First off the pop up explanations are annoying as it draws attention away from looking at the home. Second all the explanation marks in them are doubly annoying. And third, the music is too repetitive. The home is lovely, though not to my taste. The photography and slow movement of the photos allows one to easily see this home almost as if you were walking through it.
So basically if you removed the pop up explanations and changed the music it'd be excellent.

Not a fan of slideshows to begin with....

I'd like to see the bedrooms, including closets, and not so many pictures of the foyer.

Once the pictures of the living room came on all I could focus on were the many, many chairs. everywhere.

Nice house though.

ML

Correct the misspellings (bult-ins, cubbords?!).

Surprise in the master closet? What is it, a skeleton? Show me!

Undecorate it a bit, it's over-the-top, too much "stuff" and chairs chairs chairs.

What are the built-ins next to the fireplace? They look like secret doors.

I agree about the pop-ups. Maybe if they were just labels at the bottom, easier to see. I finally found the fast-forward button.

What's with the price? Is it to not scare off buyers who will be counting up the gallons of paint they'll need? It's a fabulous home and property! Wow!

Definitely too many chairs. The views from the balcony managed to make the great room look both cluttered and empty at the same time. The study appeared cluttered and small.

I'll second the not enough pictures of the bedrooms, and too many of the foyer. I now don't remember seeing ANY of the additional bedrooms. Also they mention a home office in what used to be the garage, but no pictures of it.

Too much harping on the "views" out the back, which were mainly of other housing, barn that needs some TLC, and a naked pond with few trees in sight. Outside of the house looks like it could use some paint, and some additional landscaping wouldn't hurt.

A nice house, and I do like the property, but Tara it isn't.

I'm at work so I had to scramble to mute the sound! That should go. Way too many pictures (and I'd make the "movie" an option - not mandatory). Cut at least in half. Get rid of all the Country Club pictures, park pictures, etc. Is there anything that can be done about the furnishings? As in get rid of a whole lot of them, and the wall decorations?

I agree there is too much furniture and color for a house on the market. I was just critiquing the listing.

I could find some nitpicks that I would change, but, overall, a beautiful house, beautifully decorated. Nice video.

I'd say the slideshow clearly showed the property. But the text would be less annoying if placed on the bottom of the image, rather than the top. Being an impatient sort, I'd also like to know how far along in the slideshow I am.

The property looks lovely. I'd want to screen the housing development from view, and of course, make some changes to the interior. The kitchen has no personality, IMO. Sometimes too much of a good thing (cabinetry) can do that.

More taste specific, but I don't care for an open-plan layout when using formal columns and staircases. For me, those sort of formal elements look better with distinct rooms.

Totally unimportant, but those plastic chairs lined up against one of the facades look out of place. And I've never seen the 'wedding dress trail' on a dining chair before.

Get the clutter off the walls. Cheapens the house.

Too many pictures of the same areas. The only place where it makes sense is the kitchen because it is hard to understand the layout in just one picture. I want to see the other rooms, but I wonder if some of the bedrooms are now essentially empty:

I think the pictures clearly show it as a house that has been lived in for a long time by the same owners who are aging, (It looks like one of those chairs that stands up for you in the den?)and that is really informative but they may have wanted to move some of the furniture, even temporarily, for the pictures.

I am assuming that the people who would want to buy this house are the type that would decorate to their taste so the taste-specificness doesn't bother me all that much, but some people can't visualize their own things when the current personality is so strong. However, if this is an older couple who is selling whenever it sells --typically they will not want to update for staging purposes.

I agree with what has already been said about the slideshow-- too long, frustrating in what you don't see and boring in the multiple shots of the few rooms shown and extraneous shots of the "club -- they don't add anything. The pop-in text is distracting and annoying. Of course it's an entry, etc. The motion and piano are enough to make you seasick, especially when you go back and look and some parts a second time to comment on them. I have a serious headache now.

I will address the house because even if you are just asking about the slideshow, the purpose here is to market that property. Is this an estate sale or sale for an elderly couple headed to senior living? It looks like someone has lived here and collected many things for many years and not paid much attention to the upkeep of the property. There are water stains (tear streaks) under the windows even where covered. The grounds and landscaping have not been maintained well. Add some plastic chairs and it looks like no money has been spent on the home -- just on the stuff you would not be buying.

I am a Southern gal who loves porches and columns, I'd love a kitchen with lots of storage and a pond out back -- this house should speak to me, but I don't like the things it is saying. I'm wondering if it is a heavy reno, a total gut or a tear down (water damage, mold, termites -- what else is hiding and what condition are the systems in?).

Hate to sound so negative, but that house needs a power washing, some TLC, a few thousand in landscaping and some serious editing/staging if they want to sell the house and not the 10 acres.

Wow, that's a beautiful house. Where I live it would cost several millian. I agree with some of the suggestions so I won't repeat them but I think too that all you need is some soft classical music, paring down on the furnishings are wall pieces and, if it were me, I'd paint the kitchen a more soothing paint color, merchandise the counter a bit and make it seem like someone actually uses it.
I would go for a classier softer sell by just stating the facts and no adlibs in the sentences. Good luck.

