We will each have our own bias in our remarks. But no one is targeting you in this most difficult task. So sorry when we use first person.

Definitely agree with both aych and Charming, Roots. We understand your difficult situation and sincerely want to help. Nobody's blaming you for anything.

I mentioned in a prior post that all real estate is local, IMHO. Yes, you definitely need to work with your local realtor. As the client, however, you're in charge. Before you approve any changes to your listing price, I do hope you review (with your realtor) both the comparables and competition, as I previously suggested.

Ultimately, however, the market sets the price. The 173K sale is only 1 sale. (BTW, that home had a few transactions listed within a short period of time - I would also confirm with your realtor that it was a market sale, not a related party transaction.) When buyers review the comparables, they will, again IMHO, consider multiple properties within your area. So, if I were you, I wouldn't focus solely on that 1 transaction - the 173K sale could be an aberration.

Most estate sellers would not take the time to do any staging, minor repairs or sprucing up of a property. As aych mentioned, you do have ongoing carrying costs so it's often best to price the property a little lower in order to move it faster. In fact, if the market's in an upswing in your area, a lower listing price might generate a bidding war!

The reason I made staging suggestions is that you expressed a desire to maximize the selling price instead of marketing the property in an as-is condition for a quick sale. Everything's up to you. If you're happy with the furniture and staging, don't change anything. We simply tried to give you honest, third-party opinions about how potential buyers might see your home. (Incidentally, I've worked with many estate liquidators and they usually can provide storage, although at a fee. Typically a storage unit or pod system is cheaper, if you have the time and family assistance.)

Previously asked if you attempted to negotiate the initial (164K) offer you received. What did your realtor recommend? Was that early in the process?

Because I don't know your local market, I have no idea what the best or most appropriate listing price would be and couldn't guess the actual market value of the property. Depends on many factors, including but not limited to the local market conditions, the property's condition, anticipated selling period, your current competition, etc. At the end of the day, when the property closes, you'll know the market value.

Sorry if my sincere opinion upset you. As indicated previously, it's JMHO and only 1 opinion. Many others may differ.

Best of luck to you -

ETA: Going back to your original question - why hasn't the property sold? The only way to answer that question, IMHO, is to consider your property from a potential buyer's point-of-view.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AguaBella,

Here's another point of view...I can look at a house, in whatever condition it may be in, and determine if it's something I want to buy in about 5 minutes flat. No amount of staging or painting or even cleaning makes a difference...I either want it or I don't. The house I bought in 2007 had a huge hole in the kitchen ceiling because the boiler failed and the pipes froze, but I could see what the house could be and I was willing to do whatever it took to get it there. That house had been on the market for about 2 years with several reductions and was days away from auction when we made an offer.

The right person hasn't found your house. Nothing you can do will convince anyone who doesn't want it to buy. Don't lower your price without solid data that proves you're too high and by the same token, don't price yourself out of the market.

Need more curb appeal to bring buyers in - Paint the shutters black.

Online buyers will notice the difference from that first photo.. and won't pass the listing by without looking through the rest of the photos!
I assure you this will be helpful with little expense!!

Roots, I'm sorry some responses have made you defensive and caused you to feel that you were being personally attacked which I can assure you is not the case. And don't worry that any moderator will remove your post ~ you are simply posting the frustration you are feeling ~ no offense taken.

Most posters here spend A LOT OF TIME reviewing and considering a listing before posting back with suggestions ~ and I might add that you have received some excellent answers to your two main questions: Why hasn't my Mom's house sold and what else can I do?

Let's start with the photography ~ of course your realtor took them ~ but you wanted to know why the property hasn't sold and we are trying to tell you why from the perspective of potential buyers looking for a new home in your area and price range.

quote:

Originally posted by Rootsgal:

I will call her and tell her to take the photos out of the furnace. I think she put it in to show the condition it is in. That is bad?

Yes, it is bad to emphasize the age of the house which already has too many photographs focused on the oil baseboards by reminding people just how old the house is and leaving that as their final impression. Glad you will remove it. Also, I hope you will delete #4.

Since I rarely comment on "staging" as I usually just promote clean, clean, clean and address the nuts and bolts of real estate, I have to say that, surprisingly, I agree with suggestions above to remove and de-personalize even though I, myself, found the house charming as you have presented it via the photographs for the most part.

