Bad First Impressions

August 4, 2008

showing instructions

If it takes a whole page of instructions for an agent to get into your house, then you should consider fixing the problem.  There’s nothing more detrimental to a buyer’s first impression than having a hard time getting into a house, to be fighting a lock or sticky door.  Already, in a Buyer’s mind, there’s stuff to be fixed.  You’ve just given a buyer the impression that you don’t take good care of the place, and the sales price is plummeting in a Buyer’s mind as they add up the cost of imagined repairs - all before we even step foot in the house.

Other Information That Might Be Helpful

  • Taking Your Home Off The Market (July 10, 2008)

    Found in the recent search terms: Should I take my house off the market for a month?
    I don’t know.  But here’s the discussion that comes to mind:  Do you think the market is going to change that much in a month?  Real estate markets tend to move more like glaciers than like jets. 
    What will [...]

  • Swimming Pools and Property Values (December 10, 2007)

    I am asked quite frequently if installing a swimming pool will increase the value of a home. 
    Personally, I’m not a big fan of the swimming pool because I hate to maintain the thing.  Most Buyers are fairly sharply divided on the issue.  I’d say 45% of Buyers absolutely do not want  a pool, 45% [...]

  • What’s the Risk of Buying As-Is? (July 23, 2007)

    I’m working with a nice couple trying to buy their first home in Tucson, and we’re in negotiations currently for a property.  They’re faced with a counter offer from the Seller, with an “As-Is” clause.
    First, “As-Is” doesn’t negate a Buyer’s right to thoroughly inspect the property, at least as far as Tucson real estate [...]

  • House Didn’t Appraise? Now What? (July 25, 2008)

    Most often, with the contracts my Buyers and I negotiate, the homes appraise easily for the sales price.  However, every once in a while, a low appraisal comes in.
    In Tucson real estate, using the typical resale contract, once we find out that the home didn’t appraise, it starts a 5 day clock, within which [...]

  • Tucson Market Report and Statistics - February 2009 (March 26, 2009)

    No podcast today - caught myself a cold and it took my voice. But the stats go on…

    The Quick Numbers:

    Single Family Home Average Sales Price: $235,819
    Single Family Home Median Sales Price: $188,500
    Single Family Home Units Sold: 503
    Single Family Home Months of Inventory: 12.2 months

    Townhouse Average Sales Price: $170,387
    Townhouse Median Sales Price: $143,500
    Townhouse Units [...]

Share This Story With Your Friends:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon

Comments

5 Responses to “Bad First Impressions”

  1. DP at Congress Realty on August 5th, 2008 2:55 pm

    They will have to fix it/ replace it anyway after the inspection. Might was well fix the door now and get some enjoyment out of it.

  2. Jay Thompson on August 7th, 2008 10:03 pm

    {{sigh}}

  3. Kelley Koehler on August 7th, 2008 10:09 pm

    Jay - yup. But I got in. Eventually….

  4. Burlingame Real Estate on August 10th, 2008 4:16 pm

    Haha… talk about bad impressions. I hate when you have to do the “hokey pokey” to open a door!

  5. Katie Huebschen on August 28th, 2008 8:37 am

    It is hard enough to get buyers in the door as it is, much less needing to follow instructions to get in.

Got something to say?





Equal Housing Opportunity Realtor
Applied Real Estate Technology
Clicky Web Analytics