She was being honest. That said, there is a way to be honest and give constructive criticism, not be degrading and demeaning.

All things being equal, strong colors that are not to one's taste can be a turn off. There are buyers who can't see past the owner's personal decorating choices.

I would go neutral with the paint colors. They don't have clutter and I am assuming everything is clean.

Side story: I was friendly with a neighbor who was selling her house. She really felt that the leopard wall paper in her family room was going to be a selling point! (It was the first thing out, when the new owners remodeled.)

Some realtors, like some people in any vocation or avocation, have no tact. Without seeing the colors, the house or knowing the market (though I hear Austin is a heated market and it sounds like this home has some things that will appeal), it's hard to judge how harsh the realtor's comments were. Her comments were probably aimed at the fastest, easiest, most certain sale at the best price with the most buyers. But ripping out a theater room when there is covered parking would be an expense I would not normally do if the room presents well. If it looks like a garage with sofas and a big TV, the realtor was probably thinking what the majority of buyers would be when looking at it.

Paint won't deter most buyers if it looks like a couple of few smaller rooms -- and you get more leeway if it is a single story with no stairwell so folks can easily DIY. If the colors flow, painting should be less of an issue, but if the colors are bold and the changes from room to room are a disconnect, then she should probably paint at least a couple of rooms.

Your aunt shouldn't rely on one person's views. Given that she wasn't happy with what she heard from this woman, she should probably get at least 2-3 others to look at the house and give her opinions. She should look for a pattern in the comments, ask about what to expect if she does or doesn't make changes and most of all, find someone she will be comfortable working with.

There is no crystal ball that can tell your aunt what buyers will see her house or what they will like or be willing to change -- it usually comes down to a balance of broad appeal and pricing to motivate buyers to be willing to make changes.

Sounds like the realtor could have been more gentle in giving her suggestions but she was actually doing your aunt a favor.

When selling most know to clean, declutter and subdue to make the property desirable to the most potential buyers for the highest possible price. Having distracting furnishings and decor will hide any good bones the house may have. Sadly, some people can't look past current paint colors.

Most people would rather have a garage then a home theater if there is somewhere else in the house to watch TV.

Look at other homes in her area (Zillow search of her city), get a feeling at what her competition will be. Good luck to your aunt and uncle.

I'm sorry your aunt is upset. The realtor should of realized and had more tact.

When we purchased our property a year ago, the kitchen had not been updated since the house was built in 1985. The wall colors were pink and blue, the bathrooms were never updated. The fireplace had fake stone, and the glass doors had gold trim.

Their realtor said, it's all cosmetic and since she believed the house was in move in condition, didn't want to go lower on price.

To me though, everything needed to be redone to bring the house up to date- major renovation, which wouldn't be worth it at the price they were asking. Especially since we were much more interested in the location than the house.

Anyway, to make a long story longer, they budged quite a bit on price in the end. Had they at least painted the walls a more neutral color, re-done their cabinets, maybe get newer appliances, then they would have received what they put in, plus a higher price for the house. But their realtor felt it was in move-in condition. Apparently no one else did.

Moral of story is- there needs to be a middle ground. I can see past the paint- but combine that with everything else and all people start to see is how much $$ they're still going to have to put in.

I'd put it on the market and if it doesn't sell, THEN worry about changing all sorts of things. The next person may come along and LOVE everything. We were just talking about selling houses today and heard a story of the parents' house that was still the same as it was built in 1950s with the aqua bathroom and orange counters and the person that bought it, actually bought it because of the old decor, they LOVED it!

PS, I'm guessing that the real estate market is still booming in Austin? It will probably sell in a day! HA!

Too bad if you cannot drop realtor. It sounds like the house was decorated in taste specific fashion but I'm afraid this rude realtor was thinking about how harder it will be for HER to sell house rather than looking out for your aunt's best interest as seller. If hygiene was not the issue, just taste, her rudeness was uncalled for. Repairing/redecorating for elderly is too much work and even if they do, there is no guarantee that new owner won't redo all over again, so why go through all that? The selling point should be how EASY it will be to personalize the house to new owner's taste. If that realtor doesn't know that, he/she not a good one.