It is a lovely, lovely home for an older couple as it is now being shown ~ is that your target market? Doubtful, those older couples are now trying to sell their own older lovely homes and retire to Arizona, Florida or a townhouse with less work. Instead, the ones most likely to buy a 4/2 with a kitchenette and over 1700 sf are couples in the mid-thirties or so with several children. Take a good long luck at your photographs ~ why do you think prospective buyers haven't seen the "bones" as you, yourself, have stated they haven't done?

Do they see a family room where everyone jumps on the couch together, watches TV and throws popcorn? Or a formal living room? Do they see a kitchen with a Grandfather-clock and a table set with place-mats as a place they can envision their lively family living, grabbing breakfast on the go?

Seriously, you need to follow the detailed suggestions above to lose the character of the house as it is now decorated; I know you say that you are not emotionally invested but actions say otherwise. To market this property to potential buyers, you will need to make some changes.

Once again, I would not suggest putting any money into renovations - it is what it is and pretty fantastic as it is ~ but I do agree with adding some curb appeal and that painting the shutters black would be a GREAT way to do that! I also like the idea of making the little alcove in the kitchen a work station with some cookbooks for decor and a computer (even if it is non-functioning) just for the sake of the photographs ~ times have changed and all sellers need to appeal to the market that is, rather than the market that was.

Good luck. Please post back with what you decide to do ~ go ahead, we are tough and withstand it! We really do wish you success....

It is 37 degrees in Connecticut. Painting the shutters black in this cold weather is insane.
You are choosing black because the front door is red and the house it white, I get that. But nobody paints in this weather. I have yet to see an outside painter in any neighborhood in December, in Connecticut. I can't even get the cemetery engraver to do his job until spring, because it is freezing outside.

If you want to comment, please be realistic.

Everyone has insulted the pictures thinking I took them. A PRUDENTIAL Realtor is the person that took the pictures and I passed on all the "criticism", to her from all of you, even about the oil burner photo.

She thought the house was staged perfectly and she complimented me and did not want to change anything and I left that wide open for her to do.

The water company came in to check the meter and they LOVED the house. They could not believe it was on the market for so long. There is an elementary school within walking distance and the neighborhood is quiet and serene.

I am not painting anything, I am not changing the floors in the bathroom or scraping off wallpaper. I was the victim of a drunk driver, and I now own a titanium neck, so manual labor is not anything I can do and I am not putting any money into this home by paying someone else to do this. So, if your remark is that "work has to be done to get the price I want", then I guess I should just sell this beautiful home with GLEAMING hardwood (NOT LAMINATE) floors, for a lower price than the dumpy house next door.

I am going to have my husband take out the coffee table and the living room chairs, and I will clear off the mantel. ("except for the clock") I will take the (6) magnets off the refrigerator. I can see how that could really be a HUGE turn-off to a home buyer not being able to envision the home without those magnets.
I will take all the pictures off all of the walls, although that was never suggested by either realtor and I asked them if I should remove them. They said the artwork made the house "feel warm" and to leave it up, but I will tell her that all of you think that makes the house looks cluttered and out dated.

The custom blinds in the front bay window, cost almost $7,000.00, and nobody likes those either.

The dish drain on the counter is going to be removed.

I am NOT emotionally attached to this home. It is filled with terrible memories of abuse. There, you feel better now? Please do not tell me how I feel. I am not the person that priced the home. I left that up to the realtor(s). I got rid of one and hired another upon the advice of a long time friend who use to be a realtor.

Now, about that double garage....what else could be done with that?

Sorry if I sound sarcastic, but realtors have had the opportunity to change, stage, do whatever they think needs to be done, and nobody thought any changes were necessary, except at the beginning, they said to paint the basement and cleaned and threw out a bunch of junk. That took (2) full days of work between my husband and me in my neck brace.

Someone commented that I should change the bathroom floors in one bathroom. Seriously, that is not going to happen. For me to drive over there every single morning, to let contractors in that are NEVER on time, is inconvenient and costly. Christmas is in (3) weeks, and I believe people are not looking to buy a home at this moment.

I am hopeful that come January-February things will turn around and I will drop the price to $179,000.00 just to dump it.

Thank you for your comments and have a wonderful holiday~

Whenever advice columnist Ann Landers got a letter in the mail postmarked "New Haven, CT," 9 times out of 10, it was a prank letter from some fraternity boys at Yale. It became a joke between her and her readers for many years.

