This week in my local newspaper was a story about a couple that added a $30,000 deluxe covered back porch to their brick row home, violating their neighborhood’s strict homeowners association rules. The predictable happened. They were mandated to tear it down! The homeowners were so embittered by this experience that they tore it down, and decided to move.
They live in a highly desirable neighborhood known for its tight knit community, great schools, and excellent location. They listed it with a real estate agent the day after the roof was taken down. And sold it two days after that!
Although I don’t know exactly how much they got for their house, it was in the $300,000+ range. So now they can kick themselves in the behind twice – once for the roof and once for using a real estate agent, when they really didn’t need to.
Although stories like this are somewhat amusing (as long as its not you or anyone you care about!), they also break my heart. If these homeowners had invested had tried one of my suggestions, that everyone should try selling your house yourself (the right way) for at least a week or two, they could have saved themselves $15,000. A total of $45,000 if they’d not done two things wrong. Yikes.
But not everyone is as smart as us. Not everyone has learned how to sell “for sale by owner” the right way.