Kitty, I'm so sorry your aunt was upset. Without photos, I couldn't guess if realtor was too harsh, or if the house is really too colorful to appeal to the masses, the widest possible buying pool for achieving the best possible sales price. That's the goal when selling, it has nothing to do with what your aunt may like or her decorating skill. I hope she can find a way to see it as a business transaction and take the personal feelings out of it. Neutral, so those that play it safe can imagine themselves living in the space, but those more adventuresome could imagine it with their own bold colors. Blank palette. And, the safe players are going to far outnumber the adventuresome shoppers, and why you don't want to risk waiting on an offer from that small group of potential buyers.

I'm not clear on the media room. Was is originally a garage and is now converted, the realtor was saying put it back as garage?

This was an unfortunate beginning, I wonder if a working relationship is possible between the two but I don't know your aunt, I don't know if she needs a realtor she's more compatible with. If she can just remember, the goal is a sale.

Edited to add: Arkansas girl, this may be a slower market locally, but here you get but one chance to be the new kid on the block and the house had better be ready. Listing, then making changes to draw new potential buyers, is almost always going to require a price drop or at least no return on the updates. Not to mention prime listing time of year isn't waiting if marketing to families with school age children who may want to be moved and established.

The theater was a large sitting room attached to the maids bedroom just off the hall from the kitchen. The property never had a garage. It looks like a large burgundy carpeted room with crown molding and built in walnut library shelves and cabinets , not like a couch and flat screen in a garage. I don't remember the wall color. It was usually dark when we went in to watch movies. I only remember the heavy dark red curtains with gold trim.

Another thing I like about the house is the spacing between neighbors and the trees that block the view of the next house. It feels private and is the last home on the street next to a nature preserve.

Well when I lived in Austin, the real estate market was very hot and I doubt if it's anything but hot still. It's a part of Texas where everyone wants to live. Another thing about Austin is that people do tend to have eccentric styles there. It's a very artsy type place.

It sounds like the realtor assumed the theater room had been a garage Again, she should talk to more than one or even two realtors and get a larger sampling of views. She should also realize that top dollar usually goes to homes that are either neutral or tastefully trendy. She has some real advantages in even having the maid's room/in-law suite, the nature preserve exposure as well as the theater space - even if buyers want to use the space for something entirely different. She should be able to sell the house just fine. If she wants to sell faster and get top dollar for those things, she may need to neutralize at least some colors and maybe store some things. It's really hard to say without seeing -- and we wouldn't all agree on 100% of the suggestions if we did see everything, which is why she needs to get some other folks looking and advising her. Folks who can see what they are talking about -- and who know that market and the buyers in it (true about eclectic and artsy).

We were just speaking to a young man wanting to buy in a Dallas suburb. He's been in the market for months, but the available houses are snatched up fast at over asking price. If Austin is anything like that, it doesn't matter what color the walls are or even if they're all covered with 1960s wallpaper. In fast markets houses move like the wind. In slow markets it may help to paint, etc., but I wouldn't be in a big hurry.

Austin market is hot hot hot and w/ all the reno shows that are so en vogue, people are enamored with "diamonds in the rough". A savvy realtor knows that but this one is too busy being rude.

That's what I thought bossyvossy! I can't imagine it being anything but HOT! If I could, I would live there in a heart beat!

When a Realtor has poor communications with their client, there's a good chance, they will also have poor communication skills during the negotiations which is not good. As some have suggested, this Realtor may not be a good fit for your aunt and maybe she should consider meeting with someone else.

In regards to changing things around, I haven't gone through all the thread conversations, but if it's a seller's market the way it is here, chances are a lot of what the Realtor was suggesting may not be necessary. Again, another perspective from a different Realtor might offer better insite.. I hope it works out for them, living in the country sounds wonderful.

Yes, the market here in Austin is very hot. Average time on the market in my neighborhood is now 3 days.

I've heard of this type of "honesty" happening in the industry. A friends mom used her sister as a realtor. The sister told her to take down the poppy flower wall paper, the huge dried flower sprays hanging on the walls and change out the polished brass light fixtures for something less flashy......then lower the price $100k. She listed it immediately and when everything had been done....a year later...it sold. She was right! That kind of honesty is hard to take...but it got the job done.

Did the realtor actually say, xyz is ugly or did she just point out the things she thought should be changed? My house is on the market. I have a tough skin but I still cringe when someone says they don't like something. It sounds like your Aunt has a lot of taste specific decor. She should definitely get another opinion before making expensive changes but it doesn't sound like the realtor was totally out of line.

