It’s not water torture to take care of your home’s needs.
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The personal stories of one realtor’s battles and triumphs in the highly-competitive Bay Area real estate market, seeking to illuminate and humanize the very real ups-and-downs of homeownership.
On Wednesday morning, I dropped my dog, Riley, off at the veterinarian’s office on College Avenue for teeth cleaning and minor surgery. We’d been monitoring a small tumor at the top of his left ear for the past several months that had proven to be benign, but continued to grow. Better to remove it now while it was still pea-sized, until waiting for the lump to get really gnarly. Thank goodness for pet insurance.
Proactive attention pays off
Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many houses where small problems were allowed to fester — sometime for years — to the great detriment of the home (and the Homeowners). And while ongoing maintenance undoubtedly requires a financial outlay, left unattended, the damage can balloon into thousands of dollars that might be better spent on anything but the house (like a Hawaiian vacation).
Several years ago, we worked on a home with an outdated kitchen only to discover that the cabinet underneath the sink had completely rotted. Not only was the cabinet unsalvagable, so were the floor and the joist underneath, all due to a persistent drip that could have been addressed by a licensed plumber in less than a few hours.
Instead, our contractor had to replace EVERYTHING. What’s more the rotting wood had attracted termites which meant the Seller had a significant infestation as well. Instead of transforming the kitchen with new counters and appliances, the budget went into structural repairs, which unfortunately, never bring the same ROI (return on investment) that cosmetic upgrades do.
At another home, a main structural beam the Sellers were aware was problematic, became a six-figure correction 10 years later when they decided to sell. Having no luck at attracting Buyers with the damage in place, the Sellers made the necessary repairs before bringing the property back to market and successfully selling their home.
(But wait, there’s more . . . )
At yet another property, the tub leaked so badly, it threatened to fall through the crumbling tile floor. Sadly, the Homeowners had taped off the door and stopped using the bathroom altogether. Ditto for several of the other rooms throughout the house where the toilets had clogged, the showers stopped working, and the washer and dryer were broken. (Why???)
“Don’t walk on the floor,” the Seller’s son said. “I don’t think it’s safe.” (No, it wasn’t.)
And so the story goes: rotten decks, crumbling plaster, pealing paint, leaning chimneys, failed roofs, nonfunctioning drainage systems, OVERGROWN yards, etc., etc., etc. You name it, we’ve undoubtedly seen it. Unfortunately, if you’re expecting your Realtor® to “cure” your home, you may have waited too long. Consequently, you should anticipate the cost of repairs to be commensurate with the work involved. Getting a home back to its “former glory” often requires a substantial investment, especially if its been ignored for years — or worse yet, decades.
“That seems like a lot of money.” we’ve heard more than one Seller complain with disbelief and regret.
Pay now and save later
Perhaps, but realize it’s money you DIDN’T spend during the tenure of your ownership, and probably should have. Now, it’s time to “pay the piper.” That being said, your home is likely to be far more desirable with stylish, new improvements, which translates to demand, which often results in a higher selling price. (MUCH higher!) In short, the work we’re suggesting is designed to remove any hurdles to selling, and is usually returned many times over.
That’s because most Realtors are fairly adept at making properties presentable and camera ready for less, AND these skills are often part and parcel of the commissions we charge. In essence, you’re getting our experience for far less than you’d pay an architect or designer. To be clear, Agents are NOT licensed contractors, designers, or architects. On the other hand, we DO know what the public responds to and have excellent resources at our disposal to ensure your property is “market ready.”
But in a perfect world, would we prefer taking a listing that’s been well-maintained through the years? You betcha. There’s simply less risk, debate, and angst involved, and we can fast-track those properties in a way that we cannot when taking on a home that needs weeks, if not months of creative reconditioning before bringing it to market. With the understanding that the world is far from perfect and life is fairly distracting, an oversight here or there is understandable. Just don’t let your home go to rack and ruin.
The moral of the story is: don’t wait. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or frozen, there are countless trained professionals who can help, including your local Realtors® but it requires you to move into action. Just know that we have a long list of organizers, house cleaners, window washers, handymen, appliance repairmen, carpet layers, etc, all waiting for your phone call. You don’t have to do this alone. In fact, you probably shouldn’t.
How can we help you?
PS – Riley looks a bit like Frankenstein but made it through the surgery just fine. He was a little unsteady on his feet for awhile but is bouncing back beautifully.
Julie Gardner & Sarah Abel | Compass Realty
Not just Realtors, but consultants in all things house and home, we’re here to educate, explore, examine and refer . . . In short, you may count on us to take care of your home as if it were our own and anyone who knows us, knows we take pretty darn good care of our homes.
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