Style and a Neighbor's Open House

When your neighbors have an open house, what do you do?

 You go.

My next-door neighbors recently had an open house and I couldn't keep myself from it. I didn't want to look too eager thus did not show up the minute the open house signs were erected, however I was somewhat punctual. 

I liked being the neighbor at the open house. The realtor asked me about my interest in the property, and as soon as I said, "I'm a neighbor." The realtor moved on to other house hunters and I perused in peace. My viewing was so peaceful, that I may use the "I'm a neighbor" refrain more frequently.

Source: Wikipedia

After numerous open houses over the past two years, I can say my neighbors were absolutely ready for an open house. They had cleaned, de-cluttered and staged somewhat. The one thing that troubled me with the open house, however, was the home's interior style.

Because of catalogs like Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and websites like Pinterest, modern homes all start to look the same. For better or for worse the sameness quality immediately draws one to a house, because what you are seeing is familiar.  

My neighbors house wasn't picture-perfect. They had remodeled the kitchen and had bought new furniture, but it wasn't what is in fashion today. This oddity of style impacted my impression of the home and I am sure many other visitors as well. Other homes in my neighborhood have gone into contract within a week of being on the market this home did not and I can only blame it on style or taste, because everything else about the house was right.

I recently talked to a realtor about putting my home on the market. He immediately talked about having a professional stager come in and stage our house while all of our belongings went into storage. I was dumbfounded by such a comment. The realtor obviously didn't know about my open house past-time, but beyond that I couldn't imagine putting everything I own in storage and then living with borrowed furniture while I waited for my home to be sold. Is this the price to pay for selling real estate or is it only the price to pay if you want to sell real estate fast?

My neighbors home finally went into contract. It sat on the market three times longer than other homes in the neighborhood. So, does style matter? Only if you want to sell your home lightning fast.

First Time on the Market!

$659,000
3 bedroom, 2 bath
1,555 square feet

"First Time on the Market!" read the opening words from the real estate ad. The homes in this particular neighborhood were all of the 1960's vintage, and from the pictures on the website I could tell the home was in it's original state. I had to visit.

The home appeared average from the curb. What was not average, however, was the love and care given to the home in 55 years of ownership.The first clue of superb care: pocket doors. In 1966, pocket doors were the rage. It was a simple way to block off rooms of the house so ruckus adults could cocktail in the front while precious children slept in the back. The doors also streamlined rooms and made bathroom quarters more private. I once lived in a vintage 1960's home (which had had several owners before me), and most the pocket doors had been removed and sheet rocked over. The one door that remained was sticky on its tracks and sometimes didn't like to move. I attributed the stickiness to the age of the door, never tired to fix it, and just lived with it. I was wrong.

The house yesterday had numerous pocket doors and they all slid along their tracks as perfectly as the day they were installed. I marveled as I slid the first door back and forth. This simple example showed me that when something is well made and you take care of it, it will always take care of you.

After obsessing with the pocket doors I wandered into the kitchen. It too was model home 1966 perfect. There were Formica counter-tops complete with flecks of glitter and the

original cabinets had been painted in two tones to enhance their sleek styling. I recognized the stove from my childhood; a GE push button stove. It was not stained nor in any ill-repair, but again lovingly maintained so it could aid in nourishing the people who lived there.

In my tour of Open Houses, I've seen many remodeled homes with the latest gadgetry and trends (i.e. kitchen islands and granite). This home reminded me that there is beauty in working to maintain what you have. In our society we are pushed to think having the newest item is the goal. The home I visited yesterday reminded me that maintaining and cherishing what one has should be the goal.

Buyer Beware: Don't Trust the Signs

$899,950
4 bedroom, 3.5 bath
3,195 square feet

I wrote this blog post a few weeks ago. The blog entry wrote itself furiously fast, then I carelessly hit delete instead of post. I've tried to re-create those original words to the best of my memory, and I present it here:

Today's open house was gargantuan in comparison to the homes I've been visiting. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. The ad claimed the home was over 3,000 square feet, however the size didn't hit me until I actually visited the home.

A steep staircase carried me from the driveway to the front door above. I opened the heavy door and found an entry way littered with shoes. New carpet had been laid and the realtor asked all visitors to remove their foot wear. I donned my sweet baby blue booties and started my trek.