Back to the Realtor. I hope they have not signed a contract with this one. They need to interview at least three Realtors before listing.

The realtor being right or wrong about her assessment of your aunt's house is irrelevant. It sounds like a bad start to an even worse professional relationship. There are a lot of agents out there, so I would suggest your aunt keep looking.

Austin is a very hot market and homes are selling within days - in Austin proper. In the suburbs and surrounding towns, house prices are up and it is a seller's market but homes are still taking awhile to sell. A $200k home might sell within days, even in the suburbs, but a $400k home still might take a few months.

I think that this realtor fails the test. Every home seller needs to depersonalize the household by removing items that will prevent a prospective buyer from envisioning their things in that home- that is what the realtor should have said and then gently explained that all the red purple gold needs to go- your aunt has to start packing anyway so now is the time to pack that up. Perhaps your aunt can find is good stager in the area to help her with the what you keep on display what to remove. In general boxing up almost everything is probably the best thing to do.

On the garage/home theater situation that could be a real problem-was it legally done? In my area you cannot lawfully get rid of your garage; you could convert it to a room and add another garage (a real garage, not a carport) somewhere else on the property but not get rid of having a garage entirely. If it was not lawfully done, the bank may not lend money on that square footage (or at all) until the situation is corrected.

She said it was very unappealing for the average buyer. And some other rude remarks about a few pieces of art on the wall and my aunt's red hat collection in the glass cases. My aunt's red hat friends are everything to her. The real estate agent might as well have said your kids are the ugliest kids I've ever seen. I get a smile when I see the pictures of her friends dressed up and the art of the old ladies with their saggy boobs and bright lipstick. It's all about not being afraid of getting older and good times with friends. I think she should store it away until she has a new house. I could see a person who doesn't know the red hats or doesn't like red hatters thinking it was odd, but my aunt's red hat friends love staying in this room and my aunt can think about her friends ( many have passed on ) and her love for them. I hope I have a great group of friends like that when I get old!

I think it's a good house in a great area. A few rooms, I would repaint but not the main areas ( living room, kitchen,dining and enclosed deck ). Maybe it's my aunt's personality that clashed with the realtor. She's very bubbly and over the top humor. She has high energy for her age.

The other thing is there is a screen left off because a bird made a nest just inside the enclosed back porch of the master suite while my uncle was taking down screens to repaint. The realtor said replace it immediately but my aunt said mama bird would be cut off from her nest and the realtor said tough luck. I hope they find another realtor because I think it's just a bad personality fit.

Practigal -- The OP has told us the theater room was never a garage. It's not a permit issue. Like many homes in Austin and other temperate climates, the house was built with a carport and not a garage. There never was a garage. Sounds like the realtor either assumed there had been or wanted there to be one. If it never was a garage, the conversion would not be inexpensive since the proper framing and support would not be in place and maybe not possible since a garage foundation needs to be lower than the home.

Tactless realtor. Replace ASAP. He/she will not will not offer positive feedback on the house, and that usually helps sell a house to prospective buyers who can't make a decision. Single women looking for a home seem to.be the worst, imo.

I'm not sure anyone knows the realtor was actually tactless. All we know is that she told the aunt to depersonalize the house, which is a good suggestion. We don't know HOW she made the suggestion, but in any event the aunt was offended by it, so she should get another broker, and see what they say, and if she meshes better with them. .

if auntie was upset, realtor was sufficiently rude. You can be insulting even with body language. replace if you can

Personally, I wouldn't have any problem with the red hats as long as it is one room. They don't stay with the house anyway. If the room is crowded by them, that's another thing and probably best to pack away at least some of them.

FInal straw -- I would not react well to the tough luck comments about the nest, especially if the nest has eggs. The mama usually sits on the eggs for a couple of weeks and then it's 2-3 weeks before the fledglings leave the nest. They will be gone before the house transfers. Birds eat bugs --the babies have to be fed every 15-20 minutes. That's a lot of bugs. The bugs that aren't eaten will remain with the house.

"my aunts red hat friends are everything to her"

My mother is a devoted red hat gal too and I completely understand how that may have hurt your aunt's feelings, but in all fairness, depersonalizing is part of the process of selling one's home so while the Realtor could have been more kind with her wording, the goal to declutter is not out of reason. This is why it's an emotional thing to go through though; to a Realtor or anyone coming to look at the property, it's a "house", to your aunt, it's her "home". Two very different perspectives.

