Home Selling Superstition
There is ample advice for those wishing to sell a home. My advice usually involves market research, plumbing repair and the occasional paint color debate. But, the advice given by family or friends is always a source of interest to me.
There is always a common belief that scent can sell a home. I will agree that foul odor works against even the best bargain on the market. But, does it really make a difference to have a property smell like fresh bread or cookies? As the daughter of a compulsive baker, I do believe that a good cookie can smooth any public relation. But, can a condo be sold by smell alone? My conclusion is that it sure can’t hurt. Especially if baked goods are left out for visiting agents.
I once had a home buyer assess properties based on the principles of Feng Shui. This is the Chinese art of arranging your surroundings to attract positive energy. It contends that good Feng Shui can energize your life in the areas of Health, Career, Love and Marriage and even Wealth. Much of the positive Feng Shui advice makes for good showings as well. To boost wealth it is recommended to add flowering plants along the walkway (preferably red), clear away clutter, keep stove burners clean, and light the pathway to you front door, keep live plants in left side corners and never have too much cramped furniture. Good Feng Shui advice sounds like good selling advice to me.
The St. Joseph statue is a long held real estate superstition. St. Joseph was named a Catholic saint in the late 1800′s. Among other things, he is the patron against doubt and hesitation. And legend has it that he can help sell your house. Simply buy a 4 inch tall St. Joseph statue for about $9.95 and bury it in the front yard of your house. He should be buried facing the street near the for sale sign and must be left there for 3 days. After three days have passed, a buyer should be at your doorstep with offer in hand. Once St. Joseph has sold your home, he should be dug up and kept in a position of respect. There is no evidence that St. Joseph can offer any protection against bad inspections, poor financing conditions or title issues. So perhaps, a real estate agent is needed after all.
In any case, the process of selling a home is often a stressful and challenging time for even the most patient of sellers. If cookies and flowers and patron saints can soothe the nerves and satisfy hesitant buyers than perhaps they are good advice indeed.
Wendy Hauschildt
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/home-selling-superstition-126758.html
I’m selling my home. Anyone have any superstitions that can help/hurt that effort?
Superstitions can’t hurt, but might help, my effort. It’s only been on the market a week, and he place is beautifully staged, very clean, and shows well, but I still feel like I need the extra oomph. I’m impatient and ready for it to sell…
Per others’ advice, I’ve buried an upside-down statue of St. Joseph in the backyard. (Even though I’m not Catholic!) And I keep yellow flowers in a vase near the front door. My Realtor told me NOT to bake cookies or bread, as people now take that as a sign that you are trying to play them or hide another nasty smell. But I cut a fresh lemon and leave it on a cutting board before every showing.
Anyone have anymore of these superstitions that help/hurt a home sale? Please share!!
superstitions originate with the devil
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They are just superstitions.If they help a home sell, it’s coincidental. I have a St. Joseph statue in my house for sale too and he hasnt helped except that I pray when I see him. You must be patient. It’s a tough market right now, you seem like you are doing all the right things.
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Leave the baking.
Just put out a Yankee candle jar in the middle of the living room or kitchen and make sure your house is clutter free.
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Stand in front of your house and wave your hands at your house and chant "mojo, mojo" Then wave at your neighbors house and say "double whammy double whammy."
It always works for me:o) Hope that helps!
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the only thing that will help you sell your home is to lower the price. buyers are to smart for any of that other crap.
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St. Joseph should be buried near your front door and when you sell your home, you must dig St. Joseph back up and then keep him displayed somewhere in your new home!
(our home was up for sale for 6 months and then we buried a St. Joseph statue near the front door and said a prayer to him for help and our home sold that week! We have our St. Joseph statue in our hutch and thank him nearly everyday for his help!)
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If there was love in the home while it was occupied, then you don’t need anything else. That love will resonate throughout the house and will be felt by the people who come see it. Superstitions and perfectly staged houses won’t help if the house has a cold heart.
