Austin TX Real Estate - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes for Sale: Pictures Can Cost Thousands of Dollars

Pictures Can Cost Thousands of Dollars

FrontI saw the post yesterday about making sure your lead picture is desirable.  In the below example, the lead picture actually isn't that bad.  What this picture says to me is that it is a quiet, mature house in an older area.  Since the newer communities don't typically have trees for several years, this picture shows the unique size of the trees which many of our relo buyers like.

 

 

BUT, boy was I wrong!!  Look at these pictures!  Are they selling their house, or are they selling their "stuff"?  Stuff is such a nice word. I can't tell what most of the rooms are.  I saw one that has a chandelier in it, so I would assume that's a formal dining room, but beats the heck out of me!  If you were a buyer, would you see "potential" in this house, or would you just skip by it because you couldn't picture your own things there?

Just to let you know, this was emailed to me by one of my buyers asking why someone would market their home like this.  She is definitely one of those who would skip right over it as it doesn't match her personality.  Even though her own things would go in the space, if she can't picture the space, it does no good!

I think these pictures are going to cost the home owner THOUSANDS of dollars with time on the market and having to lower their price to get it sold.  What do you think?

FrontFamily Room?

 

 

 

 

 Kitchen

 ??

 

 

 

Dining? 

 

 Nook?

 

 

bedroom

 

 

 

 Who knows what this is?

 

 Backyard

 

11 comments • Donna Harris, REALTOR® & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes • December 29 2006 01:37PM

Comments

Wow, have to agree with you on there, can a buyer even walk thru it? Perhaps this seller needs a good stager? (or a really big garbarge bag) Not to mention, can you imagine dusting the place weekly? UGH!
Posted by Lysa Napolitano about 5 years ago

Dusting has got to be out of the question.  There is just no way.  As for walking the house, I would assume there is a small path that leads you to the entry of each room.  Actually walking into the rooms would be a different story.  I would be afraid of getting lost and blending right into the wallpaper and no one finding me!!

I used to be a big proponant of "look at the space, not their furniture" but sometimes it's so hard to get past all that.

Posted by Donna Harris, REALTOR® & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes (RE/MAX Austin Skyline) about 5 years ago
Lysa, This seller definitely needs to call a stager! This "stuff" hurts my eyes
Posted by Marci Toliver, Anderson SC, Spartanburg,Greenville SC, Home Staging (438-4642) about 5 years ago
I thought maybe they were having a garage sale at the same time as the listing.  Killing two birds with one stone...  I wonder if the owners ever scream when they wake up in the middle of the night will all that stuff around their bed.
Posted by Donna Harris, REALTOR® & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes (RE/MAX Austin Skyline) about 5 years ago
It is painful to even look at those pictures!  I thought it was bad enought that we found a house on the MLS with someone walking through the living room the other day...This is infinitely worse!!
Posted by Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Bryan College Station) about 5 years ago
I agree, way too much stuff, get out the boxes and either send it to the garage or storage.
Posted by Laurie Manny (Long Beach CA Real Estate) about 5 years ago
Certainly doesn't appear to be a "spacious" house. Besides, the buyer will think the seller will never be able to move all of their stuff out before closing.  And who knows what'w behind all the stuff?
Posted by Sharon Simms St Pete FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS (ALVA International, Inc.) about 5 years ago
The reason my friend pointed out this house was because I went through a similar situation with a friend of hers.  Her house was full of "stuff".  I blogged about it, and the seller threatened to report me to TREC.  Needless to say, her house is no longer listed and she has never relisted. She would not spend the $100 a month for storage, and she wouldn't use her garage because where else would she park?  The driveway?  The street?  NO WAY! were her answers.  The pictures were pretty bad, but she loved all her stuff.  Some people just don't get it.
Posted by Donna Harris, REALTOR® & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes (RE/MAX Austin Skyline) about 5 years ago

I've seen antique shops in homes that looked like this.  Can't imagine living in one, though! 

But it's true - people who like living with all their "stuff" around them seem to resist putting it in storage or getting rid of it in any way more strongly than those with a more average amount of possessions. 

Posted by Tricia Jumonville, The Agent With Horse Sense (ERA Colonial Real Estate) about 5 years ago
Those are great to hang on to.  If I were you I would print the listing and the photos when it sells or expires.  You will probably be able to show a correlation between time on the market and/or below market sales price.  Put that in your back pocket for a listing presentation in a house that is in serious need ot staging.
Posted by Sam Chapman (Private Label Realty) about 5 years ago

That's a great idea, Sam!  I'll follow it up with pictures of houses I've staged and have sold at or close to list price.

Thanks!

Posted by Donna Harris, REALTOR® & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes (RE/MAX Austin Skyline) about 5 years ago

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