In another thread a comment was made by a poster regarding the clutter in a home for sale. Besides being a book junkie, my wife and I both love HGTV. House Hunter's and a couple of others are must watches, and it's always fascinating to see some of the homes they tour. Of course we all know Realtors tell clients to de-clutter, but it's clear some don't listen. One of the joys of aging is many of us have bought a home or two along the way. And in Sun City, lots of us enjoy going to open houses. In many ways, the condition of the property speaks volumes about the owner. I'm always stunned when I walk through a home for sale and see too much furniture and too much everything. I also don't particularly care for a home that's empty. My personal preference is to see a well staged home; not too much, not too little. How about you? Do you care one way or the other?
Hey Bill - - - personally, I like to see the home empty. Staging, too much or too little, is a distraction. I don't want to get caught in the, "what are they trying to hide" game and miss something that could be important.
There is a serious problem with a cluttered house during the inspection period. If people are still living in it and have piles of stuff the inspector can't see the walls. Sometimes it's so bad you can only see the walls during the final walk through. I have witnessed several hoarders in Sun City while looking at house. Not the type you see on TV with old food and dead cats under the piles, but lots of used computer equipment, various collections and boxes to the ceiling. Its hard to stay focused andimagine the house. But if the house has good potential I will do it.
Interesting comments. I love a well staged home. Comfortable and functional furniture give the look of a property I would want to live in. I always find empty homes have the feeling of cold and impersonal (though it does tell me there might be a deal to be had). And of course cluttered homes filled with junk often have lingering smells of old people that keep their windows and doors shut tight to stay safe. Either way. The important thing for a potential buyer of a Sun City property is to have an imagination and a little creativity, to be able to see not what's there, but what could be there once they own it.
As someone trying to sell their home in Wisconsin and get to Sun City, I favor the 'uncluttered' look. We have worked tirelessly to unclutter our home and have sold many items - because it is indeed very expensive to move cross-country. As our realtor says 'we want the buyer to envision living in the home. Any one looking to buy in Wisconsin? LOL!
Hey BF, welcome to TOSC. We love having newbies and we really want to help you all make the right choices as you move forward. A word from those of us who have paid too much to have too much shipped. if there's any doubt, sell it before you leave. And for goodness sake, hurry up and get here.
