Within the past 12 months, I've shown TONS of homes to my different clients. Fortunately, just about all of my buyers have found and purchased homes successfully in the meantime. As such, we've seen some beautiful homes, as well as several "interesting" ones.
Here's a recollection of the top 5 most memorable homes that stand out in my mind, just within the last 12 months. Hopefully any future sellers out there can take these stories to heart and learn from them when it comes to their own homes.
#5 - The House of Stone
The one thing I love about parts of Tustin is that many of the homes are very unique and spacious. This was certainly the case with one single family house I showed just this past winter. Now, we all know winters in Southern California are hardly "cold" compared to East Coast standards, but it was a pretty chilly day when I went to a very unique home in Tustin with my clients. The architecture was beautiful -- very nice, modern lines and great use of space. But it seemed as if the walls were made of stone, and there were windows everywhere. Perhaps in the summer this would've been a great place to cool off, but in the winter it was FREEZING inside. The sad part was that there was an open house going on at that time, and the poor agent holding the open house was shivering! Needless to say, this beautiful home was cozy enough for my clients, so they decided to pass.
Moral of the story: If your home has very unique qualities, be aware that it may take a while to find the right buyer, even if the home is beautiful inside and out.
#4 - Pee-Wee's Playhouse
When I think of Aliso Viejo condos, I usually envision the 1990's construction in a master-planned community in most cases. So when I showed a home to one of my clients in Aliso Viejo, the exterior looked very typical and much like all the other units in the neighborhood. Then we went inside. Some walls were painted bright blue; others were canary yellow or ruby red. The entertainment center where the TV would've been (the home was mostly vacant) looked like a big toy chest. Any decorative item in the home seemed to be in primary colors. Luckily my clients were able to laugh this one off, but they definitely noted that it needed a big paint job, plus the hardwood floors were very worn down and needed replacing or resurfacing. They ended up getting another home in Irvine, but the memory of this one always gives us a good chuckle.
Moral of the story: Try to keep your home's color scheme neutral, or else it can distract and perhaps turn off buyers.
#3 - The Black Smoke
No, I'm not talking about the TV show "Lost" here. One small condo I showed in Tustin seemed promising from the photos on the MLS. So when I took my client there a few months ago to check it out, I found out why the offers weren't rolling in. Once I stepped into the home, not only was every curtain closed, but the occupants smoked indoors, which permeated throughout the home. What made matters worse was that I was pregnant at the time, so I was especially supposed to avoid second-hand smoke. However, I couldn't leave my client unattended in the home. Good thing I can hold my breath pretty well; I ended up speeding through the home with my client without inhaling once. (FYI - the baby seems just fine now!)
Moral of the story: Invest in some Febreze and open your windows to let in some air and natural light. At least one window, please!
#2 - The Tiger Lady and Her Perfume
Last year I showed a townhome in Tustin Ranch. It was listed under $400,000 and was a short sale that just barely hit the market. It was a nice end unit with a 2-car attached garage in a very clean community. However, once we knocked on the door, we were greeted by the "Tiger Lady." The person living there was wearing a satin, tiger-printed robe that did not sufficiently cover her entire body. Although I was showing the home to my heterosexual male client, he was NOT impressed at all. The home also REEKED of heavy perfume...but it was covering a very heavy stench of cigarette smoke. We were literally in there for less than 5 minutes. Upon leaving the property, the stench was literally STUCK in my hair and my clothing. By the time I got home three hours later, I could still smell it in my hair. I took a long shower immediately and considered burning my clothes.
Moral of the story: Sellers, please wear appropriate clothing (i.e. no satin, tiger-printed robes!) and make sure the interior scent is pleasant and not too strong.
#1 - The Naked Guy in the Leaky Home
In my pursuit to provide the best customer service possible, I didn't flinch a bit when one of my clients decided to see more homes on her day off, which happened to be a super rainy day last January. Not only was I driving through deep puddles in Garden Grove, but we came across a condo there that was very...interesting. Not only was it hard to find through the maze of units within the complex, but it was raining cats and dogs. Once we found the property, we knocked on the door, right on time for our showing appointment. A young gentleman answered and let us in without hesitation. The first thing my client and I noticed was a bucket and towel in the middle of the floor...which was capturing the water dripping from the ceiling. There was a roof leak, and we were witnessing it right then and there. But given that the HOA would likely take care of such repairs, my client decided to continue looking inside (since there were some nice upgrades in the kitchen supposedly). As we turned the corner into the hallway where the bedrooms were located, we then caught a view of another gentleman...in his underwear. The moment our eyes locked, he casually reached out and closed his bedroom door. But it was too late -- my client and I both saw him, and it just made us feel SO uncomfortable thereafter. We went through the rest of the home really quickly, then thankfully went back out into the rain.
Moral of the story: Sellers, try to leave the home when agents are showing it to their buyers. If that's not possible, then put some clothes on at least.
I'm sure there are plenty of other fun stories to tell, but these are the top 5 that stand out the most in my mind at the moment. For the future buyers reading this, enjoy the process and good luck finding the right home for you. For the future sellers reading this, I hope this gives you a slightly better idea of what to avoid and/or expect when you decide to sell your home.
For more info on buying or selling, please visit my website or contact me anytime. Enjoy!
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