I hear you! We are still living in our home. One of the comments..."prefer viewing vacant homes".?????? Did the realtor accidentally give us the notes they took for themselves? I would be nice to get feedback that we could actually use.

It doesn't look like a 1950's house
It could mean either:
I wanted a 1950s house un-renovated so I could do my own thing - and it would be cheaper too. Or it could mean, Wow, that certainly doesn't look like a 1950s home! Very nice (but it doesn't meet our needs/price point/location, etc)

It's too shady - This is true, but so is this entire neighborhood, why waste time looking at this house.
Maybe they were hoping there weren't as many trees in the backyard and the house would be bright?

I love the layout, but I just wished it was a newer house Why waste time looking at a 50 year old house
I agree. Although sometimes what someone wants and what their pocketbooks have for funding collide and they realize they may want 2007 but can only afford 1950. This could be a case of the Realtor trying to give them a reality check.

There is no refrigerator.
This could actually be good feedback. If everyone at your price point is offering a fridge with the house, a lousy $500 could be holding up a sale. View a few open houses of your competitors and see if all appliances are being offered.

ALL feedback that doesn't end in a contract is code for "We're just not that into the house."

You can barely take any of it to heart. People will hone in on any tangible thing when pressed for feedback.

Frustrating, but that's just how it is.

Also, you have to understand that not every showing is to someone who's ready to write a contract that day. Some people have *just* started their search, and are just sort of window shopping to see what's out there. Imagine having a car salesman ask you for feedback when you're just walking up and down the aisles looking in the windows of cars. "Did you like that one? What did you like about it? Was it roomy enough? Too roomy?" You pretty much just want to be left alone to look, and you want to avoid giving any commitment-type answers.

Not the best analogy, but you catch my drift. I only know this from working with buyers, and trying read between the lines with regards to comments they make about a house.

I've noticed an odd thing; sometimes the people that have NOTHING to say about the house are the ones who write an offer. Go figure.

You might learn something from the comments, but definitley don't take them personally or for gospel. Have you ever seen the TV show, "Sell This House?" Potential buyers go through and they are taped making comments.
What I get a kick out of is buyers making comments about the poor decorating, paint colors or clutter. Then you look at the people making the comments:-) Many are a total mess. I wish the program could go with a camera to the homes of these critics and see what their places looked like:-)
On a serious note...if any buyers start talking about things like owner financing or renting...that tells you that they don't have any money or have poor credit. If you do a FSBO maybe you can screen them over the phone before making an appointment to show. That is what a decent broker would do.

I'm trying to think of comments I would have for some of the recent houses I've seen that would be valuable to an owner. Most are things that nothing can be done about - house too close the road, not enough trees, no basement etc.
So I see what your saying......
but what sort of things would be helpful? Priced too high? Not for us but seems priced right?
I agree the refrigerator thing is the most useful you've gotten. Although frankly I don't like used appliances so I imagine I would try to negotiate for one. You could advertise an allowance.

When selling last year 3 feedback comments floored me.
"Are they planning to pave the driveway?" (no, we're moving)
"Are they going to put up a fence?" (no, if I wanted one I would have put it up when my kids were little 25 years ago)
"Are they going to take down the dining room wallpaper?" (no it's only one wall, pull it down yourself)
LOL, Kathy G in MI (who sold with stone driveway, no fence and one wall of wallpaper in the dining room)

I went to an open house a month ago for a 2 year old house that was pretty bad in my eyes. I disliked the color wood the owner picked for the hardwood floors and didn't care for the dark paint, especially where the almost black floors were. The wood was so black, it looked like someone poured glossy black paint on them. I did like the layout but didn't like that they took the back steps out.

About 2 weeks ago, I realized I never emailed the agent (owner did the open house) and wanted to. The house had been on the market for a while and they kept reducing the price. I felt that maybe my feedback would be helpful. The agent never emailed me back so I'm sorry I wasted my time. I'd suggested that maybe the owner wanted to think about lightening the chocolate brown paint in the entry. The floors would look much better. Even though it was only paint, it may have made a difference to someone else walking in the door that liked dark floors

Is selling a refrigerator with the house a new thing or just a regional thing? I've never seen a house come with one.

Every house I've ever looked at had a refrigerator included with the sale, so I guess it's regional.

One thing to keep in mind about the feedback is that lots of people look at houses that they couldn't possibly afford to buy, so they give nonsensical feedback as to why they didn't like the house. One buyer told his agent that he thought our garage doors looked too new.

Go figure.

I've left 2 refrigerators when moving out of state. I don't buy sub-zero's or anything too awful fancy so its easier than trying to move them. I moved into a house where the owners took theirs. Didn't think too much about it.

