home in a mature area of Colorado Springs. I set an appointment to show them an older home built in the 1970's by a very forward-thinking builder, Dorothy Stout. The house was ahead of it's time with soaring vaulted ceilings, large open spaces and even a 5 piece master bath. When we pulled up to the home, Mrs. Buyer said "I do NOT want to see inside this house! I hate that awful avocado green brick! Her husband and kids all wanted to go in on my recommendation, but she would not be persuaded. Finally, I said, "Ok. The sellers may be waiting on us to show it, so let me call to cancel the showing." She said, "Oh, I'm sorry. If they are counting on us, let's go ahead and look at it. But we won't spend a lot of time." Needless to say, when she saw the spacious rooms, open floorplan and luxurious master suite, she DID want to buy the house. There are two points to this story: 1. The 80-20 rule made the interior of the house so much more important than the brick color, that she was willing to buy the house. "After all", I pointed out, "the brick can be painted". 2. That house probably sat on the market because that ugly brick repelled many buyers who would have gone in. If the seller had painted it a more in-vogue color, or the listing agent had highlighted the advantages of the floor plan, the house would have sold sooner and for more money. “We Buy Ugly Houses” is a sign often seen nailed to electric poles. Rehabbers look for ugly houses so that they can pay the least amount possible; homebuyers looking for a deal — not a “giant project” — do not want an unattractive home. Sellers-you have two choices if your home qualifies as an ugly house-make it pretty to maximize your bottom line, or sell it for less for an as-is sale. You cannot do both.
CURB APPEAL CAN MAKE A B EAL CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
Curb appeal is essential to stimulating showings. How your home looks from the road is so persuasive that a well-prepared house may catch the attention of buyers who did not find the written description or photos particularly compelling. Likewise, a neglected house can cause a buyer previously excited by the
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