Also, lots of prayer certainly won’t hurt!
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Our little home sold in a week without professional staging; just new paint, a good cleaning and 8 years of love while we lived there.
Trim all trees that need trimming with a pole trimmer. If you can, rent a machine that pulls plugs up in the grass so the grass will absorb fertilizer better. Drive fertilizer plant stakes around all the trees and bushes with a rubber mallet when the ground is moist and soft and fertilize the grass with a winter grass fertilizer. Also plant some spring bulbs so they will come up in the spring (esp. like red, white and blue tulips in every other one pattern lining the side walk to the front door).
This will make all the gnomes in the yard happy and they will help with the sale .
FOR PETE’S SAKE!!! DIG UP ST JOSEPH!!… HE IS A SAINT!! …WHY BURY HIM UNDERGROUND???… TREAT HIM WITH THE RESPECT THAT IS DUE HIM!!!
Also the gnomes in the yard will not be very happy about foreign objects buried in their yard. Put some gnome statues around your home, so that the buyers will know that gnomes live happily there (you can always take the statues with you if you want when you move).
Not many people want to move in the winter. Would you?? Your best chance of selling the house is in the spring when people want to move and when the yard looks its best all green and flowery.LANDSCAPING INVITES PEOPLE INTO YOUR HOME!!
Good luck.
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Lol, well I’ve been in the business since 1973 and I’ve seen some pretty weird things but my favorite is the Old St. Joseph one. Here is the link so you can see the whole story about it.
Burying old St Joseph to sell your home: http://www.snopes.com/luck/stjoseph.asp
Buena Suerte
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http://www.realestateformnm.com/ResearchLink.html
lots of superstitions..such as birds in a house..
Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy)was terrified of birds in a home..which included birds on wallpaper etc…but she did buy a house with birds in the wallpaper but would not move in until the wallpaper was gone..(so a buyer wants your home..they will buy)
this is a negative/positive (as she did buy)
but your house has been on the market 1 week..
Phone your realtor..
they know your local buyers..and what they want..
follow those tips..
a realtor/agent tour of your home helps…..as agents have prequalified buyers..and they know what those buyers want
this should not take long if done properly.
we have a heavy Asian market and that believe in "fung shui" (being in alignment/peace with your home)
which includes small things like a mirror in the hallway (now I personally like that because you get a quick look before you go out into the public to do a check that your not smeared up) and natural elements, like water, rocks, crystals, etc.
now just a small one that i like and gives off a scent..is a brandy glass (clear)with crystals/colored stones (craft stores sell them) and put in the crystal, in the glass and some scented water..and a flower..a single flower..seasonal shade (so winter use a winter blossom)or for winter use the element of fire and put in scented candles….and you get a small scent…you have a decoration and 3 of the fung shui elements..
one tip i gave my daughter and she loves..is from the dollar store she buys..scented candles and a pretty glass (like the brandy ) and she puts ice in the bottom of the glass..so when the candle burns and melts the wax goes on the ice..and is an easy clean up..(she loves this in the bath tub ) (3 of fung shui elements fire,ice, and water then you get a nice smell as well)..
good luck
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http://www.call-you-realtor.com
http://www.fung-shui.com
Advice…your superstitions don’t bare on someone looking at your home..They could care less..
1…neat and tidy
2…fresh paint…inside and out…(neat and tidy)
3…advertize..everyplace you can think
4…Price it just below anyplace that for sale locally with a realtor..especially comparables..
These next couple are important but will cost you
5…Have inspector do report..about $300
6…offer buyer closing cost help..(this will come at closing no out of pocket money if your equity is more then sale price)
7…If you don’t sell in a 6 months…give up and hand over to realtor…You don’t want to miss out on the selling season and realtors have a better grip on things when it comes to finding buyers.
I’am listing my home for sale in two months,spring,summer and fall are the selling seasons in my area of the world..
Good Luck
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