Sellers often have precious possessions attached to their walls and ceilings they would like to take with them as they transition into their new homes. “The chandelier is an heirloom and does not convey,” the listing description specifies.
In that case, the seller should simply remove the chandelier. If he does not, he will not. It will stay. People want things they cannot have.
Buyers most often believe they are overpaying for the house, anyway, so why shouldn’t they have that chandelier. And if they cannot have it, they will not buy the house. Now what?
Is the chandelier worth the possibility of killing a sale?
No, the chandelier usually stays and will most likely find its way to a salvage store or, worse yet, the landfill. Sellers should remove anything they do not want to remain in the house.
When city slickers buy houses with double-digits acres, they often ask that sellers leave bush hogs or other expensive grass-cutting equipment with no regard to the cost. They are buying property that requires machinery to maintain the grounds and don’t have anything resembling it.
So, the seller should include it. Never mind it can cost as much as a car.
Sellers should hide their equipment. Even if the buyers do not ask for it to convey, it reminds them that they are lacking in the farm implement department. Realizing they need things about which they have no knowledge could raise the proverbial red flag.
When the window treatments match the bedspreads, the sellers often feel they should be able to take the window treatments since they match the bedspreads. Buyers feel that they should be able to keep the bedspreads since they match the window treatments.
As the Cajun recording artist and master of the malapropism Jo-El Sonnier, often says, “It is a Catch -23.”
Likewise, kitchen appliances will remain, and moving them can kill a sale. Often, homeowners have two refrigerators and, of course, want to give the buyers the worse of the two. In that case, the bad refrigerator should be moved into the kitchen before listing the house.
The other should have a huge sign announcing that it does not convey. If it is out of the kitchen, no one will care.
Wine coolers are appliances in today’s real estate market, and buyers want them to stay with the property. If they are not functioning properly, they will want them repaired.
In a 180-degree twist, buyers now want washing machines and dryers to remain. In the past, people did not want their dirty laundry comingling with the germs left behind from others. Now, they realize that clothing is more sanitary than dishes, and dishwashers have always remained.
Except for maybe the diaper thing. Then the washers and dryers might beat the dishwashers in the hygiene battle.
Sale of the Week
Last week, 4006 Dorcas Drive sold for $2,211,724 or $366 per square foot.
Listed by Marilyn Gross, the home was built by Vintage Construction, one of the area’s most-respected builders, after the lot was bought for $545,000 last year. This reinforces the theory that finished products sell for four times the cost of the lot.
Gross has lived in the Dorcas area of Green Hills for decades and handles a number of sales there each year.
Years ago, a buyer found his dream home on Dorcas, and his wife was in total agreement, but he had an aversion to the name. He questioned if the contract could be contingent upon him having the street renamed. Eventually, he came to love the street with its interesting name.
The residence at 4006 Dorcas includes a whopping 6,002 square feet, five bedrooms, five full baths and one half bath. In today’s world, all bedrooms require their own bathrooms, and this fad often places older construction at a disadvantage to younger competition.
The house has a 25-foot-by-24-foot media room and rec room that measures 22 feet by 15 feet. This is a home built for fun. It also has a three-car garage, a feature now working its way onto the required list for upper-end homes.
Gross often represents music business clientele. Her husband is Henry Gross, a founding member of the wild bunch known as Sha Na Na. He also has enjoyed a solo career, penning and performing the hit “Shannon” and now touring with a successful one-man show.
The buyer’s agent in this transaction was Emily Rosen, who is often found on the listing side of new construction. Rosen is well-known for her knowledge of new construction and can dissect a home like no other.
She is married to Danny Rosen, who has achieved his own brand of fame in the homebuilding business.
Marilyn Gross practices with Hodges and Foshee Realty, Inc. while Emily Roses is with Worth Properties, LLC.
Richard Courtney is a licensed real estate broker with Fridrich and Clark Realty, LLC.