What to do with the neigbors?

Well your selling your house, it's updated, fresh and ready for the first showing.....but the neighbors house is another story.

Maybe it needs paint, the landscape is shabby or maybe the dogs bark like mad everytime a squirrel runs up a tree. What are you going to do to get your house sold?

I will tell my story.

In 2005 our house was going up for sale. We had purchased the 'ugly duckling' of the cul-de-sac and turned it into the 'swan'. Curb to back fence, room by room it was fabulous.
The neighbor's house was a hot mess! It had not been painted in 15 years plus. Some of the fascia trim was rotten and the over grown shrubs had been removed leaving the house with not one bit of curb appeal.

We wanted top dollar and a quick sale. What were we to do?
My very wise husband approached the neighbor about our painting her house. I will add this piece of information, she was a single mother of 4 children who was in terrible financial distress.

We rallied the other neighbors for their assistance, bought the paint, some wood trim and got busy.

In one weekend that house was transformed. Was the investment in material and time worth it? Absolutely!!! The neighborhood was thrilled to have that house painted.
The single mom had a new lease on life, and even scraped together enough cash to mulch her flower beds and plant a couple of flats of annuals.
Best of all when our house went on the market it sold in 10 days!

I would encourage sellers to help the neighbors improve their curb appeal when you can, mow their front lawn when you mow yours. Offer to weed the flower beds, buy them some fresh mulch when you buy your own.

Ask if they can park their trailers, campers and such off-sight during the sale of your home. Maybe you can provide inexpensive ideas for that or spring for the storage yourself for a month or two.

Barking dogs...can you offer to walk the dogs during your showings so they are not disturbing the buyers? Can you pay a neighbor kid to be the dog walker? Can you treat them to a little doggie daycare?

Never over estimate the power of food. If you need your neighbors help, a few homemade goodies may just do the trick in getting their full cooperation and you a quick sale!

Beg, Borrow...but please don't Steal

Sellers often times fear the staging process...

They have watched the TV shows where the designer brings in all new furniture to give the house a more appealing look. Often to the tune of thousands of dollars.

My goal when staging a listing first and foremost is to make it appeal to the widest array of buyers. Secondly, I try to work with the sellers existing possesions.
Often times I can shop the home and find things that can be used in new and interesting ways.

When there are bare spots that need to be filled with items not in the home I start by asking the seller, "Who can you beg and borrow from first. Who owes you a favor or who would like to owe a favor too." This is a very cost affective way of staging your listing.

Sometimes art and accessories are what is needed. Other times furniture is required. I have had serveral occasions were items have been borrowed and the stage turned out better than the seller could possible have imagined.

I even use the 'Beg and Borrow' method for sellers who need off-sight storage. Off-sight storage is always my first choice. Some seller simply can't afford to purchase storage. Your neighbors garage is a better spot for storage than yours.
Trailers and RV's/campers must go away and the further the better so 'borrow' a spot outside your immediate neighborhood. A friend in the country perhaps...

The 'Beg and Borrow' method can really save when staging your listing.