We saw the very same thing in 90% of the houses we looked at. Which I do think helped me sell my house too in that mine wasn't like that. I sold it before even listing it and their realtor just raved about my house as compared to all the other ones they'd looked at.

We made an offer on a couple that were either in bad shape or were well taken care of, but with stuff everywhere. We were able to look beyond it, but it still irritated me to see those things especially with stuff everywhere as it is hard to see everything. We did look at every house except one because it was on a dirt road.

The problem then was we offered based on comps and things that needed to be repaired. However the owners wouldn't budge on their price. One house eventually sold for less than what we offered. The other is still on the market. The one still on the market was told by her neighbors that she listed it too low so she wouldn't budge because of that even though none of the comps supported her price.

Another one we were bothered by was the owners being home. It happened on a few of the 30 houses we looked at. The worst was the owner following us around and pointing stuff out. No chance for us to look at what we wanted and comment on things.

It is amazing how many people think their house is worth more simply because it is their home. We looked in the 500K+ range too and were flabbergasted by the lack of cleaning let alone decluttering, staging or updating. On a personal note I cannot imagine leaving my "things" out for viewing. Not all people are honest. Why have something tempting out to go missing or have broken?

When I sold 1 1/2 years ago my Realtor told me to STOP as I'd never get it all back and the house was going to sell fast with what I had done (and it did). He did tell us to pull out the basement rug and paint the basement floor. Otherwise we were good to go.

I think many Realtors hesitate to offend their potential clients with suggestions before signing. Not everyone can handle hearing that their house needs cleaning or painting. Once the Realtor has the contract and the house is still sitting 30+ days later, the Realtor isn't doing their client or themselves any favors by keeping silent. However I'm also certain there are Realtors who say something and the client ignores the suggestions completely.

First of all, I agree with you 100 percent, and there probably isn't a single person who reads this forum who would disagree. But most people don't read real estate forums.

I am not surprised that some people don't clean their house before selling. If they are comfortable living there with dirt, clutter and even mold, then that is their standard of living, and they don't view it as a problem.

I don't know why agents don't press sellers to clean up more; maybe they are afraid of losing the listing? Or maybe they do suggest cleaning, but some people do not comprehend.

The HGTV show "Buy Me" aired an episode with a woman who was selling a very large custom home that was heavily cluttered and personalized. She removed some of the stuff, but not nearly enough. They filmed a conversation, maybe more than one, with the agent talking about the clutter, but in the end, the woman did what she wanted. She was a motivational speaker, and obviously educated and successful, but, on this issue, she didn't budge She didn't sell the house because she ignored the advice of her agent, or at least that's what the show made it look like.

Apparently the concept of getting a house ready for sale has grown over the years. Older people recall "back in the day" when you bought a house as-is and fixed it up.

The bottom line is that there are all types of people in the world, and all types of attitudes about cleanliness, organization, and maintenance of the house. I would be more surprised if someone lived in a house for 10 years as a slob and then turned around and made it sparkling clean.

I think some clients just don't listen to their realtor. When my brother in law was selling his house, I told him, as did the realtor to take down all the wallpaper and either paint or cover the dark paneling in the den with sheetrock. He wouldn't listen, said that he bought the house with wallpaper and paneling, so someone else would as well. Almost a year later he finally listened and the house sold within two weeks. Now his house wasn't cluttered, nor was it in disrepair, just dated, but still I think that some people just can't see for themselves what is wrong with their home and don't want to listen to well meaning advice.

Clutter also makes it difficult to look for water stains or other problems.

We looked at one place that was cluttered but had a nice deck. Only problem was we couldn't go out on it because of all the dog poo.

We passed on this "gem"!

Most of the realtors I have interviewed said part of their service is to pay for a stager to come prep the house for sale. Selling a house is selling an investment. It surprises me that people don't prepare for it by becoming as informed as possible. However, for a realtor to not give advice and guidance about this seems inexcusable.

My friend had her house up for sale a few years ago. In her children's bedrooms she had painted beautiful murals of an undersea fish scene -- very nice for a girl's bedroom. After months of not selling I asked her why she didn't paint the rooms a neutral color. She said if they end up not getting any buyers and have to stay there -- then all her hard work on the murals would be gone and her girls wouldn't have them to enjoy anymore.

Eventually, the bought a new house and moved (before the other one sold) -- at that point she painted over the murals because she knew they weren't going back. Then the old house sold.