This and AzureKitsune's rants have me scratchin' my head. Flame baiters?

We can all draw our own conclusions.

And, that's my realistic (and last) comment on this subject.

As we posted before. There will be all kinds of advice - use what works for you, leave the rest behind.

I understand what it is like to have a difficult home life. That makes it even more difficult for you. The posters meant well.

Realtors are notoriously bad stagers. Sorry, but most of us are. That is why I kept my suggestions simple.

Your agents were right - pictures do add to a room however, the style can be a detriment. One thing no one mentioned - you have some beautiful built in cabinets throughout the house. Do what you can to highlight them in the photos and if you rearrange the furniture. Too bad all the trim work is painted white they blend into the walls.

At this point - if you can have some of the smaller pieces of furniture removed - the accesories and some of the knick knacks that would help.

I agree with you - don't worry about flooring - it will not make one bit of difference what the flooring is in the bathrooms.

I think if you suggest to your agent to use the 2nd exterior photo for the first short for the MLS and other websites it will show the exterior to a better advantage without painting the shutters.

If you have some throws or something to put on the beds that would add some color to the bedrooms. It sounds like you have put a lot of labor already into the house and you feel it has been a big waste at this point.

But you are doing the best you can in very difficult circumstances.

Good luck. PM me if you have any questions for me.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charming,

Nobody suggested painting during the winter months, Roots. We were contemplating the alternative of pulling the property off the market until the spring selling season and sprucing up the exterior at that time.

In addition, no changes to the garage were suggested. The garage was mentioned as one possible factor in response to your initial question regarding the extended selling period. Sorry if those comments weren't clear.

Agree with your suggestion WRT the built-ins, Charming. I previously recommended removing most of the items from the kitchen's corner built-in, IIRC. If the large furniture pieces were removed from the kitchen (other than the table) and a few basic/generic pieces of glassware or accessories used to highlight the built-in, potential buyers might remain more focused on the real estate.

Agree about the flooring, too. Was also thinking about throws, previously. For example, a colorful throw (e.g. red) could be angled across the pink/salmon wing chair in the l/r to both disguise the chair's color and make the room feel warmer and homier. Same thing for the pink plaid chair, if/when it's moved to the in-law unit.

If you only have the time and/or budget plus willpower to do one thing, I suggest (again) that you focus on the curb appeal. A very small amount of paint plus a few colorful plants, added next spring, would help significantly.

WRT the purpose of staging in general, it's mostly basic cleaning and decluttering, i.e. putting your best foot forward, IOW. Yes, it's an attempt to appeal to the masses. Without staging, sellers run the risk of having to wait for that one buyer who has the ability to see the property's potential. Unfortunately, by that time, most listings are seriously stale and only generate lowball offers, if any. Besides that, the sellers have incurred carrying costs during that extended selling season.

IMHO, buyers make up their mind within the first 2 minutes of touring/seeing a property - or even less. Stagers hope to create an instant, emotional connection with the buyer. The buyer walks in, feels comfortable within the home and sees it as their own home instead of the previous occupants'. (It's even possible, IMHO, that some may make the decision based on the curb appeal, alone.) By the time they reach the exterior garage, they don't care - it's their 2-car garage.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Roots. If nothing else, neutralizing/staging the home could make it feel like someone else's place to you, too - and hopefully exorcize a few of those demons. IMHO, the faster you unload it, the better you'll feel.

Hope something's helpful for you, Roots. It's all just my .02. As we've said, use a little, a lot - or none at all. Up to you -

Fingers crossed for a quick sale! Take care -

P.S. Had another thought about the furniture. Often the liquidators conduct auctions by type of item. So, if your mother had small antiques, those might be placed in one auction but the larger furniture pieces would be sold in a different auction, on another day. If your liquidator follows that practice, he/she might prefer to collect those items now, instead of later. Obviously, it's important to retain an inventory (and photos, BTW) of any items consigned for sale.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AguaBella,

My suggestion of painting the shutters black was just that ..a suggestion. Your rant is not appreciated. Everyone is just trying to be helpful, but you seem resentful. Good luck to you.

Oh my, Rootsgal, it is painful to see how angry you are ~ I'm sure it's not just at us but at life in general. I really do want to offer some helpful suggestions to you so you can get this property sold and move on with your life but, when I said your post wouldn't be removed and that we didn't take offense, were tough and could withstand your comments, I certainly was not saying that you could just say whatever you wanted to those who have spent considerable time trying to help you ~ help you asked for, remember?