People here in my price have often not done much of anything to a 50 year old house. As an over improver (who's always lost money on houses) I find this really sort of....awful. (I wonder if its a regional thing? I'm really underimpressed, it seems so...unmidwest). I looked at a little ranch that still had the original aluminum screen/storm door - it still worked, didn't seem to stick or anything but you know how aluminum gets darker and that sort of slightly pitted nasty feel to it?
Ugh. Things like that I think - you know its not that much to have replaced along the road somewhere. That's sort of an example. Should I make comments about stuff like that? Changing out the screen door was not going to make me buy the house, its more of an example of what the overall house was like, basically seemed solid but === for the price === not kept up to speed.

I would think that what you said about it not being kept up, yes, including the screen door. They are cheap and fairly easy to change out. It made a world of difference to my parents house

I recently looked at a house that has been on the market a long time, especially for lake front property and the agent had specifically asked for feedback - my agent had a note on the listing sheet. I went through the place and pointed out the vent in the bathroom hanging from the cieling by one wire, the broken lights in the upstairs bath, the flooring that was not finished off, the air vent in the floor that was broken - lots of things that made the house not worth the money they were asking. And accumulation of about ten things that were really maintenance based, including some water in a basement corner. You know what my agent did - I heard her - she called the listing agent and told her that the house was nice just not a good "fit" for us. What a crock.

As a seller not too long ago, I would want to know what's turning people off - well first of all I would not have left the house with a vent fan hanging out of a ceiling and a broken beat up light fixture in the bath. There is no excuse for those things to be like that. And it really shouldn't take a rocket scientist to say to them, hey, you want $400K for this house, you need to fix this stuff.

It showed badly. And it sends a message to a buyer that if the didn't give a darn enough to fix the vent fan and floor grate cover, what else is there?

Our feedback was useless as well. One guy was disappointed it wasn't a colonial--well, the house style is pretty obvious. It's not like you walk into a ranch and suddenly realize, hey, this is actually a colonial!

Another complained of small bedrooms--12x12, 11x14, yeah, tiny, lucky to fit a twin bed in there...

The rest was pretty much "shows well, priced right, not the one for me."

I'm sure some of the people who viewed our house said "the wall colors are terrible" or "too many cats" but it never got back around to us.

On the other side of the coin, when looking at houses, our agent never explicitly asked for feedback to pass on to the sellers. Plus it seems agents have politeness filters. I doubt any of the sellers of the houses we looked at got feedback like "your green marble and green trim are terrible," "an oversize shed is not a 3rd garage," "your oddly-shaped bonus room over the garage would not make a great office," or "your house doesn't have a single ounce of privacy," even though we discussed such thoughts with our agent.

P.S. It was customary in the DC area to leave all appliances including the refrigerator and maybe the W/D. Here in GA you typically get a stove, dishwasher, and maybe a microwave if it's built-in.

monzamess wrote: "I recently looked at a house that has been on the market a long time, especially for lake front property and the agent had specifically asked for feedback - my agent had a note on the listing sheet. I went through the place and pointed out the vent in the bathroom hanging from the ceiling by one wire, the broken lights in the upstairs bath, the flooring that was not finished off, the air vent in the floor that was broken - lots of things that made the house not worth the money they were asking. And accumulation of about ten things that were really maintenance based, including some water in a basement corner. You know what my agent did - I heard her - she called the listing agent and told her that the house was nice just not a good "fit" for us. What a crock."

You gave very good feedback. Too bad your agent didn't tell the listing agent about all the repairs this place needs.

Neglecting to maintain something as simple as broken lights, etc., would make me wonder what other "surprises" might surface after the house sells.

About appliances. As a buyer, I could care less if a house comes with or without ANY appliances, these are easily replaced. I am far more interested in the condition of the house itself.

DH and I recently sold two houses, so we know all about dumb comments from potential buyers. The buyers of the most recent house we sold had a laundry list of complaints (including the pink counter-tops in this 1950s house!), but they bought it anyway. I guess it ended up being the best they could find for the money they had available to spend. I think a lot of times the buyers--especially first-time buyers--need a "reality check." "No, you are not going to get a brand-new house for $80k, sorry."

I really don't like feedback...most of it's useless. If you like my house, the best feedback is an offer. If you don't, then move on.

I think Richard_f had it right. Buyer wannabees with no money will think of anything as an excuse not to bid.

I had a Shoenbeck crystal chandelier hanging in the foyer in a house I was selling. I had a chain attached to the basement door, limiting its swing so as not to crash into chandelier. When one looker made a comment, I told her that I could remove the $700 chandelier so she could remove the chain from the door.