Off of the recently remodeled kitchen one could peer down into the neighbor's pool below. It felt odd and somewhat wrong to stare, the neighbor had zero privacy. The view toward the pool was slightly obstructed by an old arbor with dead vines. As I stared out the sliding glass door toward the pool, a sign taped to the door caught my eye. The sign read: "neighbor plans to remove and rebuild arbor." Buyer beware: you should never buy a house with the promise of what a neighbor might do in the future.

This sign turned out the be the first of many odd signs hung about the house. Some were taped to the wall haphazardly, while others were presented in thick stylish black frames and hung with hammer and nail. I couldn't decide if I liked the the entire signage concept.  Besides signs promising what a neighbor might do in the future, other signs talked of a room's potential or a space for a future laundry room (even through the house already had one). There was also a 'Do Not Enter' sign taped across the doorway into the garage which wasn't right at an Open House.

Considering all the signs, this Open House seemed to be offered as if it were still under construction or a model home on the subdivision tract where developers are trying to sell empty lots, however this home was neither of those. The home was finished and inhabited by a family so the signs did not help, but hindered my visit of the large home. 

The Open House & Curb Appeal

$760,000
3 bedroom, 2 bath
2,083 square feet

The photographer they hired was talented. I put this particular Open House on my list because the backyard looked like a fabulous oasis and the front of the home gave a hint of art deco glam, circa 1930. As my husband drove down the narrow street with cars parked haphazardly and no real estate signs in view, I began to have my doubts. I watched the house numbers as he drove slowly in the rain. The best I could tell, we were almost there.

"Maybe they canceled because of the weather." My husband doubted aloud.

"No, it's right here," I pointed as a small real estate sign jumped into view. There was no curb appeal, I silently questioned why I had put this home on my list.

"Should we do it?" He asked.

"Yes..." 

And I'm glad we did. After we parked our car (blocking the driveway on the tight street), we walked into one of the most surprising homes I've seen. It was almost like walking through the wardrobe door in a CS Lewis novel. 

A bright naturally lit flagstone entry with a well varnished gnarled wood bench welcomed us. I wanted to hang my coat and stay, but I was just a temporary guest and began to wander.

The home owner had updated the 1930's home with every modern convenience imaginable, and it was beautiful! The bathrooms were Architectural Digest perfect with white porcelain sinks and modern stainless steel fixtures, the closets had been fitted with the Elfa storage system, a fabulously large laundry room had been carved out in the center of the home and the large kitchen was gourmet at its best.

I almost skipped from room to room, ecstatic that I had put this home on my list.

"Did you go in the backyard yet?" The realtor asked. "Don't let the rain stop you."

Out the sliding glass door off the kitchen, was the huge backyard I'd seen in the on-line photos. There were majestic redwood trees, a swimming pool, a classic cedar hot tub, a small shed which housed pool equipment and changing room complete with a shower and toilet. The yard also had stand alone building furnished as a guest bedroom. 

The rain fell harder, my husband and I did not stop wandering, but stood in the shelter of a rain proof umbrella standing over an outdoor dining table. "Do you love it?" He asked.

"Yes, this place did not look like anything from the street. What a treat!"

Going to Open Houses every week, I see much of the same thing over and over. This house is why I won't stop. Those homes which are unique or surprising are incredibly fun to look at and even more fun to imagine living in. This home would not be a good family home, but a perfect artist retreat or space for hosting salons. 

Next Sunday will be Easter, a holiday for many and probably even fewer Open Houses than Super Bowl Sunday. It's a good thing the Open House I saw yesterday was so incredible, it will tide me over.

Wet Cat Food on a Wet Day

Earlier this month I was invited to be a guest contributor to the mortgage website BeSmartee. It was my first hurrah away from my home blog. The column I wrote was easy advice for hosting open houses entitled "10 Things You Shouldn't Do When Holding An Open House", or simply Open House Dont's.

This past weekend I visited two open houses and through my visits could add two more tips to my Open House Don'ts: don't leave out wet cat food and don't hover.

Wet Cat Food
I've been to many open houses where I've encountered cats. I typically get one stern look from the cat as it scurries off under a bed or behind a piece of furniture. The run-ins are quick and harmless.The first open house I visited on Sunday had a warning taped to the front door. The rumpled piece of paper dampened by the rain put visitors on notice that cats were in residence and were not to be let outside.

I entered on alert for the cats. The felines never appeared through the entire visit, but what hit me the moment I walked into the house and stayed with me after I left was to smell of wet cat food. If one were to list scents that are objectionable, wet cat food is quite high along with fish, onions and dirty socks. The house looked like it had new carpets, but I could only smell the cat food. These particular cats were well loved in the home and had water dishes and food bowls in multiple rooms. The home owners may be great pet owners, but the food bowls should have been emptied and cleaned in favor of the three hour open house.