We bought our house almost exactly a year ago. It had wallpaper in the hall, dining room, MBR and MBA. It had 1964 windows and a 1964 kitchen. The heating ducts were covered in asbestos and falling apart. The fireplace was dragging the floor and adjacent walls down. The house had great bones, except the fireplace, but it was an elderly woman's home and had been since 1967. It's in a great area in a super hot market (SF Bay) and was not priced as a fixer, but just a little below market. We lucked out - the flippers were off for Memorial Day weekend I guess, and the kids were anxious to sell. We were the only bid on Memorial Day Monday. Had the kids waited another week they could have gotten at least $30K more, but we lucked out. A wreck of a place 1/4 of a mile from here went for nearly $100K over asking the month before.

My point is, Auntie does need to pack up stuff and get a cleaning service in to give the whole house a deep cleaning, more than that, unlikely. Interesting colored walls and a red velvet media room will not deter a good sale in a hot market.

I'll stand by what I said in my initial post. The bird''s nest comment only reinforces what I feel your Aunt should do, as quickly as possible. Maybe a realtor can be recommended by a member of her Red Hat group, or a neighbor, or look on your area YELP site. She needs someone she can have a repoire with and feel comfortable with. I wish her good luck.

"To a Realtor or anyone coming to look at the property, it's a "house", to your aunt, it's her "home". Two very different perspectives."

Bingo! Rather than being insulted it would probably be more helpful for aunt to give serious thought to whether and how much she actually wants to sell the house, because once the decision is made, emotions need to be *out* of the situation.

Getting rid of the most extreme décor (red hat room), repairing what is clearly broken (sorry but the screen fits in this category unless one is intending to sell the property as a bird sanctuary) etc. are what is required. Agree that in a hot market it's not necessary to turn the place into an HGTV/Fixer Upper after but by the same token it does need to look like a place people who are in the market to buy a home expect and want to see. That's not rude, that is a realtor doing a good job or trying to in telling a customer what has to be done. And for all the folks who don't blanch at taking on an outdated, broken down and badly maintained house there are a hundred...a thousand...who will pass it right by because they don't have the time/money/inclination to take on a major project. That is simply the way real estate selling works. In the long run aunt may not be better served by a realtor who assures her that everything is just lovely, and then the house sits and sits and sits instead of having some simple decluttering and repairs done so it sells fast and at the best price.

...and keep in mind how the rooms in the house will photograph. Many buyers today will first view houses on the web. The pictures have to make the right first impression.

Thanks lascatx.

Slight hijack here.

Patty, "Single women looking for a home seem to.be the worst, imo." Really why are you knocking single women? I am in my late 50s and just married for the first time last year. People treat me so much better as a married woman and yes they do immediately look for the ring. At this age, I am certain that marriage has not changed me significantly. I really don't understand why people are so d**n hostile to single women...

The bird nest thing would have been the deal breaker for me.

Oh, dear. I totally sympathize! The perfect storm: tactless professional evaluating a house vs. homeowner with memories invested in her home.

I can understand your aunt's reaction. My MIL adored her home of 36 yrs and selling it was a wrench for her. She never stopped missing it, even though she knew it was the right thing to sell.

Her first innocent suggestion was to sell the house furnished, as is. The realtor (a delightful and absolutely wonderful guy) said "No," as did we. Fortunately she took our unanimous advice and agreed to empty the house before a professional stager took over.

When it was fully staged I brought my family over to see it. Their united comment was, "Wow! Never realized the rooms were that big!"

At the time the local market was declining (and would sink a lot further before recovering). In a competitive market, she got her asking price, which made her last years very comfortable.

Hope your aunt can find a RE agent who is more compatible with her personality. Ours was wonderful, he hand-held my MIL all the way (we were working and too far to see her more than once a week). It really made all the difference in the world for her.

Jelly, the bird's nest thing would have done it for me, too. I have a bluebird family hatching in my front yard bird box. There's a shrub below that really needs a radical trim with my electric shears, but it will have to wait until the babies have flown the coop.