I think some people don't do these things (like make their nursery or kid's rooms neutral) just in case they end up taking it off the market.

As for clutter and dirt - there is no excuse.

CLEAN and clutter free *is* what sells a house! Also painting the majority of the rooms in a neutral color. In spite of the 'no-silk-plants/flowers ruling' made on HGTV, I left most of mine out as they filled up corners or a table, and aren't considered tchochkes. Just make sure they're kept clean and dust-free also.

Stanging is very important, too. If you don't have the knack, hire someone for at least an hour. With one or two rooms complete, you can incorporate the ideas in other rooms. Great/family room, LR, and MB, are the important rooms. If you have a color scheme, try to keep it consistent thruout the house.

Don't forget about the garage and laundry room. It should also look inviting from the front porch~clean, flowers, and a welcome mat.

When you walk in your front door, it should look model perfect.

There IS an excuse for clutter and old paint and other similar things. Some folks are so darn old that they are lucky to make it to the bathroom on their own. Often these folks sell because they simply cannot handle home upkeep any more. They move to condos, assisted living facilities or often move in with their adult children.

Painting chipped woodwork is not on their "to do" list. They are in phases of their life where that stuff isn't important anymore. (quite frankly, after being a slave to a house for most of their life, they probably just said "no more.")

Also, there are folks that have illnesses, death, job loss and divorces in their family. Their lives are in such turmoil that decluttering simply isn't important to them.

Lastly, these days, corporations seem to suck every last ounce of time and energy from workers these days. Some people are just too exhausted after work to even think of fixing up a home to sell. These folks just simply ran out of available time and the house came last. To them, it is easier to sell the home as it sits.

"There IS an excuse for clutter and old paint and other similar things. Some folks are so darn old that they are lucky to make it to the bathroom on their own. Often these folks sell because they simply cannot handle home upkeep any more. They move to condos, assisted living facilities or often move in with their adult children. "

This would fall under the "if you don't want to do the work stop pricing your house at the top of the market" statement I made. As a disabled person I understand that the work of a house can't always be done. Shouldn't they be realistic in the pricing if that is the case? I am just saying do they want to sell or hold aching long onto a property the can't handle out of greed.

"Get rid of the clutter. I can't stand being in someone's house who has a ton of things everywhere."

We bought our house 2 years ago, and it is just charming. A *pretty* house. But when we first looked at it, we left with no intention of ever coming back. Talk about stuffed! I've never seen so much stuff in one house. The closets were all full to bursting, the laundry room had rows of wire shelves added on all the walls, the garage was full of boxes floor to ceiling. But the most stifling part was that every *inch* of that house was decorated. It was all nice things, and actually nicely done except for the sheer volume of stuff. It was a relief to get out of there. The only reason we went back was that 5 weeks later we still had not found anything we liked in the small area we were looking in, and we had a deadline we were working against since we had already sold the house we were in. Obviously we weren't the only ones who felt smothered, for it to still be available 5 weeks later (this was 2005, excellent price, wonderful neighborhood in this small town).

We were going by how we "felt" in that house, and our feelings were, "Let's get out of here!" Only our unique circumstances drove us back to take a second look and analyze exactly what the problem was. The house has a totally different feel now. But I agree, never underestimate the power of clutter to kill the sale of your house.

The worst experience I came across while house hunting was the one where the owner had painted two bedrooms in "different" styles.

The first one started out with a light blue stripe all the way around, the next was a little darker, the next even darker until you reached the top which was black. I got dizzy just looking at it.

Did the same thing in second bedroom but had the stripes runing up the walls. Ugh.

The kicker was the house wasn't only cluttered, it was beyond clutter. Makes one wonder what the seller is thinking to leave a house in that condition.

"The kicker was the house wasn't only cluttered, it was beyond clutter. Makes one wonder what the seller is thinking to leave a house in that condition."

I think that too. If they are too stuck to organize their things then what if they get overwhelmed and leave it there.

When my brother in law was selling his house, I told him, as did the realtor to take down all the wallpaper and either paint or cover the dark paneling in the den with sheetrock. He wouldn't listen, said that he bought the house with wallpaper and paneling, so someone else would as well. Almost a year later he finally listened and the house sold within two weeks. Now his house wasn't cluttered, nor was it in disrepair, just dated, but still I think that some people just can't see for themselves what is wrong with their home and don't want to listen to well meaning advice.