I've never had a agent request any type of feedback. I've certainly never bothered to point out anything I think the seller should be told. Who cares what my opinion is regarding a home? If I wanted it, I would make an offer! It's the sellers (and their agent's) job to know their market.

We sold FSBO and my husband would ask for feedback occasionally. Every single issue ended up being 50/50. Like the paint/hate the paint. Like the location/hate the location. We found that many couples had separate wish lists. The husbands loved the oversized, three-car garage shop and the quality construction of the house. The wives wanted the huge spa bathrooms of the newer homes. Our house was built in '74 and there was no changing that. No spa bathroom! As the mom of four with a job outside of the home, a spa was not even on my list when looking. So, really, who cares that the person wanted a spa. They only came to the house because of the spouse.

Don't ask for feedback. Know your market. If appliances are part of the regional way of doing business, then get a fridge in there. If not, leave it out.

Gloria

I asked our realtor to get some honest feedback after our house had been on the market with quite a few showings and only one offer that bit the dust in escrow.

He asked the buyer's agents (the ones who bothered to return his calls) and heard that some buyers thought the house smelled like dog.

He said the agents were reluctant to tell him, and he wanted to make sure I really wanted to know (of course I did - our goal was to sell the house!) because he said some sellers get offended by negative comments.

Ok, so that was important to know, and I got the problem fixed fairly quickly and inexpensively (take up the rugs from the wood floors, hire professional cleaning crew, wash all bedding (people and dog) frequently) and we didn't hear anything more about that, and the house sold.

That kind of feedback is useful, but some things people say are just silly.

I feel your pain! I currently have a house on the market and have had some fairly useless feedback. Everything from wanting less land (we're on almost an acre) and newer construction (the whole neighborhood was built in the late 1960s/early 1970s) to wishing the back yard was on the north side of the property. Makes you wonder what realtors are thinking showing the property to buyers who aren't interested. And to be fair to realtors, who knows what potential buyers are telling them.

I agree with terrig - the best feedback is an offer.

We've also come to realize that many buyers out there simply have no clue what they are doing (this is not to generalize and say that all buyers are clueless - I'm just talking from my own personal experience with the latest rounds of buyers through my own property). Perhaps too many of them have watched too much TLC or Sell this house and think that every house should have granite counter tops, new carpet, travertine floors, cathedral ceilings, etc. And many of them really don't know how much they can afford and they're not going to get that dream house that's listed at $400k for $80k.

Whatever happened to sweat equity? When my husband and I look at properties, we always look at the "bones" of the house - things like the layout and access in and out of the house. Stuff like wall color, counter tops, flooring can all be replaced. But many buyers don't seem to be able to see past Grandma's lace doily on the foyer table.

Good luck selling your house!

fairygirl43, you hit the mail on the head, by asking"what happened to sweat equity?". Even though many books, and TV shows like "This Old House" abound, DIY is becoming a thing of the past. Decades ago, a man would work on his car on Saturdays. Now when I go to the parts counter at a dealership, I pass many people in the lounge, waiting for their oil changes, or "10,000 miles service",claiming they "don't have time" to do it themselves (translation: I"m afraid to get my hands dirty"). People don't even cut their grass anymore.

My favorite feedback when selling my old house was: "What's the NAME of the house?". :)

When I sold my cottage, I got no useful feedback.
"It is small." (Yes, 850 sq foot house, tend to be small - what is the mystery there?)
"It is really clean." (While I took this to be a compliment, it was not useful.)
"It is really cute!" (Read small and clean.)
That being said, it did sell relatively quickly, but I learned even more quickly that the feedback is not always useful.
We bought a 1950's house that had been last updated in the 80's/ Oh yes, mauve carpet, sinks and toilet. The old wooden pulls on the cabinets. Brass. But, we could see what it would be like updated to our color scheme. And bit by bit, we have done that.
Incidentally, the Master was too large. Strange "problem", but I did not sleep well at first, having been used to a cozier space and the room is a little out of scale. So maybe that is not a useful comment, but an honest one. (Now I'd hate being in a "cozier" bedroom, of course!
Best of luck with your sale!

Whatever happened to sweat equity? When my husband and I look at properties, we always look at the "bones" of the house - things like the layout and access in and out of the house. Stuff like wall color, counter tops, flooring can all be replaced. But many buyers don't seem to be able to see past Grandma's lace doily on the foyer table.

I don't mind sweat equity and have done enough it of myself. Paint, as long as I do not have to redo the whole house to move in, is easy and I am willing to do some. I guess the houses that I walked that I didn't like the paint as it was too dark wouldn't work for us due to layout, except one, layout was good.

The problem I has was not only paint but paneling, where there was no sheet rock behind it. With my bad back, I can't commit to a house that needs that much work where the price does not reflect that.

