The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Real Estate and Landlording => Topic started by: MayDay on April 08, 2015, 04:35:06 PM
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We are listing our house for sale shortly. We are within 1-2 days of being ready and had planned to do an open house this weekend. We can't do it next weekend as we have company staying with us.
The one thing that hasn't gotten done is fixing our deck. We refinished it last summer and there are a bunch of small spots that are peeling up. We are going to resand and restain, but we can't until the weather dries out. Forecast currently calls for lots more rain.
So we could get it done this week, next week, or in a month, who knows.
Prime selling time in our neighborhood is right now. Buyers generally want move in ready, which our house is other than the deck.
WWYD? H and I are disagreeing. I need a neutral third party.
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List it. Buyers will always be requesting repairs and if that's one thing on the list of an otherwise well-kept house, I don't think it'd that big of a deal.
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In your shoes, I would list it. And I would think twice about having company at your house next weekend. Job one is getting the house sold and prime selling season is the time to do it. Hotel? Another relative's house? Whatever it takes to maximize viewing times, especially on the weekends.
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I would think twice about having company at your house next weekend. Job one is getting the house sold and prime selling season is the time to do it. Hotel? Another relative's house? Whatever it takes to maximize viewing times, especially on the weekends.
+1
Tough call on the deck. I like for things to be perfect. But, in this situation I think it will slide as long as its not a ginormous eyesore.
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OK, I'll be contrarian. Your friends can stay next weekend, but only if they stain the deck.
List it on the following Monday, a little low. Promo on Tuesday online and in print. Accept offers the following Monday to get bid wars started.
Allow pre-showings by your own agent only in the interim so you can get feedback on what else to do in the next weeks while you get set up to do the deck.
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The houseguests are my elderly grandparents, and they only visit once a year. Otherwise I'd reschedule or put them ina hotel.
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Stake your grandparent out to lunch or something while one of you do the Open House.
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The houseguests are my elderly grandparents, and they only visit once a year. Otherwise I'd reschedule or put them ina hotel.
In this case, I would wait to list until they are gone simply because listing can be pretty disruptive with tours etc. You might sell the first weekend - but if you don't, it'll really inconvenience your grandparents. (For friends visiting btw, I had liked the idea of making them help with the deck!)
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If you do/have listed it before fixing the deck, ask your listing agent for advice, but consider adding "sellers plan to refinish deck before closing" or some such to the listing notes. Depending on local market, that could be a better option than negotiating over it later.