Earlier I posted the thought that scary happen too! So I had to ask what’s so scary about visiting fine homes for sale with potential buyers? Most homes are clean. organized, clutter free and staged. Right? They smell good. They look good and have curb appeal. That is the usual scenario….. But lurking in the neighbourhood is something that shocked me and frightened my buyer clients!
Here’s the scene: Two story detached home in Ottawa east. Built about 1980. Garage It is nearly night fall on our last home visit for the evening. People on the street have arrive and many have had their supper. Cars have their lights on and some neighbours are strolling idyllically on the street. Warm evening with the wind in the trees and many leaves have fallen to the ground.
OK, I have to do some house visits with a young couple now and I’ll be back to night…Done! So it isn’t two story house that he wants its a bungalow for the lady. Glad we have that established! Back to the story of Scary!…
So back to the scary story and just in time for Halloween. When I take a couple to a house I have a lock box code to access the front door key. When I arrived at the door it wasn’t unusual to see the interior light on. That’s when the front door opened and a youngish lady invited me in. I ask “were you expecting a visit from a real estate agent tonight?” Yes she said as I walked in. An older overweight lady was sitting in the main hall putting on some shoes. The house smelled of cleaning product and the humidity of cooking.
I have to go put up my open house signs. I’ll be back in an hour.
Back! So I asked It looks like you’ve done some painting, may we look at the kitchen? Her reply; Yes we’re paintin and fixin the house to sell. You can’t go in the kitchen cuz everythings still wet and we’re cookin. So I see a lot of boxes on the floor are you moving tonight? No we’re just storing stuff till we sell. May I get past you to Mam to visit the basement please? No you can’t go down there, there’s live wires hangin form the ceiling. Dangerous down there! One of the buyers asks about the powder room. No you can’t use it! All the plumbings plugged right up. Can’t use it. Buyer and I exchange alarmed looks! I go to open the walk in garage door. Oh! she cries, you cant go in there it’s full of….. that’s when I open the door and the boxes begin to push out toward me from the garage …like the boxes are wild animals trying to escape the garage darkness. At this point I’ve had enough of the chemical product smell and the heat and the presence of the owner and her daughter, the gunk and disorder. I don’t want to be polite any more. I want out fast!
Once outside, out of curiosity I look around the side of the house. There I spy is a chaos of shiny chrome shopping centre carts piled up in the darkness. For me this house is not ready to sell and its my first encounter with hoarders! and it gives mea a creepy feeling even weeks after the visit! For the buyers, They don’t want to visit the neighbourhood again! That’s what real live hoarding is like!