Six Things I Hate to See At Open Houses
1. STAGING. It either looks way better than my own stuff or it’s so sterile it’s a turnoff. Hold the scented candles and tell me the square footage. My preferred way of seeing a property: totally empty.
2. OWNERS THAT WON’T LEAVE. I visited an open house recently where the whole family lurked in each room. Even the dog was penned in the kitchen. So much for checking out those kitchen cabinets! I felt sorry for the poor agent who heroically tried to answer questions in this funhouse atmosphere.
3. OPEN HOUSES THAT LAST ONLY ONE HOUR. I always catch the agent as she’s throwing the signs in the trunk.
4. KITCHEN CABINETS FROM THE 80’s. If you know Boy George and Flock of Seagulls, you’ll recognize these cream laminate cabinets with the wooden trim. Please change out these dated things if you want to improve the chances of selling your home any time soon. One buyer described these cabinets to the New York Times as a “deal breaker.” By the way, stainless appliances and vessel sinks will be in this same category soon.
5. UN-MAINTAINED HOMES. I once visited a FSBO where door knobs were broken, light bulbs were burnt out, and door latches didn’t work. Needless to say, the seller was oblivious to the bad impression his overpriced property made. I don’t think he ever sold it, either.
6. NO PRINTED FLOOR PLANS. Floor plans are like the Bible to European home-buyers; they give printed floor plans much more credence than photos and even flesh-and-blood visits. I recently converted to this way of thinking. It’s annoying to view a property and have to measure each room, then later try to remember the layout.
Hopefully, you’ll encounter none of my pet peeves when you visit these open houses this weekend:
19 Eliot Cres #2, $489,9K, Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:1,207
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, May 10, 12- 2 PM
53 Gardner Rd #2, $589K, Brookline
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1,100
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, May 10, 12- 1:30 PM
61 Greenough St, #1, $629K, Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1,1414
Sunday, May 11, 2 -4:00 PM
2 Menlo St #1, $495K, Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:3
SQ.FT:2,262
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, May 11, 1-2:00 PM
1880 Commonwealth Ave #12, Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 740
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, May 11, 11:30-1:00 PM
More of Pam on Brighton and Brookline
Alyk said:
Hey Pam, I agree with everything except number one. I don’t want to see any of the owner’s stuff; however, I need to see something more than an empty room.
I hate open houses with the owner present. They’re usually too awkward to enjoy.
May 9, 2008 5:04 AM
Ellie at Redfin said:
Printed floor plans! What a great idea. We used to go home from seeing homes and wonder how big that front room was, or whether a bed would fit on that wall, etc. etc.
May 9, 2008 12:38 PM
Craig Schiller said:
Hey Pam,
If you have read ANY of my blogs you will note that I have RANTED over and over and over again that “the house has to be the STAR not the stuff.” GOOD staging makes the house the star.
I am not sure why you linked me with the words “scented candles” as I do not now or EVER use or have used scented candles. Contrived staged trickery… is in my, opinion, staging by amateurs. You might like to read this post entitled: “Fake Is Fine… Just Don’t be Contrived” (http://realestaging.blogspot.com/2007/03/fake-is-fine-just-dont-be-contrived.html)I far better a stager than your “scented candle” reference implies.
Also it might help you to know that a GOOD stager concentrates on 2 areas, the PREP and then the SET. The PREP would focuses on “changing out the dated things” as you write of in #4. Plus a GOOD stager “would have addressed the house’s issues were the “door knobs were broken, light bulbs were burnt out, and door latches didn’t work” you mention in #5.
It is GREAT that you have the ability to size up a space without furnishings… as a realtor that makes sense, especially considering the sheer number of properties you look at. Unfortunately, you are not the buyer. Buyers do not have the experience and knowledge you have to rely on when they evaluate a property. GOOD staging is about creating understanding of a home for buyers, not realtors.
You will note that I keep saying “GOOD staging.” It is about removing just enough of the existing “seller’s life” so that the buyers can map their own lives into the space. 2 problems I do see with SOME stagers is that SOME are more concerned with making a design statement while SOME others strip too much life out of a home so that it is sterile and cold. A good stager gets the balance.
Staging can work for you and your sellers… IF you know what it is and is not. Here is a link to a post I wrote for why I think realtors, like you, are not “getting” staging. (http://realestaging.blogspot.com/2008/04/you-can-stage-it-even-if-they-still.html)
My blog is ALL about educating the consumer and the realtor on how and what GOOD staging is and is not. Staging works… and since it does, why not figure out how to use it to your advantage?
Craig Schiller
Real Estaging
Chicago
PS: I LOVE your idea about floor plans. I never thought about that. I am going to start to recommend this to my clients too.
May 9, 2008 12:44 PM
Pam said:
Hi Alyk,
Actually, I think most people would agree with you on the first one. But my feeling is that I don’t want to be conditioned by either the beautiful furniture or the messy clutter of someone else! Seeing it empty gives me a chance to see the “bones” of a property, without all the lipstick and mascara.
May 9, 2008 2:19 PM