The Land of the Chotchkes

I can proudly say that I have sold every listing I ever took.  Yet, on two occasions, even though I sold the property, I feel I failed the clients.  The first time was on my very first listing, 16 years ago.  It still haunts me to this day. . .

I was green and eager to please, like most new agents.  It was an expired listing and I was their fourth agent.  I worked oh, so, very, hard and I got an offer on the property, but it took over six weeks.  The longest it ever took me to bring in an offer.

I knew something was wrong fairly early on.  I could just feel it.  On my third visit to the home I noticed with my newly forming Realtor eyes that the bathroom counters were tiled, very nicely tiled.  I hadn’t noticed them before because they were covered in little decorative bottles: hundreds and hundreds of little bottles.  I looked around me and realized there were figurines – everywhere.  There were glass and porcelain pieces on shelves and countertops throughout the house.  I felt as though the home had been invaded by trinkets.  I was surrounded by tiny collectibles.  I was standing in the land of the chotchkes.

I may have been looking at the home, but buyers couldn’t see past the owner’s “little pretties”.  I spoke to the owners about these little treasures, but she insisted upon leaving them out.  She couldn’t live in a home without her “little pretties”.  I should have been more forceful.  Being so new to the business I was too eager to please.  Those little pretties cost her about ten percent of the home’s value.  It sold for about 90 percent of what it was worth.

Buyers discount mysteries.  Anything they can’t see, whether it’s because the shades are drawn, the lights are turned off, a door is locked, or it’s covered in little trinkets, becomes a mystery.  Mysteries will cost the owner money.  Please, please sellers, I cannot emphasize this enough: destroy all of the mysteries in and around your home.  Pack up the art work.  Put in new light bulbs.  Clean out the closets.  Get those inspections.  And do not allow your property to be invaded by chotchkes.  By getting rid of the mysteries, you are telling the buyers that you are serious about selling your home.  You can demand and receive full price for full disclosure. 

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