I had a small home listed about 15 years ago in our county. The lovely owner, an older lady had decided she had met the man of her dreams, (a previous client of mine, so I was a "referral"). She was not going to waste any more of her life living in the snowy, cold winters of Ohio, so she called me, listed her house, packed a suitcase and moved to Florida with her new love. They did not marry, but lived blissfully ever after.
Here is the glitch. She left everything she had owned over 45 years and everything her late husband (the hoarder) had collected for 50 years and just got in her car and drove off into the sunset. The property consisted of 17 acres, a ramshackle barn which was only being held up by the abandoned school bus that was inside and a small little house that still had the kitchen trash can under the sink filled with trash.
How can I sell this house which was filled with a nightmare of stuff? I had a brilliant idea. It was not a good idea, just a brilliant one. At least I thought so at the time.
I held a"garage/estate/yard/barn sale/come and get it while it's free sale!"
Here was the twist. You could have whatever you wanted for free. But...you had to haul a bag of trash off with you when you left! I provided the big black trash bags, they folks just had to fill them. No joke folks, this was the real deal. I placed the ad in the newspaper, put a sign in the yard and stood back. I served coffee and cider, and laughed all day.
One memorable bit of "treasure" makes me laugh still today! A man came wandering up from the barn carrying a motheaten Deer Head on a wooden mount. The Deer Head had long given way from the mount, so it was hanging from the bottom of the mount board at a right angle. On the flat spot of the base of the deer's neck was a bird's nest. Quite a large bird's nest too!!
The comment the man made about his treasure was so profound, I can close my eyes and see the story unfold in my head.
"I am so excited to get this birds' nest. My mother- in -law collects birds' nests and I can hardly wait to give her this one to add to her collection"! That's right, you heard me...he took the whole thing, deer head and all and gave it to his mother -in -law. This was one of those "when you just wanted to be a little mouse in the corner" moments!
There must be a mixed message here somewhere.
The house got picked clean like the Thanksgiving turkey, only needing a few broom strokes to neaten it up. I sold successfully sold it with the help of a cooperating brokerage, and the people have been living there ever since.
Who knew?
Here is the glitch. She left everything she had owned over 45 years and everything her late husband (the hoarder) had collected for 50 years and just got in her car and drove off into the sunset. The property consisted of 17 acres, a ramshackle barn which was only being held up by the abandoned school bus that was inside and a small little house that still had the kitchen trash can under the sink filled with trash.
How can I sell this house which was filled with a nightmare of stuff? I had a brilliant idea. It was not a good idea, just a brilliant one. At least I thought so at the time.
I held a"garage/estate/yard/barn sale/come and get it while it's free sale!"
Here was the twist. You could have whatever you wanted for free. But...you had to haul a bag of trash off with you when you left! I provided the big black trash bags, they folks just had to fill them. No joke folks, this was the real deal. I placed the ad in the newspaper, put a sign in the yard and stood back. I served coffee and cider, and laughed all day.
One memorable bit of "treasure" makes me laugh still today! A man came wandering up from the barn carrying a motheaten Deer Head on a wooden mount. The Deer Head had long given way from the mount, so it was hanging from the bottom of the mount board at a right angle. On the flat spot of the base of the deer's neck was a bird's nest. Quite a large bird's nest too!!
The comment the man made about his treasure was so profound, I can close my eyes and see the story unfold in my head.
"I am so excited to get this birds' nest. My mother- in -law collects birds' nests and I can hardly wait to give her this one to add to her collection"! That's right, you heard me...he took the whole thing, deer head and all and gave it to his mother -in -law. This was one of those "when you just wanted to be a little mouse in the corner" moments!
There must be a mixed message here somewhere.
The house got picked clean like the Thanksgiving turkey, only needing a few broom strokes to neaten it up. I sold successfully sold it with the help of a cooperating brokerage, and the people have been living there ever since.
Who knew?
I can't look a birds' nest without smiling!
.JPG)
1 comment:
And now, neither will I. What a wonderful story. Reminds me of the old country song called "One Woman's Trash Is Another Woman's Treasure." Ain't it so.
Post a Comment