Another " I'm selling my house thread"

[Iggy aka IG]

Mar 16, 2017 18:10:23 GMT -5 busymom said:

Just a suggestion on all of those little bottles of shampoo & lotion:  if you don't want to keep them all, your local battered women's shelter would probably LOVE to take them off your hands.  That's on the wish list of the one near my house.


Best wishes on getting a great offer on you house! 

I did this very thing.  I had about 15 or so hotel bottles, primarily from our guest bathroom drawer, because, you know, we have so many overnight guests.    I put them all neatly into a Ziplock, and donated them along with free shampoo samples, a never used bathrobe, slippers, etc.  I've also donated free from the store fem products which weren't my brand, and pain reliever.

Yes, to the sheets.  Towels went to the animal shelter. 

[Blonde Granny]

Mar 16, 2017 18:10:23 GMT -5 busymom said:

Just a suggestion on all of those little bottles of shampoo & lotion:  if you don't want to keep them all, your local battered women's shelter would probably LOVE to take them off your hands.  That's on the wish list of the one near my house.


Best wishes on getting a great offer on you house! 

I'm not talking little bottles, it's the big ones that have all been opened, same with the shampoo.......another one of my weaknesses.

[zibazinski]

I wonder where large bottles of shampoo that have been opened can be used?

[saveinla]

Mar 16, 2017 18:32:19 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I wonder where large bottles of shampoo that have been opened can be used?

Animal shelters?

[zibazinski]

Maybe. But can you use people shampoo on dogs?

[NoNamePerson]

I do have one little hint since I am the queen of moving according to my friends and son. Of course I haven't read whether you are flying to new destination or driving. If driving put every remote, charger in a tote and carry it with you in car. 

If flying pack said articles in one small box yourself, tape it up real good so packers don't throw other stuff in it. Label as such. 

Wish I could come help you as I have moving down to a fine science. Oh, someone else mentioned this but take one room at a time after packers finish with a room. Check every nook and cranny then close that door!

If you have attic don't forget anything that may be up there.

Good luck!!

[Blonde Granny]

Thank goodness I'm obsessive compulsive, I'm one of those people who make lists and lists for lists and then finish off with checking, the I check the check, which then means I check the check and that goes on and on.

[zibazinski]

😂

[taz157]

Mar 16, 2017 18:32:19 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I wonder where large bottles of shampoo that have been opened can be used?

I use it as body wash.

[janee]

Good for you! Sounds like a wise move.

As we get older, moving only gets harder so do it while you have the energy and decision-making power.

[Blonde Granny]

Update: After a long discussion with my son I have decided for now I'm staying where I am. He is willing to come down here when & if I need him, my friends are wonderful and would do anything I would need (in fact 2 of them already have) and if I can stay another 10-12 years in this house that is what I intend to do.

I have a terrible habit of getting way ahead of myself, and I believe this is one of those times.

Thanks for all the good thoughts and suggestions.....

BG

[janee]

Good for you.  You'll know what to do when you're ready! enjoy!

[Iggy aka IG]

Can others continue to post here, even though BG is no longer selling her house?

[Blonde Granny]

Absolutely! No reason to lock this thread if others want to post here.

[Iggy aka IG]

Cool!  Then rant I shall....

We have an overnight notice clause in our contract if someone wants a showing.  As soon as I arrived at the office Wed., I noticed our realtor had called and texted during my 2 mile commute, asking if someone could see it in two hours.  No.  My thoughts are if they want to see it, they could wait until the next day.  Did we hear from them again?  Nope.

So, yesterday we arrange a showing for tomorrow at 9.  That's great!  Then our realtor's boss called and texted this AM asking for it to be this afternoon.  Um, NO.  We have the overnight clause in our contract!!

That being said, I am very proud of myself:  In the past, I would have dropped everything and scramble home to prep the house.  Nope.  After decompressing while camping last weekend, I decided things must change stress-wise in my life, and this is one of them.  Our realtor wanted to have another open house this weekend already, and I delayed it until next weekend.  Momma needs a break! 

[countrygirl2]

If you really want to sell the house I would show it. Sometimes buyers will just move on and find

another quickly. It's up to you but doing that to people is limiting your exposure.

[Blonde Granny]

I have to agree with Pat, and will add a little more: DH and I sold more houses than I can almost count, and my late Dad was in that business for over 30 years, so I have good experience.

First, your house should be ready to show at any time of day/night. Having this 24 hour showing requirement is simply going to turn off the agents that you want to show your home and bring you an offer. You likely already have a reputation in the RE office that you are difficult to work with, that will spread to other agents in other offices and in short order the requests for showings will diminish.

You want to sell your house, therefore do everything in your power to cooperate or agents will just pass your house over and move on to another one.

[taz157]

Mar 24, 2017 17:40:55 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

If you really want to sell the house I would show it. Sometimes buyers will just move on and find

another quickly. It's up to you but doing that to people is limiting your exposure.

Yeah that.

When we looked for a previous home, there was a house we wanted to see but they didn't show after 6:30pm. That didn't work for DH as we both worked. We never saw there house.


When we've sold houses before, we had a 2 hour window we needed to know. However, if they had called and given us a small window, we would have accepted that too. Our house was already in show worthy shape before we left each day anyway in case we got a call about a showing. In the end, we wanted to sell our house.

[Iggy aka IG]

Nope.  I've run myself ragged since early December with this.  If they're (buyers) really interested, they'll make it work.  Such as the couple coming for a second showing tomorrow morning.  And they're pre-qualified.  