The problem is, it's a lot of work; I know we've been living it the last few years with our master bedroom as the last room to get sheet rock. My husband did our hallway long before I moved in, along with replacing all of the doors. Once I got here we took paneling off of 2 walls in one bedroom, medium colored paneling from 1 wall in the living room as well as faux brick. We then had all of the walls in the master with really dark paneling. I've been threatening him since 2000 that I was painting it to lighten the room up. We hired someone to mud the room, he did the rock. The guy we hired made such a mess, I had an inch of dust in my closet.

I've gone to many houses since February, crossing each one off of my list because the price does not reflect the amount of work the house needs. For what I would buy one of these faux brick w/ paneling houses, we bought new a little farther away.

Stanging is very important, too. If you don't have the knack, hire someone for at least an hour. With one or two rooms complete, you can incorporate the ideas in other rooms. Great/family room, LR, and MB, are the important rooms. If you have a color scheme, try to keep it consistent thruout the house.

Hey Trish, can you come to my house? LOL

It's incredible how people become accustomed to living in a dirty house, that they don't even see it. My parents are a prime example. Granted, they're in their early 70's and not in great health, but their home is so gross. Cobwebs hanging from the ceiling (Mom has cataracts and can't see them but my dad can), white doors streaked black around the handles from dirt that won't scrub out (dirty walls too), dirt ground into the vinyl floor, etc. It's disgusting. I won't even get started about the conditions of the bathrooms. Even worse, I offered last Christmas to have a housecleaner come in but my Dad refused to let someone in the house! I dread the day when they pass away and I have to sell it.

drcindy, that's a shame that your parents will not take you up on your house cleaner offer. We didn't give my grandfather a choice. When my niece could no longer fit his house into her schedule, my parents found someone else and told him when she'd be there. He finds it unnecessary *rolls eyes* but at least everyone can breathe when they walk in the place, no one sticks to the kitchen floor, and it is a chore he doesn't have to trouble himself with.

I am a clean freak (a bit retentive I know) and would not be able to visualize myself in any of the houses in the condition mentioned previously.

I completely agree about removing the cluter and personal stuff. But the OP was also complaining about the COLOR of the carpet! Is s/he expecting me to put in new carpeting too? That ain't gonna happen.

Not too long ago there was a house for sale in the town nearby. It was clutter free. But there was a couple that complained long and loud about how "old" the bathroom is. "It's way too small". The bedrooms are dingy with that paneling on the walls. The fireplace should be sealed because they are heat losers. The paneling in the living room is old. The windows have these little panes of glass instead of large panes you can see through. And they aren't "low E" windows either. They wanted the sellers to "repair" all the problems and bring the house up to date. The seller said "NO!"

You see, the paneling has been there since the house was built. The bathroom was installed in 1936. The "little" windows were original to the house and still had the bubbles in the glass. It still sits on the stone foundation that was placed there when it was built. UPDATE? There comes a time when you do NOT update. This house was built by hand in 1765. Sometimes you don't change things. When someone buys that house they must realize they are really just caretakers of the house until the next owner comes along. Only a FOOL would modernize a house like that.

I'm going to be a little contrary on this topic. Much like an earlier poster, we bought a house 5 years ago that was dirty (esp carpet), cluttered and outdated. It had good bones and a great layout. Having bought 7 homes in the last 20 years, maybe I've gotten used to visualizing my own items in the home, and looking past someone else's issues.

If you are the seller, it's hard to recognize your own clutter or mess. As the buyer, I can honestly say I don't care as long as it is priced right. All that cosmetic stuff can be fixed, and usually fixed rather quickly and inexpensively.

HGTV and the like has possibly given people unrealistic expectations about perfect houses. Would I like to be able to just walk in and live in a house, yes. Is it likely, no, simply because my tastes are different than the last owner of the house, even if that house is perfectly maintained and uncluttered.

Just my two cents.

To the last two posters - I believe the OP's complaint is that they want the same price as the updated houses that are clean and clutter free. At least that is what we saw.

I didn't expect sellers to replace or fix their outdated things or do repairs, however I would expect them to price their house accordingly and we never saw that. We still made offers though, but based the price on comps and the conditions and got nowhere. Some of these were even priced higher than what updated nice clean houses had sold for.