Lovely home and setting! Small nit picky things-the mat inside the front door needs to go. The kitchen counters look too bare and the paint is way too orangy red. The sign with the name of the house at the stop looks horrible-paint is all chipping and faded. Either have a good sign or remove it. And I agree, too many pictures of the same room, too many fussy chairs in the living room.

Is it a "Donna Does Dallas" house? The house itself is lovely, but it has too much makeup on.

It's a beautiful home and I enjoyed the tour. If I were interested in an estate and could afford the upkeep, I'd consider it.

However, I agree with many of the comments here. Please get rid of the music. I immediately muted the irritating sound. Music is very taste-specific and IMO should not be used here. Put the captions at the bottom of the screen and leave off the descriptions - they divert attention from the rooms.

The red paint is so blinding and disturbing that I had trouble concentrating on the rooms themselves - better to neutralize it. Perhaps put a set of canisters and a pot of flowers on the kitchen counters to further "merchandize" them. As it is, it's a rather unfriendly space.

Remove the chairs around the piano altogether. They appear to be waiting for a concert! Leave the space empty. And you might also remove the lacy skirts from the dining room chairs - they're a distracting and slightly strange touch.

Overall, though, to me the house is loaded with personality. It tells of owners who love art and books and music. That study is perfect!

After reading all the comments, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. That place would fetch millions where I live.

The funniest was the little seating area right in the middle of the master bath, with its own rug. Just a little place to go hang out and read or do some needlework.

I like listings where I can click from pic to pic or choose a slideshow if wanted. I couldn't easily figure out how to stop the slideshow on a room I wanted to look at longer.

I'm really annoyed when music is played during an ad...sometimes I'll be surfing for houses while listening to the radio on my laptop and don't want to have more audio come on automatically.

I agree with eliminating the shot of the sign...it means nothing to anyone but the owners and new owners likely wouldn't keep the name or the sign.

The pop ups are not informative, just redundant. Yes, it's a wood staircase; I can see that, and can tell that it's a window wall, etc. Maybe a label at the bottom to indicate the rooms...master bedroom or guest bath, etc.

I won't comment on the home or the decor because I don't think that's what you were asking for?

The ovens jumped out at me. Everything else in the kitchen seems from this century. The ovens scream, "Warning! Save some cash for updates or worn out big ticket items - a/c, roof, water heaters, etc.".

Was a new subdivision built around the property? It doesn't seem very private for ten acres.

All in all, the slide show and pictures are not that bad. I've seen much, much worse. It just needs some tweaking.

I agree with most of the comments...too long. Wondering what is unseen...like other baths, bedrooms. Don't show what you're not selling like the country club and park. I'd delete the words as they are distracting and there are typos in them. Also, while this may be the highest point, for those of us from elsewhere, it sets up an expectation of far different "vistas" than the reality. You want the reality to beat expectations not disappoint them.

I looked at most of the tour and will discuss that later. I clicked on the Menu button expecting to find details about the house somewhere. If there was anything telling about the room sizes, construction details like type of roof or siding, how many garage spaces, or what if any updates have been done, I couldn't find it. That would really bother me as a buyer.

I was curious so looked it up on google maps. It looks like it shares a driveway with two other homes. That's something that should probably be mentioned too.

I like the idea of a virtual tour and it didn't take long for me to figure how to go on to the next photo if it was too slow for me. It's a gorgeous home; the Ewings are envious. If I had had my sound turned on, the music would have bothered me, but the captions weren't a distraction for me. I didn't really notice them.

Yes, it looks like it needs some cleaning. Or painting. Those look more like rust stains under the windows, and that makes me wonder what would cause it. The interior looks clean and well kept though. There does look like a crack in the exterior of a fireplace and inside in the kitchen wall though. If they repaint, they should fix that, or crop it out. Most people who are going to buy a house like that are probably aware of Texas soils, settling houses and all that, but it's still not the greatest thing to advertise.

The caption on the foyer says it is large, but with furniture on both sides, it doesn't really look large. I like all the pictures beside the stairs. Most of all the other walls look cluttered though, and lots of clutter in the tv area beside the kitchen. The great room looks more like a museum or ballroom than a living room in a home. All the scattered chairs add to that look. It looks like the room is too big and there's no way to decorate it well.

I agree about painting the kitchen even though it looks like it might have been recently painted. Maybe someone thought that pop of color would liven the space. It also looks like the microwave needs a trim kit around it. And yes, the ovens look a little old next to the refrigerator, microwave and warming oven, but I also wonder if they are old as they look (I'm guessing mid '90s based on the ovens, the faux finish on the walls and the upholstered dining walls), and how much they've actually been used. Two of the can lights in the kitchen are either off or burned out.

The photos that show the pool and pond do show that neighboring houses are nearby and close together but the photos of the pool are well done and the trees around the pool make it look shady and private. The photo of the pond should probably be redone so the neighbor's houses aren't in it. However, anyone who looks it up on google maps will see how close it is to those houses anyway.

There's an antenna on the barn. Is there a living quarters on the upper part?

