The good, the bad, and the meh

In a recent comment, Far Side of Fifty asked what the feedback has been from the showings of the house.  They've been varied - this past weekend there were two showings that illustrate the dichotomy.  The first on Saturday morning was a single guy, who was in the house for about 25 minutes.  When his agent got back to mine, the comments were: he wasn't interested because the unfinished portion of the basement height was too low, and there was cat smell in the house. The first is a new comment, the second I've heard before.  The living room is two steps below the kitchen so that area of the basement has a height of around 7 feet.  My son is over 6 feet and has never had an issue, in fact he has his weight bench in that part of the basement.  As for the cat smell, I've come to realize that some people are more sensitive to smells. There have been several showings since anyone else has mentioned an odor.  

Nor did the second showing on Sunday mention it.  In fact, the comments were very positive.  However the couple was split on the house, as he really liked the layout but she felt it might be expensive to update so they are off to look at new builds.  I suspect she'll find it is just as expensive to finish a basement and do the landscaping.    

There have been consistent comments that the back yard is too small.  I get that, because it is small - but short of removing the sun room, deck, and sheds there is not much that can be done.  Besides which, we only have a few short months each year when being outdoors is pleasant.  Personally I'd rather have the sun room because I can use it for 9 months of the year.  Other viewers have noted that some of the windows are old.  Again, I agree they are, but none are leaking, and I'm not about to replace something that really doesn't need to be replaced.  Beyond that, the damage to the carpet (by the cats) is an issue, but I have already agreed to replace or provide a credit to the buyer for the replacement flooring.  

I simply have to wait until the right person/people to come through the door.  And for those of you who've read this blog for some time you'll know patience isn't my strong suit!  The other option is to lower the price once again.  Not my first choice but I will consider it in the next few weeks.  The number of properties in my neighbourhood and price range listed has significantly declined; there are now only 14 properties available.  Of those six are condos and another is a duplex.  If someone is looking for a single family home in my neighbourhood, my odds should be somewhat improved.

In the meantime I'll buy a lottery ticket and hope for a big win.

Another bump or two in the road

I'm beginning to think that selling the house isn't a good idea.  There is nothing that can't be rectified but I think I'm at the point where my commitment has waned and I'm ready to move on.  I know, I know, it's only been a couple of weeks and I need to be patient.  Not my strong suit!

This week we got the report back from the energy company and learned my sun room has a gas line running under it.  In the time since I purchased the house there have a been a couple of homes that were destroyed due to a gas line explosion so now all houses that are listed for sale must get a clear report.  (I guess it doesn't matter if you're living it...it's only a safety hazard when selling.)  So the following morning a technician came out and verified where the line is - the sunroom is 16X16 feet and the gas line is about 18 inches in from the far corner.  For that, the sidewalk has to be cut and the line moved at a cost of $900.  I don't know whether they'll repair the sidewalk or if that will be my responsibility, but I'll also have a whole in the lawn that will need to be filled in and new sod laid. Thankfully I was prepared for a bit of unexpected issues and had some money aside for this sort of thing.  However, the line move won't happen until June 14.  Again, is it really that big of safety issue?  

The same morning, the realtors caravan came through with seven agents in attendance.  In the words of my realtor, "Nice floor plan, some thought the yard was small but some liked the sun room.  Consensus on price was it's a touch high. Everyone said they could smell the cats."  This latter point seems to be consistent theme, so I went out and bought two new cat boxes (I use Rubbermaid tubs) and new litter.  This morning, I emptied the old tubs, swept, vacuumed, and washed the floor, sprayed the wall behind, and put in the new boxes.  I've been cleaning the tubs everyday, sometimes twice a day (which maybe isn't enough?), and will continue to do so.  There is a diffuser in the room as well.  When we have a showing I'll put the lids on the tubs and hopefully, fingers crossed that will be enough to keep their noses happy.  

We did have a showing last evening.  I've not gotten any feedback from the visit and certainly no offer has come in.  I suspect a decision will need to be made next week, do I lower the price in order to get a sale or do I stick to my original price and take the house off the market in three months (when the contract ends) and wait until next year.  My heart and my head are arguing over this decision.  There are pros and cons to both alternatives and while I'm practical enough to realize this, I'm ready to move on.

Again, back to being patient.  What is meant to be will happen, not necessarily according to my timing.

In the meantime I'm learning to be patient with my camera as the birds are flocking to my yard.  I guess the word is out the feeder is available.  I'll end this post with a few favorites photos from this afternoon.

My brother told me to put a rock in the center of the bird bath because the smaller birds couldn't reach the water when it wasn't completely full.  I'm pleased to see them using it now.  

Have a great weekend everyone!