There were a couple of homes in here for sale and the yards were trashed. Weeds had grown waist high, newspapers and trash scattered about and it appeared to have people living there. I had assumed the people living there were renting and didn't want the place to sell because then they'd be out on their butts but later learned they were indeed the homeowners.

Anyway I called the agent up who was shown on the sign. I asked nicely if SHE would either come cut the grass and pick up the trash or have a company come and do it. (I wasn't affiliated with the H.O.A. at the time so I was just asking nicely because it really made the rest of the neighborhood look bad).

She said that "it wasn't in her job description to do that" and that she is sorry but she doesn't want to go out of pocket for the $30-50 to mow and clean up the front yard.

I said, isn't the $30-50 a bargain compared to the thousands of dollars of lower commission you're going to get because people will offer less? Or won't go in to begin with?
I said I wouldn't even get out of the car at that house. (It was that bad)

She appologized that the yard was a mess but promised there was nothing she was going to do about it. At which point I told her that her real estate sign was going to disappear until the yard was cleaned up.

2 days later the yard was mowed and trash picked up.

The other agent I called I said the same thing but she was more apologetic and came across as not being able to get through to the homeowner and not having any money herself.

This is a really tough market where houses sit on the market for greater than 6 months, there is a surplus of new inventory that is typically lower priced than comparably sized resales so agents don't seem too motivated since the sellers get bored with them and resign with a new agent every month or 2.

I keep wondering what is wrong with a house I drive by every day on my way to work. It's been on the market for at least a year and a half. It looks nice on the outside...well kept yard, driveway, garage, deck, etc. I've heard it's over 100 years old and has nice "old house" features, though the major mechanicals have been updated. The price has dropped a few times. It is on a very busy street, so maybe that's the problem. I bet those people are about ready to pull their hair out. I can't imagine being on the market that long.

HGTV is pure entertainment...nothing more, nothing less. You simply cannot believe anything you watch on that show about buying and selling houses. It's a load of BS.

The most disgusting home I have ever been shown was filled with all kinds of animals and their smells. I wanted to walk out the door immediately. I think people become immune to these kinds of things after living with them for so long, and don't even notice them anymore. I felt so sorry for the real estate agent, who kept apologizing. That house never did sell (it's in my neighborhood), the owner's company was transferring him and his company bought it and had it cleaned up. He and his wife are both engineers!

One reason for this epidemic of clutter is that we now have much more disposable income and access to goods and products from all over the world than previous generations, so we just shop and accululate all the time. It's really becoming a major issue. Think about it, did our parents require storage facilities?

I love every one of those things mentioned. Nothing will keep me from looking and if the place is a mess...all the better. I get a better price and painting and cutting those bushes doesn't cost me much either.

Gloria

Just as clutter, dirt etc., can hide problems, staging can hide them, too. What matters to me is structural integrity and location. Everything else is just cleaning supplies, drywall and paint. Frankly, as a buyer, I'm happy to see an unkempt home. It generally means a lower price and diminished expectations on the sellers' part.

Sure, all savvy buyers love clutter. I think the point of this thread was to point out how dumb some sellers can be by allowing clutter and dirt to devalue their property. For every person on this forum that can "see past the clutter" there are a thousand other buyers who cannot. When selling your home it makes sense to clean it. Period.

I can see past all of it too, but the problem is many of those with the cluttered, dirty, out-dated and poorly maintained properties that we looked at still wanted the high price of those houses that were in great shape and wouldn't negotiate to even account for the 10-40K of things that needed done depending on the house. Definetly not any steals due to this. Even those that had been for sale for 6 months to a year weren't willing to budge. All countered back at the listing price.

I can see past all of it too, but the problem is many of those with the cluttered, dirty, out-dated and poorly maintained properties that we looked at still wanted the high price of those houses that were in great shape and wouldn't negotiate to even account for the 10-40K of things that needed done depending on the house. Definetly not any steals due to this. Even those that had been for sale for 6 months to a year weren't willing to budge. All countered back at the listing price.

I think it'd be interesting to hear from you, and from anyone else who had an opinion, how much the house should be 'discounted' for cluttered, dirty, out-dated conditions. I'm not talking about structural problems...just cosmetic.

I'm guessing it'd depend on what was underneath the ugly shag rug. If it was original wood flooring ('good bones') underneath, that would detract much, much less than if there were just plywood sub-flooring underneath. The cost of ripping out and disposing of funky carpet, linoleum, and the deep cleaning needed...I'm guessing a seller would carve 10K off the price.