Hovering Realtors
I mentioned in my BeSmartee column that you want prospective buyers to feel free

to roam your house and open closets and kitchen cabinets. A realtor hovering and following one from room to room does not put a buyer at ease. The second home I visited on Sunday was empty, and I was the only one visiting the house on the rainy Sunday. The realtor followed me from room to room questioning my interest in the house. I know it's rude to spend time on your smart phone while in the company of others, but I would've felt better if he stayed in the front room and with on his phone rather than hovering.

The Oscars & The Big Short

It was Oscar night last night. I watched, because I always do. I love the pageantry and pretty dresses.  In other years, I've seen many, if not all the nominated movies. This year was different, however. Of the eight movies nominated for Best Picture, I had seen one: The Big Short. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend the movie for a quick lesson in the collapse of the housing market circa 2008. When I saw the movie on Christmas Day, I cried. It cut too close. Yes, I lived through the housing crisis and yes I kept my home, but my husband and I both worked in land development and suffered lay-offs and pay reductions. We survived, but it hurt.

Last night when The Big Short was introduced as a nominee and a clip of the movie played, I cried again. I felt the loss and pain of those people who lost everything, lost the American dream they worked so hard to purchase. Yesterday was especially poignant because I had an Open House first. I visited a home that was being sold as part of a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. I was not greeted at the door by a realtor eager to make a sale, but a representative from the bank. He did not know anything about the house, and encouraged my husband and I to look around.

Most Open Houses I see are trying hard to be sold, with freshly planted flowers, paint, and snacks for the prospective buyers. But this home looked like those Floridian homes depicted in The Big Short. The life of the inhabitants had been stopped midstream. There was lunch half prepared on the counter and the bathroom looked like somebody was still primping themselves before the mirror. In other words, the people who lived there looked like they were home and I was an intruder. 

The man from the bank complained that the owners were not being compliant or cooperative. I felt sorry for the man trying to have the Open House, but I also felt bad for the owners. The house looked loved and also looked like it was working hard to raise a good family. It did not want to be sold. Whose fault is it? The bank for making a bad loan or the homeowners for not meeting the terms of the loan? After seeing The Big Short it seems like the blame could be placed before the lender, perhaps the loan was too easy to acquire. I thought the collapse of the housing market was over, but after my day yesterday, I just don't know. 

I usual enjoy the Oscars because the show takes me away from my day to day. I get to sip a nice drink and watch movie stars in action. Yesterday, however that did not happen. My day at the Open House followed by the scenes from The Big Short were too close together, and an unpleasant reality set in.

To Stage or not to Stage

The sun was out, the sky was blue and  I visited four open houses this past Sunday. Two of the homes were from the post WWII era (1949 and 1948), one from the 1950's and one from the 1960's. The four Open Houses were in various states of showing, one had been flipped and staged, one was empty, one looked to be a shared rental and one had been de-cluttered and mildly staged with personal belongings.

Before and after some staging

Staging seems to be all the rage, but I must say from visiting the four homes, the house which had only been staged in the living rooms and  dining room seemed to have the least soul. When a developer builds a model home and has an interior designer decorate the inside, there are still remnants that remind one of real life such as trophies in the child's bedroom or a grocery list artfully placed in the kitchen. The model homes feel real and one can imagine living in them. A half staged home absent of what would be visible in real life leaves one empty. The home half staged on Sunday was the home built in the 1950's and recently remodeled for a flip. I walked through and was not grabbed or enticed by anything I saw. 

The two homes built in the late 1940's were opposite in states of showing. One was empty, the other was not polished or Open House ready. The empty home was absolutely darling. The kitchen had black and white tile with original cabinetry off of a dining room with a built in hutch. It seems that at some point in time an owner added a sun porch on the back of the house. Although it was empty, something about the home had charm. If I were in the market, it would be desirable. The home looking like a shared rental taught me that it is imperative to prepare for an Open House. If those that lived in the house had put some things away or stored some furniture in the garage, it may have been easier to imagine the charm. The great room was great, but everything feel apart after that.

A small reminder of
family life helps buyers see
themselves in the home

The last home I visited was a single story ranch home built when ranches were the rage. From the moment I walked in the door, I could tell the owner had undertaken some serious de-cluttering. The house was clean without too much of anything anywhere. There was evidence of toddlers living in the home, but just enough to help one envision this home as a family home. Perfect.