In fact, I actually thought that it would encourage an apology from you - guess I thought wrong. In any event, I am going to try one last time and then, I will wish you well, and move on to the next thread that sincerely wants help and will appreciate it....

First of all, we all KNOW you didn't take the photographs and we get that you simply left everything up to your realtor. Got it. But the results from that are = no sale. Isn't that why you started this thread in the first place? So we have posted suggestions to help you get a sale. Instead of looking back at what went wrong, suggestions have been made how to make it right in your new listing.

Your 7 month old listing is stale; you need to start over to cure that problem. You have an older charming house that doesn't have many of the amenities buyers are looking for these days; so we are trying to help you accentuate the positive including changing some of the decor to appeal to a more general market of prospective buyers which is probably more likely to be a younger couple with children than an older individual to which the house is now geared.

As for the rant about the shutters, well, that was just absurd. First, it was only a suggestion to increase curb appeal. Secondly, it was made with the idea that you might be pulling the property off the market until spring so as to fix the problem of the stale listing. And, third, no one ever suggested any exterior painting at this time of year.

However, had you bothered to even giving the idea a thought, we might have suggested that the easiest way to paint decorative shutters such as this house has is to remove them, bring them inside and let them acclimate and then paint them and put them back up. You have a basement at the house and would only need to hire the removal/re-attachment done which can be done in even the coldest of temperatures as long as there is no snow on the ground. But you never even gave it a thought ~ instead you just wanted to blast us for what you considered a worthless suggestion....

I'm about done and you have probably quit reading already ~ that's ok. To my fellow posters, thanks for some really great suggestions even though the OP doesn't care for them. Some people ask for help and are sincerely grateful for any that is forthcoming; other ask for help but really are just looking to deflect it. Myself, I never know which one an OP will turn out to be so I'm willing to take the chance.

Thanks to all of the rest of you for taking that chance as well ~ it's a pretty great group of posters we have here!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Idaho Resident,

I apologize for being blunt. Bet you did not see that one coming, huh? I did a lot of what some of you said.

The magnets are all gone!
The mantel is cleared off except for the clock.
The dish drain is in the trash.
I took all the cushions off the chairs.
I did not climb onto a ladder to take off the shutters to paint them black because I am physically unable to and I am not paying anyone to do it. BLACK would look fantastic, I agree.
I do not think the house furniture is the problem.
I gave the Realtor the link so she could read all of this. She told me that "you cannot listen to this many opinions and please them all."
I have a ton on my plate, along with things that you have no idea of, nor could I get into it further here. Not everyone has a cushy lifestyle and support from the family members.

You are wrong to call me out on something, and them say "come back, we can take it". You cannot take it, but to prove you wrong, I am apologizing for my painfully honest replies and some are even sarcastic....the thing about the magnets, for one, but you did leave yourself wide open for that one...really, 6 magnets on the frig stopping people from buying a home?
The property brothers show "fixer-uppers" with dog poop, rat poop, mold, broken doors, no doors, cracks, bad plumbing for over $400,000.00. This house is not any of that.

I am apologizing to you.
If someone tells you they are not emotionally attached to the home, then let them feel that way. This is not a therapy session.

However, you are right. I should never have come here asking for help especially since it is winter and there is no way, in the cold, I will work on curb appeal except to add some Christmas vibes to it.

Thanks for the comments about the magnets, the cushions, the dish drain, and the mantel. I am NOT deflecting IDAHO. I am so grateful for you pointing out me overlooking all of that!

This "stale" house with no GRANITE counter tops, which is an easy switch, will eventually sell. It is waiting for 2013, and someone that wants to put their stamp on it.

Have a wonderful holiday and I hope the changes I did make let people see the home without those itsy bitsy things in their vision.

The property brothers have shown homes that looked like they should be burned down. Those homes sold, even with rat traps, mold and there was even one show where they ended up needing ALL new plumbing which cost a bundle...somehow they got past that. Imagine magnets being their only problem....too funny. Thanks for the laugh~

Rootsgal. I thought long and hard whether or not to post back. Pretty obvious how angry you are and how little you have taken so many posters' sincere ideas to heart.

Your sarcastic apology and comments re the many ideas numerous posters have made for the FUTURE photographs when you re-list to remove the "staleness" of your current listing show that... Why are you saying this house is "stale" - not one poster has suggested that ~ the listing, yes. The house, no.

