First-hand account from a Realtor who has walked around in the skin of a Seller :)

After spending the last week getting my brother-in-law’s house ready to sell, I have a whole new level of empathy for my selling clients…and an incredible amount of respect for those who actually do everything I suggest in order to best prepare their homes for sale. It’s hard work!!!

One of my favorite books of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird.  Harper Lee’s ability to communicate timeless truths and insights is a testimony to her genius as an author.  At one point, the father, Atticus, tells his daughter, Scout, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view–until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” Well, I spent a week walking around in my sister’s skin.  If she was still alive, she would have been the one responsible for preparing her home for sale, but in her absence, that was a responsibility I happily assumed…she would have done the same for me!

I worked from sunrise to well past sunset for 5 full days. A couple of days, I didn’t even find time for a shower and literally spent a couple of full days in my pajamas…there simply was no reason (or time) to primp! I slept very little, ate very little, worked a lot, sweat a lot, and admittedly shed a tear or two! I thinned their belongings, purchased boxes and packaging materials, packed what they wouldn’t need for a few months, organized closets and cabinets, arranged to have the carpets cleaned, the windows washed (inside and out), the entire house “deep cleaned,” interior paint touched-up, light bulbs replaced, the pool serviced, the landscaping trimmed and in some areas replaced to enhance the curb appeal,  put together a punch-list of repair items for the contractor, arranged to have a pod delivered for storage, referred a Realtor, and hired a stager…and did my best to be sensitive to the emotional needs of my nieces and brother-in-law.

Several broken fingernails later, the 16’x8’x8’ pod had been filled w/all of the boxes and furniture that wouldn’t be staying in the home. The pod was hauled away, the home was staged, and the “for sale” sign was placed in front of the home with a “coming soon” rider! The photographer was there this morning and the marketing material is being produced. The house goes on the market on March 1st, and it looks absolutely amazing!!! It was beautiful to begin with, but as I tell my selling clients, there’s a difference in the way we live in our homes and the way we sell our homes. My brother-in-law’s home is ready to sell…and I’m ready for a vacation!!!

*The house goes on the market on March 1st. As soon as it’s listed, I’ll post the link so you can check it out for yourself.