4 Ways Your Tenant is Screwing Up Your Sale

Dear Landlord,

I’m sure that your tenants in the house you are trying to sell are very nice people. But when I went to show it, there were a few things that you probably don’t know are happening. Things that you might want to talk to them about before you decide that your Realtor isn’t doing his/her job.

Cooperation when making appointments

Just like selling any other home, it’s important that it’s easy to show. When a tenant won’t allow a lockbox and insists on being present for every showing (which means working around their schedule) the only person losing is you.

Buyers have a long list of homes to look at and they do it on their own terms and timeframe. If the only appointment we can get is every other Wednesday at lunchtime, believe me, we will have found another house long before we get into yours.

Might I suggest that you have a heart to heart with your tenant? A lockbox is a necessity. I can assure you that no one is going to steal their beer can collection.

Keep It Clean

I don’t know a polite way to say it, so I’ll just be blunt. Your tenants are pigs. The floors are filthy, the sink is overflowing with dirty dishes, laundry is piled up everywhere and there is apparently a science experiment taking place in the bathroom.

People don’t buy dirt…not at the price you’re asking anyway. Not everyone who looks at this house is an investor. As a matter of fact, most of them aren’t. They are just regular people who are trying to find a home within their budget that they can be happy in and that they don’t have to shovel out before moving in.

Pets

Remember that clause in the lease that says “no pets”? Your tenant doesn’t.

Between the pit bull and the stinky rabbits, we weren’t sure if we were going to be on the losing end of the circle of life or witness the miracle of birth. It’s time to make a surprise visit and enforce the rules of the lease. If you are allowing pets in the house, I hope you got a fat, non-refundable deposit. You’ll need it to clean up this mess when they are gone.

Loose Lips Sink Ships Sales

Most tenants are very concerned about whether a new owner will allow them to stay and have a tendency to point out every flaw in a property when potential buyers visit.

Did you know that the dishwasher leaks, the garage floods during a hard rain and and you have to jiggle the handle on the toilet to keep it from running all day?

Thanks to your tenant, my clients do.

Wishing you the best of luck with your sale,

The buyer’s agent