Most of the suggestions were just that. Ideas on how new photographs might appeal to a wider market and I have to say that they have fallen on deaf ears. No problem, no worries. You asked two question - one, why hasn't my Mom's house sold? and, secondly. what else can I do?

You have received many ideas answering those two question with helpful suggestions on how to turn a negative into a positive but you don't want to hear any of them. As far as turning this conversation over to your new realtor?
None of us are expecting you to "please any of us" re any suggestions we might have made ~ all were made with one goal in mind. To help you sell....

Same old, same old ~ pass on the responsibility so someone else can take the blame. I hope you sell soon and move on with your life; I also hope that you will take a step back and realize that it is up to you what the future holds instead of spending your time lambasting posters who are only trying to help....

PS. Your childish tantrum of removing some items without following through with re-purposing items that sparked those suggestions is just one more example of your immature reactions. You threw the dish drainer into the trash - how ridculous ~ there are many families who don't have a D/W that could have used it. The magnets that were suggested to be removed? That was followed by making the kitchen nook into a work station by adding a splash of color with a computer/laptop in the photograph ~ did you do that?

Probably not and there were a quite a number of other really good ideas posted above ~ sorry you didn't like them and felt compelled to attack instead. Good luck ~ you are going to need it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Idaho Resident,

Idaho - we so admire your patience.

OP's house is quite charming from my prospective. I think bottom line the problem could be.. potential buyers are passing by the first photo (exterior)..because of no punch. Therefore..scanning over the following listings...passing it by. That is why I suggested the black shutters. Hopefully that will happen eventually. Love the red door.

Price too is key..and I am sure her Realtor is on top of that..comp wise. Hopefully OP is not comparing HGTV shows(which some are re-runs) and other markets to her marketplace. We all know here... "sold" prices are local.

Idaho.. you are a true gift to these boards.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: real estate lady,

as the OP said ..... The property brothers have shown homes that looked like they should be burned down. Those homes sold, even with rat traps, mold and there was even one show where they ended up needing ALL new plumbing which cost a bundle...somehow they got past that....................................

Lurking here but. .maybe adding some rat droppings would help the listing? You have refused all other suggestions and the listing and photographs (that are not under your advice or control per your thinking) remain the same....Darn that house next door for selling for $173,000! I'll show them!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: oldhouseluver,

s.f.

wow. Interesting thread... having lived in East Hartford (not far from your house) and Cromwell, CT for 12 years, I do know the weather can get cold in the winter (reason I left), but we sold our house in the winter up there with 3 feet of snow holding the for sale sign up. We did do some painting on the shutters - brought them down, took them in the garage, and painted them. There are warmer days there. None of us like to feel like we're not getting the right price for our house when we sell - but I would recommend that as you work with your realtor, do not assume they know everything. You can require that you pre-approve the photos that go onto the MLS, and you definitely are the decision maker on the price - not your realtor. Your realtor should come up with the comps, and can make recommendations. The comps should include houses that have sold in the last few months, and those numbers do change. When I was in CT, I did chase the market down a bit and learned my lesson. I did make money on that house, but my perception of the value was not what the market's was (just hate when that happens). You are going through a tough time, and I'm so sorry to hear that - but the best thing is to quickly get the house sold. In CT, people are very sensitive on the days on market, so the recommendations to pull it from the market are probably good ones. I would re-look at the comps, because number of reductions doesn't matter if the price was too high to begin with. The other option is to price low and hope for multiple bids. That's what we did in VA, and ended up with about $25K over asking price. House was spectacular and well worth the higher price, but there was alot of competition on the market. It looks like there are TONS of houses on the market around yours, and not sure if your house is priced right - it definitely could be, but I would take it off, and I would get rid of the inlaw stuff - house is adorable, but didn't really look like it was set up for a separate area since that would leave your other 3 bedrooms sharing one bath.... Best of luck - when my Mom passed, we had to sell her house and it is just no fun.... We repainted the whole thing and took all the decorations out of it. The house was paid for, so we went for a quick sale and just moved to get someone into the house quickly. It worked for us. Hang in there - you will get through this, and then you will have alot less stress.... Don't let any realtor tell you that you don't have control over the price or pictures - make sure you do a bit of research (maybe go to some open houses if they have them there now - they did when I was there..) and come back ready to go. GOOD LUCK~!!!!