Trying to sell? Clean up any neighborhood eyesores
Section: News
When Vicky Black's one-story home in Port Richey, Fla., was on the market, prospective buyers told her they liked it. Unfortunately, they made negative comments about her neighbor's home, which has a stone lawn and little curb appeal.
"They said I was the gem of the neighborhood, and it was too bad I had eyesores around me," recalled Black, who took her house off the market last year.
The appearance of nearby homes absolutely affects homeowners' ability to sell, said Pat Vredevoogd Combs, former president of the National Association of Realtors.
"One house that's an eyesore affects everybody," said Combs, a real estate agent in Grand Rapids, Mich.
It's a problem that has grown with the nation's foreclosure rate, she said. Many foreclosed properties go into disrepair. Problems range from uncut grass to broken windows to trash in the yard.
Combs recommends that sellers and real estate agents take action toward cleaning up unsightly properties. She has encouraged clients to phone neighbors and ask them to address the problem or, in the case of a foreclosure, to take care of it themselves.
"The agent could help if need be," she said. "It's better if it's owner to owner."
She recommends handling neighbors delicately.
"You do have to defuse the fact that you're attacking them," she said. "You can't go right at them with, 'You dirty bums, how come you're so messy?'"
She suggests telling delinquent neighbors that a real estate agent or potential buyer complained. It's also a good idea to have a solution and to offer to help with the fix, Combs said.
If homeowners are uncomfortable contacting their neighbors, real estate agent Greg Perry is happy to do it. He's had varying degrees of success. Some neighbors have seen the value of improving their property, others haven't, said Perry, who sells homes in Kirkland, Wash.
"You run into all kinds of people," he said. "There are belligerent people in life and there are accommodating people in life."
"They said I was the gem of the neighborhood, and it was too bad I had eyesores around me," recalled Black, who took her house off the market last year.
The appearance of nearby homes absolutely affects homeowners' ability to sell, said Pat Vredevoogd Combs, former president of the National Association of Realtors.
"One house that's an eyesore affects everybody," said Combs, a real estate agent in Grand Rapids, Mich.
It's a problem that has grown with the nation's foreclosure rate, she said. Many foreclosed properties go into disrepair. Problems range from uncut grass to broken windows to trash in the yard.
Combs recommends that sellers and real estate agents take action toward cleaning up unsightly properties. She has encouraged clients to phone neighbors and ask them to address the problem or, in the case of a foreclosure, to take care of it themselves.
"The agent could help if need be," she said. "It's better if it's owner to owner."
She recommends handling neighbors delicately.
"You do have to defuse the fact that you're attacking them," she said. "You can't go right at them with, 'You dirty bums, how come you're so messy?'"
She suggests telling delinquent neighbors that a real estate agent or potential buyer complained. It's also a good idea to have a solution and to offer to help with the fix, Combs said.
If homeowners are uncomfortable contacting their neighbors, real estate agent Greg Perry is happy to do it. He's had varying degrees of success. Some neighbors have seen the value of improving their property, others haven't, said Perry, who sells homes in Kirkland, Wash.
"You run into all kinds of people," he said. "There are belligerent people in life and there are accommodating people in life."
August 30th
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