I like the dusk photo with the lights on. Very inviting. The country club pictures are unnecessary. That's something that should be noted in the details, wherever they are. I agree with the others that photos of other rooms are needed, especially the master bedroom and the closet with the skeleton surprise.

I don't think I can add much to what has already been said in detail. I can see there is plenty of potential in the architecture, after the taste-specific decor and hot pink is painted over. That is a lot of hot pink. (ETA) I see your comments do make an attempt to draw attention to the features. It's a challenge not to acknowledge the
pink elephant" in the room.

Many buyers can't see past the stuff. As others have implied, the great room looks like a chair showroom. The pictures are so distracting. And that rug is so imbalance when countered by a puny painting. Some houses show better empty; this may be one of them.

Pet peeve: don't claim to have upscale appliances when you have mid-range, at best.

This post was edited by gooster on Tue, Nov 19, 13 at 4:19

And this house and property is in Garland? I know Garland and it's not considered a high end area, though of course there are some nice homes there. I think the value here is in the land but it could be overpriced. I know that is shocking to some of you that think this property is cheap but you have to remember where it is.

greenthumbfish, can you tell us more now?

Agree with all the above. I thought it strange to have religious pictures all over, and such odd/bizarre wall do-dads in the breakfast room, along with personal family photos....and antenna on the roof! LOL! Is that a magazine in the magazine rack with the name Tucker? The house would present SO much better without the clutter *everywhere.* And I agree that the tired looking country club and park are not helpful...Can only imagine though how pretty this property will be when cleaned up, updated, redecorated and landscaped by new owners!

Thank you all so much for your comments! Sorry I'm so late getting back, but I've been ill.

Collectively, y'all hit on most every nail my sis and I did (yes, this is our folks' house).

Unfortunately, she and I were met with icy comments, including "we're not paying for pics and slide show" and "these people are the pros, let's give them a chance to do their job". As a graphics/photography professional, I'm sure you can understand I'm biting my tongue so hard, it's about to be severed! The "pros' were obviously lazy or misdirected by the realtor. They screwed up the first time and had to re-shoot. Still their work is so bad I can hardly believe it. Then it seems to us they just used 3 pics of basically the same thing in each room. Don't get me started on the typos or punctuation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The house does have foundation problems and that is part of the reason for the low price.

At one time, half of the barn (split in the middle, not top and bottom) was a "servant's quarters" and in fact I lived there for a while. Unsure about that antenna - it may be a ham radio antenna, though, as DSD is an operator. There were a bunch more huge antennas that have recently been removed.

Pink in the kitchen great room: Not really, nobody seems to agree what color it is, but it's not "hot pink". Lots of red in there. It reminds me of a pomegranate.

Closet Skeletons: Not so much - it's a storm shelter basement under the closet. They mentioned it on the slide show on a picture of the front of the house, brilliant huh?

Yes, house of chairs - OMG! But I will say, it's perfect for an entire 20+ person family on Christmas morning, LOL! Oh and yes, my Mom is very fond of my Aunt giving mini piano concertos whenever she is in town ;-)

Bedrooms: The bedrooms are actually somewhat small compared to everything else. The house was purchased long after children were a concern. So that may be why they were excluded in the SS. The master may have been a challenge for the "photogs" because of a large window or the realtor could have deemed it dated, who knows?

FYI, the house was majorly renoed before my folks moved in. It was purchased as a single story. Hindsight - they should have torn down and started over. The next remodel was done 12-15 yrs ago and only included the kitchen and kitchen great room, utility/laundry/mud room, master bedroom, bath and closet, bedroom next to master that originally housed laundry facilities, study (which is just beyond the library in the photo, and just beyond that is a ham shack), and bedroom next to kitchen.

I think this is one of those houses that should not be shot with a wide angle, but how would you get it all in there?

Yeah, no pics of the "garage", it wouldn't have shown well anyway.

I hope I covered it all. Sis and I will keep hammering away for them to get the typos corrected and at least take down pics of the park and club.

Thanks again to all of you for your comments!

Wow! Things really ARE much bigger in Texas!

I'm sure you'll wear them down, greenthumbfish.

(I must add that I've never seen lacy chair-butt covers before!)

Can I be nosy about something? How many people, on average, live in the house? Did you and your sister (and other siblings) live there, too, at any point? I just can't wrap my mind around such a big house (I have a townhouse).

Without reading the other comments entirely....my first impression is there is too much "stuff" in the house. Too many pictures on the wall (especially going up the stairs), too much furniture, too many little ottomans, etc). If I were a buyer, I would like to think about where my furniture would go....can't with this house so full of "stuff". Don't get me wrong....it is a beautiful house but IMHO just too overdone.

If I posted what 880K buys in my neck of the woods, you'd understand why I won't offer much criticism. What throws me off is the "Bistro" sign on top of the kitchen cabinet.

Heh, pammyfay - amazingly - on average only 2 people have lived there since purchased. I have never lived in the house, nor any of my siblings for any length of time. Neither do they have live-in help, though as many as 3 people are regularly employed to care-take different areas. As I mentioned, my husband and I lived in the barn for a year while the first reno was being done. My mom likes to throw large parties.

nsm - ha! yeah, Bistro ;-)

Those two people could have a new chair every day of the month!