Makes the cleaning and decluttering seem much cheaper for the seller! It's not going to cost the seller 10K to get the place looking better - more like 2-3K and sweat equity.

Some people, as pointed out before, don't have the health, youth, money to do the spiffing up...or their heart isn't in it. Perhaps these folks are ambivalent about selling in the first place.

To be honest, I think that buyers these days expect waaaayyyy too much! Structural problems, electrical problems, broken windows/doors-those sorts of things are one thing, but because YOU (general you) dosen't like the wallpaper or the type of wall borders or decorating, you really expect the seller to discount the price because of personal taste differences? Come one! And yes, I don't particularly love walking into a home where it looks like they haven't cleaned in a month or things piled to the ceiling, BUT I'm certainly not going to expect the seller to come down 10k or whatever because they aren't the world's greatest housekeepers. I think some people DO watch way too much HGTV and some of the things that are told/suggested on the real estate shows is just down right ridiculous....getting rid of your TVs, get rid of the pets until you sell, no toys around, even hide the trash can in the kitchen....it's hilarious! I mean, people still have to LIVE in these places, and I'm sorry, but if a buyer comes into my home (i'm not selling, i'm actually a buyer) and passes it up because I like my red accent wall and they don't-well, it's their loss. I do think it's important to have your home clean/de-cluttered while trying to sell, but having to totally rearrange your life and your home hoping to suit that one "special buyer" is too much, IMO. I look for the home's bones, potential, location, and go from there...I certainly don't go into other people's homes and judge it based soley on wall color or the carpet color...

It is destracting to walk into a nasty house and try to look past the crap when all you can really wonder is "why didn't they at least get the chalk out line of the last owner off the floor?"

And if I have to peel walpaper you bet I want a discount That is work and a lot of it. It is one thing to move in and live with something that might not be your taste but if you have to prime 15 times to cover up some rediculous migraine inducing color then the sellers should fix it or price accordingly.

Again I think the OP is saying that asking TOP $$$ for your house when you have just let it go to heck is unrealistic. If a house has all updated everything and sold for X amount doesn't mean your will just by being on the same street.

I think in this case the sellers are the ones expecting too much, TOO MUCH $$.

I wouldn't expect someone to discount because they have wallpaper or "clutter". At least, they don't here. Alot of people still like wallpaper if it is tasteful. I don't, so I wouldn't buy a house with a huge amount of it.

As for dirt, it costs less than $500 to have a "move-in/out" cleaning, so that's about all you can deduct for just dirt. Actual defects are different. An allowance can possibly be negotiated for windows, siding, carpet, etc.

househunting wrote: It is destracting to walk into a nasty house and try to look past the crap when all you can really wonder is "why didn't they at least get the chalk out line of the last owner off the floor?"
And if I have to peel walpaper you bet I want a discount That is work and a lot of it. It is one thing to move in and live with something that might not be your taste but if you have to prime 15 times to cover up some rediculous migraine inducing color then the sellers should fix it or price accordingly.

I think in this case the sellers are the ones expecting too much, TOO MUCH $$.>

UM, if YOU think that a seller has "let the place go" because they have wallpaper and such that YOU don't particularly like is absurd. Now, if the place were an ACTUAL dump and the foundation was in need of repair or holes in the wall or water damage, that's one thing, but if you actually expect someone to go and reduce their asking price by thousands of dollars for WALLPAPER or paint on the walls, then you are the one expecting way too darn much! Yeah, scraping wallpaper sucks-but if it's that big of a deal to you, find a different house, or maybe ask the seller for a thousand dollar updating allowance...and I don't know where you come from, but where I live, if the location is prime and in a good school district and a nice area, the price will STILL be a bit more even for an outdated home because most people would rather buy the outdated home on a nice street and put some sweat equity into it, rather than buy the nicest house on a crappy street and not get back that money if they tried to sell..

And no where did I say that someone should pay "top dollar" for a dump of a house...I was referring to people who wanted a HUGE discount because of personal taste differences...some people DO like wallpaper or green carpet, and if their home is in otherwise great shape, they shouldn't HAVE to come down thousands to every HGTV viewer/buyer out there...if ya don't like it, move on or ask for a REASONABLE allowance to do some of those things..sheesh!

IÂve thought it a rational assumption that if someone does not show enough pride of ownership in their home to do basics like cleaning they probably have neglected more important maintenance as well.