Of the four houses visited, the clean ranch home was in the best state of showing and had the most emotional impact. Purchasing a home is an emotional decision. You want the people visiting to have an attachment the moment they walk in the door. If they are distracted by clutter, or not attracted by functional staging, there is not impact and thus no sale. If I had to show an Open House, I would either show it empty or show it clean with small reminders how life is should be lived.

For more observations and tips on Open House Don'ts, please see my guest blog post.

Flash Sale

$639,000 (3 bedrooms, 2 bath)1,680 Square Feet

When I started this Open House blog, my intention was to produce one entry a week. I look at open houses on Sundays and could commit to writing a blog post soon after. But today, I happened upon a flash sale. It was a dreary Tuesday morning. The sun did not want to come out and the cold nipped. I did something I hate doing and went to Costco. Surprisingly Costco was a dream and I was out of there with my eggs, milk and other unforeseeables in less than 30 minutes.

At a major intersection near my home I saw numerous 'Open House' A-frame signs screaming to be noticed. It was a Tuesday, not a Sunday so the number of signs was unnecessary, but worked.With my new commitment in mind I followed the signs and found an open house to peruse.

The house had little curb appeal. The color was nondescript and the circa 1960's ranch home seemed blah (or as my kids later said 'meh'). This turned out not to matter however, because the home's true appeal was the huge backyard with a beautiful outdoor kitchen complete with a barbecue, fire-place and ample counter space protected by timber beams wrapped in canvas. Beyond the outdoor kitchen the yard stretched left and right with a flagstone steps that lead to another outdoor living room. An orange tree sat heavy with fruit at one end of the yard and red hens protected by a quaint hen house stood at the other. The yard was huge (and marvelous).

The price and unusual day for the open house begged the question. Why today? Why so much? My friend was with me and asked. "Because they're under contract to buy another home and need to sell." Was the answer. While it was not called a flash sale, it felt like one. The listing even called it a 'hot' home meaning: this will sell fast! Don't delay in making an offer. The home on Rancho de Sauna was a 'hot' home, but was not identified as such. Perhaps 'hot' is in the eye of the realtor or the home owner wanting it to be so.

I did learn something new on this Open House Tuesday. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies do not overpower the smell of new carpet and paint. I literally saw the realtor take the cookies from the oven and chatted with him as he plated the fresh baked treat and I could not smell a thing; odd but true. Perhaps baking cookies should only be a trick used when the home owner has not spent money to paint and re-carpet.

There were Clowns

$699,000 (4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath) 

2,836 square feet


The for sale sign was tacked to the front of the house as if it were a used car on the corner. The house stood at the end of a cul-de-sac and the stark green and white 'HOUSE FOR SALE' sign above the orange garage could not be missed. It was efficient, but odd.

An aged wooden staircase lead from the driveway to the front door. The double doors stood wide open where a realtor and two Greek goddesses greeted visitors. "Welcome!" said the jolly grey man as he handed out the fact sheet. I soon learned the realtor hailed from San Francisco, a place where signs tacked to the outside of buildings was not so unordinary. The Greek goddesses stood tall in the living room, holding lamp shades high and saying nothing.

I roamed the large tri-level house. The main level had a kitchen, dinning room and living room. The kitchen had a recent(ish) update with granite counter-tops and rosewood cabinets. This room was the only modern room in the house. The rest of the house was stuck in 1980, the year the home was built. 

Standing at the kitchen sink, I admired the large kidney shaped pool outside. Earthen stairs marched up the hillside away from the pool.

The realtor noticed my observation, "the lot's almost half an acre-- there's a garden at the top."

I shook my head and wandered away. To get to the backyard you have to go down a half level through a huge family room with thick soft lint caked carpet. The backyard was my destination, but then there were clowns. Six framed portraits of clowns hung around the perimeter of the room above a navy blue sectional couch. The clowns smiled and grinned, I did not.

The clowns changed everything. I hurried through the rest of my visit.  The bedrooms rooms upstairs were sparsely furnished and the bathrooms were original. I thanked the realtor and continued my Sunday.

Compared the the Ranch de Sauna house I saw last week, this home was not a steal. It was not move in ready and would be much work to purchase and update. The floor plan and large lot were huge pluses, but the dank smell and dated ambiance (and perhaps the clowns) would be hard to overcome.