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Some Myths About Selling a House
Elberon, NJ May 3, 2000
Aaron H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then. Opinions pro or con are welcome.
SOME MYTHS ABOUT SELLING A HOUSE
Almost everybody who learned of our plans to sell our house said it would
be a snap. Our house is located in a resort town; the prices are up and
favor the seller. There are very few houses on the market now. Our house is
well maintained and has many new improvements. Even so, the myth that
selling our house would be a snap is not so snappy.
We were lucky when we returned to our house from a six months absence in
Florida. We found it clean, the water turned on and loads of mail waiting
for us - some that should have been forwarded last November. A squirrel had
gotten into the house and clawed up the screens pretty good. He also ate
some of the woodwork but Etta, who checked for us, found the damage and
quickly called an exterminator who knew how to ferret him out.
One of the myths in selling a house is that you are going to a better
place. At least, it is a different place and, possibly, one that is newer
than the one you are giving up. Any dreams of the good things that will
happen as you change residences are highly overrated. The amount of work
leaving - not even taking into account starting up a new one - is
overwhelming. It completely overshadows the joy of the move. We have to
decide what things to take, what to sell, what to give away and what simply
to leave.
Another myth is that our house is so beautiful and delightful that all
potential buyers will agree with us that our house is beautiful and
delightful. Not so. These potential buyers have something else in mind.
They do not think bookshelves in all the rooms overflowing with books that
interest us are in any way a satisfactory architectural feature. One person
who rented our house one summer told me that if all the bookshelves were
removed the rooms would be larger. He was right, but books rather than
"larger" still seem beautiful to me.
We are very tired. We are worn down by having to keep the house neat and
scrupulously clean (by ourselves) and we are going to sleep early tonight.
Carol's Evaluation: 9 out of 10.
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