Praticalgal, that's *my* personal point of view(imo, see post)and my intent is not to project it on anyone else or argue about it. When I sold my condo in S Ca 8 years ago, I had one man, and 5 women as interested buyers. The women were very wishy-washy, needed to come back several times, and the one I *chose* to sell to, changed her mind 24 hrs later after a $100,000 'good faith' check. I threatened a law suit in which she would lose her $100k and she backed down. Even her own realtor told me of her indecisiveness. I had the same offer from another woman, but choose this one because she was older, recently divorced, was relocating from another state, and it was the first time she was on her own, making the decisions. I was trying to send her a message she needed to be responsible for her actions, as that's what real life is. It's only *my* opinion that women could have a more difficult time making a major decision, but it isn't written instone.

After spending more time and rereading everything you said about their house, it sounds like a great place to live. I would love the bird's nest, the deck and my husband would adore the theater room! I've never worried about what a room was painted, knowing that it's super easy to paint once everything is out of a house. To me, it sounds like the typical Austinite's (is that a word) home. People from Austin love the outdoors and many are what we once called "tree huggers" (I consider myself to be a tree hugger!). Unless the house was cluttered up, dirty or in disrepair, I think the realtor is stepping over the line with her comments. It would be different if the home was in a depressed area that you have to go above and beyond to sell a home. She definitely needs to find a different realtor!

So Patty Vinson- You tried to teach a recently divorced older woman, who relocated to another state, and was obviously unsure where her life was heading a lesson, when you could have easily of sold to someone else? WOW.

One day, the "favor" will be returned.

Not to worry Ellie, I've had a very blessed life, even with the loss of 2 husbands, one in my early twenties, leaving me with 3 children under the age of 6 to raise. I remarried a wonderful man 3 years later who adopted my 3 chikdren, and together we had 2 more. He left this earth way too young at the age of 69, but never got to enjoy the life he so diligently saved for with his wise investments and focus on retirement. Because of him, i'm fortunate to never have to work a day in my life, as well as sharing with my family, extended family, and many causes I truly believe in. I have 5 adult children who are now my best friends, and friends who know me inside and out because they have known me for years. I'm not concerned in *this* lifetime or any lifetime i'll be granted the 'favors' of which you must be privvy to. I, my dear, have paid my dues, and can only hope you will be as blessed.

I would take a few photos and post on the buying and selling a home forum to see if the realtor is off base or not. Either way, there's a way to say it with tact.

Unless everything is selling above listed price with multiple bids, I would stage it to appeal to the most buyers. That would mean neutral walls in all but the theater room and bathrooms. Make sure the house is almost bare looking with no personal items. No photos, no religious artifacts, etc.

I just sold my condo. I was the only one to sell and it sold at one of the highest prices ever in our building. I had light fixtures with handblown gold glass shades. I had others with red pieces. All those came down and were boxed up for my new to be built house, and in their place were simple clear glass fixtures that are "in style" now.

Anything that showed DH and I lived in the house was removed and put in storage.

With the "tough luck" comment I would have walked her to the door and put my boot to her behind. It makes you wonder how she makes a living as a realtor with such poor customer service skills.

I hope your aunt can find another agent to help her through the complicated and emotional job of selling her home.

My neighbor hated living in her newly painted beige home with only a few things while she was showing her home but she appreciated the quick sale and getting a good price. The theater will probably stay as it is but they are repainting the smaller rooms and the bright trim color on the exterior. Mama bird is getting cared for and my uncle says if anyone takes offense at having the screen off so she can feed her babies then they don't want the house that much. They usually have more bird feeders right outside of the screened porch but moved them further out for the sale. I agree with you that people love nature there and there are always bird homes and feeders for sale in front of local markets. People love dogs too and want to talk about them. I would move there. I have a great time every time I visit.

Just need to comment that as a 67 yr old woman, I will never understand why some Srs want more land and to be out farther! Me, I'll stay with my little yard that's close to the grocery store, doctors and hospitals. Good luck with her sale, you've gotten good advice here starting with get rid of the realtor!

Dear chucksmom, moving to somewhere a little on the quiet side may be exactly the medicine that some people need. If the senior has been living in the house for a long time, selling the house may also provide a lot of much needed liquidity.

"Too bad if you cannot drop realtor. It sounds like the house was
decorated in taste specific fashion but I'm afraid this rude realtor was
thinking about how harder it will be for HER to sell house rather than
looking out for your aunt's best interest as seller. "

Her job IS to sell the house as fast as possible for the best price she can get. That is in the Aunts best interest. That's the whole idea. I would leave the theater room as is but would definitely paint the bright rooms a more neutral color and remove as much clutter as possible. You would be really surprised how much faster the house will sell and at top dollar.