WEEKLY NEWSLETTER February 3 2025

FEBRUARY 3RD 2025, WEEKLY NEWS, A WEEK IN MY LIFE

Weekly News Update. How do you handle the heat? Our dog and cat don’t like it, I am not a huge fan but understand that it’s summer and it will happen. I look at it like stress. Some days are overwhelming, some are relatively chill. 

Getting your home ready to sell is similar. Some days I want to throw my hands up in the air and say ‘forget it, we’re staying’ and others I relax and appreciate the beauty of where we live, knowing that we will be leaving our home soon. 

It’s been hard work to get our home to where it is. It’s taken a very long time. When the agents came through to appraise our home, some were “keep decluttering” and questioning our decision to not update kitchen and bathrooms. The agent we chose, was appreciative of the light throughout our home, the paddocks and the space. 

As an ex real estate agent, and now as an advocate, I realise that it can be a fine line. If the agent is too over the top positive and then hits me with price reductions, the relationship will sour quickly. 

Truth is good but so is seeing the good and understanding that the seller is doing what they can.

Point out the good, it’s a home after all. 

After the months of preparation, of decluttering, packing and cleaning, the next stage happens fast. 

Agents should understand the heat, the pressure, a seller is feeling. Sure, have your process but be prepared to go at the sellers pace.  If you make it too hot, then the seller will be stressed, adding pressure to the relationship. Let them know what is happening and whatever you do, tell your admin staff to be gentle. It’s not about them. It’s not about them ticking a box in their process. Frankly, I don’t care about their time lines. 

Efficiencies and automation make the agent feel under control. It’s similar going to an Open Home and receiving an sms two steps past the agent, asking you about the home and thanking you for coming. Too soon, hold it off till the end of the open. The agent ticks a box that triggers the next 10 events – conveyancers, vendor checklists etc and asking the seller to get onto it quickly. Again, if it holds your process up, your checklists, then as a seller, I don’t care. I am still getting my house ready.

It is a fascinating process being on the other side of the fence. I understand but agents and their staff should understand too. For them, it’s another house, another commission, for me, and every other home seller, it’s their biggest asset and therefore they have alot riding on the sale. 

A Week in My Life

Other things happening apart from our home going on the market. Our daughter is flying in on Saturday to prep for her wedding. This is a stressful time for her and I do not want to add to her stress levels. 

We understand that there won’t be many suitable buyers for our home – ruled out by size, acreage, and price and we hope we can minimise disruption to our lives.

I am tempted to say private appointments only however, I understand that buyers like Opens. They get to stickybeak and it’s an opportunity to check out a number of houses in a short space of time whereas private appointments you are stuck with the agent telling you every detail. 

If you want to view the home again without waiting for the next open, then book a private appointment.