"there was no sheet rock behind it. With my bad back, I can't commit to a house that needs that much work where.."

Where I'm from, paneling w/o rock behind it wouldn't pass inspection.

Some people are looking for something specific and they can't help it if your house is fine but doesn't have it. What the heck are they supposed to say?
They are telling you what they didn't like. Oh well. And as mentioned, the realtor may not be passing on every comment.
FWIW I wouldn't necessarily not buy a house with a backyard facing west but I sure would like one more that faces north.
If you are coming out of a house facing west experience in anywhere but North Dakota and had no trees - believe me its a big deal! and you don't know what the backyard is like till you've seen it.

Not everyone is going to like the house for a variety of reasons. Some reasons are useful/helpful for the seller to know.

I totally understand what you're saying about the yard orientation. In the desert SW, I wouldn't really want an East/West facing house because of the sun issues (my house is a North/South orientation with the front facing the Catalina Mountains - very good if you buy into Feng Shui). But it's still frustrating (especially when you've been on the market for a long time) as it's not something I can change about the property.

Where feedback is helpful is if the same comments keep coming back - things like "needs new carpet" or "has a bad smell". These are things that sellers can work on to better their chances of selling their house.

I'm still in the middle of the craziness of trying to sell a house so maybe I'm too close to the situation to be objective about it.

I looked at a house once that was awful. For example, there was a cute little sign that read "please remove your shoes" at the entrance. But I don't know why. The carpet was old and quite worn...I guess the seller wanted to prevent further wear? The kitchen was painted bright red. The roof was leaking (was raining that day) into the screened porch while I was there. The bedrooms were all painted in bright colors. It was just a weird house. When the seller's agent called my agent to ask for feedback, my agent just laughed! I guess the seller's agent wasn't too happy, but hey, it was an honest reaction. If you ask for feedback, you have to have thick skin because sometimes it's not good.

Terrig, those were probably the days before HGTV, and it was 'decided for us' that a home had to be in pristine condition, painted neutral, and rather than installing wood/tile, offering a $$$ amount for relacing *carpeting* was the norm.

When we sold my Mom's home about 12 years ago we basically decluttered, and did a little touch up painting on the outside~it sold in two months.

It's irratating in todays market that a buyers expectations have become so overinflated.

Patty_cakes: I looked at the house I described in June 2007. I think HGTV was in existence then, wasn't it? I don't know--I don't watch much cable. For the price they were asking--which as now dropped for fourth time, by the way--I do not think our expectations were "overinflated" as you say. Wouldn't you expect newer carpet for $180k? We bought our current house for less than that and it has like-new carpet in it.

I remember reading our feedback. One sounded like it came from a "professional homebuyer" - you know, someone who just spends time looking at houses to critique them but not to buy. It was a bit weird

After about 25 comments, trends do appear. That's when DH and I sat down with our realtors and figured out what we could do to make our house more appealing. The things we couldn't change (e.g., location) and the things we wouldn't change (e.g., kitchen cabinets), we ignored. But we did look at what we could and would change (e.g., price, paint/bedroom decor, floor shine, counters) and proceeded to work on them.

We didn't take things personally. We knew that realtors often show potential buyers houses that did not meet their exact wants/needs ("Now I know you said -- , but I want to show you --"). And often there is absolutely nothing wrong with your (or my) house, so the buyer is stumped (especially if the agent took them to a house they didn't want to see) on what to write. That's when the realtor may say something like "Just write something down. What did you like/didn't like?" So, you get cryptic feedback.

LOL Terri, I wasn't meaning *your* expectations, just in general. I think here(CA), more than other places, that might apply.

I can't even begin to relate what should be in a home for $180K~sorry. You may have read how overinflated *everthing* is in CA, especially San Diego. Besides, here they would ask, 'why is it carpeted?' I only have carpeting in the bedrooms, the rest of the floors are wood. I wouldn't have wood in bedrooms, but I think the mindset here is that carpeting is cheap, and SD seems to be a city where materialism thrives.

You know,

I think maybe some of the problem isn't really the fault of the buyers-- some of it is the fault of some agents who aren't thinking about the difference between feedback to them and feedback to you. What I mean is, so often people don't have a precise picture of what they want until they have something to react to. It's easier for them to articulate what they want if they can see something that provokes them to think, "not that, and here's why." Sometimes that feedback is useful to the seller, but I suspect that more often, it's meant to be more useful to the realtor... so that he or she has a better sense of what house to show the next day or the next week. I know that it can be frustrating to hear about the stuff that you can't change, but maybe it would help to just think of it as the feedback that wasn't meant for you in the first place.