[Iggy aka IG]

Added: It's an overnight, not 24 hour, notice.  This gives us time to get home from our stressful jobs, and straighten up the house for a next morning showing.

It's worth my sanity.

[chiver78]

yes and no. I didn't have an overnight clause, but I did tell my realtor that he (ended up being his wife, but still) didn't have to even let me know they were coming in, but that Wednesdays were off-limits completely. I was basically only there to sleep Mon-Thurs nights, spending weekends with friends and weeknights being anywhere but home.....but even I would need to do laundry eventually - and I rack dry most of my stuff. I picked Wednesdays b/c I was also still a trustee on the board, and the meetings were Wednesdays when they happened. so I'd do my laundry late Tuesdays when I got home from wherever else I went that wasn't home, and laid it out to dry. put it all away on Wednesday night before bed, and then I'm out again with the house in showroom condition. 

she pushed me to show on a Wednesday exactly once. I said absolutely not, I had laundry racks all over my 2nd floor. the buyer waited a day, it was fine. my place was a stretch for them price-wise, and I didn't get a bid. guess what - I wouldn't have gotten a bid if they viewed it on Wednesday, either. 

do what you need to do, Iggy. your buyer is out there. 

[haapai]

BG, are you still planning on getting rid of the freezer and quilting paraphernalia? 

[countrygirl2]

I have to agree with Pat, and will add a little more: DH and I sold more houses than I can almost count, and my late Dad was in that business for over 30 years, so I have good experience.

First, your house should be ready to show at any time of day/night. Having this 24 hour showing requirement is simply going to turn off the agents that you want to show your home and bring you an offer. You likely already have a reputation in the RE office that you are difficult to work with, that will spread to other agents in other offices and in short order the requests for showings will diminish.

You want to sell your house, therefore do everything in your power to cooperate or agents will just pass your house over and move on to another one.

We have bought and sold tons of them.  When a seller gives us a hard time, we just move on.  To many houses on the market to mess with it.  I was a realtor too and I didn't mess with sellers that made it difficult for me to show.  Next round I just skipped over those, but its your choice, maybe its a sellers market where you are.

[Blonde Granny]

Haapai, I'm keeping the freezer, but all of my sewing room is for sale.

[Jaguar]

Tagging haapai, Blonde Granny answered your question.

[haapai]

Good, that'll free up the guest room.  Very handy when DS is visiting, and it's a ton of stuff that you won't have to dispose/let go of when you do decide to move. 

Nope, I don't want it. 

[Iggy aka IG]

Mar 24, 2017 19:02:21 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

she pushed me to show on a Wednesday exactly once. I said absolutely not, I had laundry racks all over my 2nd floor. the buyer waited a day, it was fine. my place was a stretch for them price-wise, and I didn't get a bid. guess what - I wouldn't have gotten a bid if they viewed it on Wednesday, either. 

do what you need to do, Iggy. your buyer is out there. 

This.

And thanks, Chive, as usual, you get me.

Because I am open minded about most things, I ran this by DH when he got home from his 13-hour day yesterday.  He agrees-we're not going to make it available to show 24/7.  I don't think we're being difficult, I think we're setting boundaries.  And the showing requests are increasing, not diminishing.  Perhaps it depends on the market?

When we sold DH's first house, I used to drop everything, close my office, zoom home, and prepare the house.  Never again.

And I should clarify-when I say we prepare our house for a scheduled showing, we basically stage it:  Blinds open, lights and ceiling fan on, EVERYTHING removed from the master vanity, every dish and clothing item put away, pantry, fridge and freezer organized, drawers and cupboards neat, etc.  We have been complimented by other realtors for this, including leaving the lights on.

On the flip side, as a buyer looking for our next home, I cannot imagine having our realtor give sellers short notice.

[chiver78]

Mar 25, 2017 10:52:01 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Mar 24, 2017 19:02:21 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

she pushed me to show on a Wednesday exactly once. I said absolutely not, I had laundry racks all over my 2nd floor. the buyer waited a day, it was fine. my place was a stretch for them price-wise, and I didn't get a bid. guess what - I wouldn't have gotten a bid if they viewed it on Wednesday, either. 

do what you need to do, Iggy. your buyer is out there. 

And I should clarify-when I say we prepare our house for a scheduled showing, we basically stage it:  Blinds open, lights and ceiling fan on, EVERYTHING removed from the master vanity, every dish and clothing item put away, etc.  We have been complimented by other realtors for this, including leaving the lights on.

this. when I say that my realtor didn't have to notify me, it was because the house was staged 24/7. on non-board meeting wednesdays, I'd cook a pot of something for easy lunches. but the place looked like my listing pictures 6 out of 7 days a week. don't bother me on that one day, when I have given you literally the rest of the damn week to sell this showroom quality listing.

[Iggy aka IG]

Mar 25, 2017 11:10:30 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Mar 25, 2017 10:52:01 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

And I should clarify-when I say we prepare our house for a scheduled showing, we basically stage it:  Blinds open, lights and ceiling fan on, EVERYTHING removed from the master vanity, every dish and clothing item put away, etc.  We have been complimented by other realtors for this, including leaving the lights on.

this. when I say that my realtor didn't have to notify me, it was because the house was staged 24/7. on non-board meeting wednesdays, I'd cook a pot of something for easy lunches. but the place looked like my listing pictures 6 out of 7 days a week. don't bother me on that one day, when I have given you literally the rest of the damn week to sell this showroom quality listing.

Ditto

The way I see it, if buyers aren't going to arrange an appointment or give some sort of notice, they are most likely "looky-loos" and aren't that serious.

Common courtesy comes to mind. 

[chiver78]

exactly!