Of course a seller doesnÂt HAVE to discount their house or clean it up if they choose not to. But, if you are choosing to limit the pool of potential buyers by ignoring those that need a move in ready home (I assume this is a large segment of the market) you may have to accept a lower price (maybe a lot lower in some areas) as a result.

Sure, some people can overlook cosmetic flaws and correct them after they buy but why should they when comparable houses (same area and amenities) are available without these flaws? The 70s or 80s chipboard cabinets, shag carpeting, wallpaper, and barney purple coat of paint is being sold right along with the foundation and framing.

Buyers are being asked to give up a sizable chunk of their income for DECADES and competition for that $$$,$$$ is increasing - maybe some feel that the place that they are paying 100s of thousands of dollars for should be pretty nice on day one. I donÂt know if those TV shows have fostered this unreasonable way of thinking or not.

HI Cheapheap,

"I donÂt know if those TV shows have fostered this unreasonable way of thinking or not."

While sometimes those shows go a little far in asking the sellers to do things (like not use the bathroom and hide the trash can) but the sellers call these shows because they haven't sold.

I don't think those shows purpetuate an insane idea for buyers to be expectant as much as they help people who are having trouble selling put all the focus on the positives of their house. Most of the time they need to get rid of the personal stamp on that home to do so. It makes for great thought and debate.

Family pictures and pets don't bother me, I am assuming they don't convey with the house.

But again I think the OP is referring to a situation where a house that is completely updated shouldn't be used as an exact comp for a house that is very out dated and let go.

All in all some sellers (on this very forum) like to blame the buyers because their home hasn't sold when the seller is in complete control of the price and condition of their home.

Cheapcheap, IMO, a strong YES, the HGTV shows *have* perpetuated a seller's home being model perfect AND updated to boot! You see them go into a home that because of mold/filth/clutter should be a tear down, but it ends up having new shower tile installed and granite on kitchen counters. I came across this situation when I listed my home.

Back when the market was hot, you could sell a house 'as is' and not have to worry about NOT getting top dollar. Hopefully things will turn around and people won't have to take out a second just to list their home.

We were fortunate that we had somewhere to store all of our excess stuff before putting our house on the market because I knew our house would be shown on several MLS sites. I even thinned out our wardrobe to make the closets look roomier and thoroughly cleaned every inch of the house. I've looked at properties all over the US on the same sights and not only are people not cleaning their homes, but there's often too much furniture, knick-knacks and pictures of family on the walls. Even if the house is huge and the rooms spacious you can't tell because of all the stuff they have crammed in them. In many of the homes, they allowed their house to be photographed with unmade beds and dirty clothes and toys strewn everywhere. The also don't bother to make little repairs to a hole in the wall or loose trim and paint over the garish colors that their children's bedrooms are painted. These are the exact same people that will complain when their house doesn't sell or they get a low-ball offer. I realize not everyone lives in a perfect house or has the money to fix everything but at least clean up and declutter! Fill your garage or outbuildings with boxes of your stuff if you have to but if you want to sell your house, at the very least clean up!

Clutter schmutter -- that I can look past.

What I *couldn't* look past in the one house I had the misfortune to tour was the cat sh*t ---> ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER! My RE agent was fuming, called the listing agent and ripped her a new one over that...

Blamed the listing agent for a seller's cat? It's a good thing your agent didn't call me.

^^ He was a bit of a firecracker, personal friend of mine. He was really PO'd about it -- I think he was embarrassed by it more than anything else, like it was a personal reflection on him or breach of some unspoken RE code of ethics or something. Who knows. But still -- you really don't care about selling your house if don't even clean up the cat cr*p before a showing...on the counter no less. Yikes!

mxk3, Perhaps the person living in the house didn't want the house to sell, but their ex did.

Every time we would see a property in messy, awful condition, it was always a divorace situation.

We've been looking for a little, older, cheap house - a little fixer-upper. You would not believe the realtor photos I've seen! Looks like something out of Hoarders!

Try being the Agent of one of those Sellers. Some just literally won't do anything no matter how blue in the face you get talking to them. I let them know up front they won't get anything extra for the home. Some say their 'friends' are telling them ANY home will sell today, no matter what condition. That may be true, if the price goes low enough. It's very frustrating for a home with potential in a decent area, and the Sellers do nothing or what they do makes it worse.