Expert: Jessica Bryan - 10/2/2005

Question
Hi,

I have a house that I rent out right now.  I am thinking of selling it.  I am married and my husband and I don't wish to own a rental place anymore.  

To make things easiest, I would like to sell this house as is, including things inside of it or perhaps with the help of someone cleaning it out for me.  I don't want to hassle with this job.  Is there a realtor that will handle this task for me?  I think that it might sell quicker if it has been emptied out first but which realtors in Wisconsin will handle the emptying out, cleaning, and selling for me?  

THANK YOU in advance for your advice.  If I can find answers to my questions, I will feel relieved.  My husband only has selling on his mind these days.  I need help in order to sell it.   

Sincerely,
Lynnette  

Answer
Dear Lynnette;
Depending upon the furnishings in the house it may or may not look better with them gone.  If the home looks neat and presentable with the furniture and if it doesn't distract from the interior then you might want to try to sell as is.  However, this is not usually the case. An experienced agent can view the home and give you advice on this. A Realtor can also help you out by contacting services that will clean out the house for you.  There will be an extra fee for this.  However, if you contact a junk or used furniture dealer they will pay you for some of these items which will cover the cost of hauling everything away.  If you like, I can help you with this by using my referral network and finding someone to handle everything. (I obtain a referral fee from the listing agent--no cost to you.)  If you want to  use this service I will need the location of the home and contact information for you.  If you prefer to do this on your own, you will need to call around and look for an agent who has people that he or she uses for this service. Once the home is cleaned out of furnishings, it should receive a thorough cleaning by a cleaning service.  Selling the house as is will not net you the maximum profit.  With just a quick cleaning and attention to a few details you stand to make more on the sale. It will more than cover your costs.  Again, a good agent will handle all of this for you.  I don't know the value of this rental property, but in some instances you can make thousands more by just simple work: carpet cleaning, painting, fixing broken items, polishing knobs and handles, deoderizing, and a little scrubbing.  Outside, some weeding and/or trimming with attention to adding some colorful bedding plants create a welcoming appeal.  Consider also that windows should be clean, drapes or blinds open and lights on when a home is shown.  This makes a big difference in first impressions.
If you want to contact me to do any of the research and follow up you are welcome to write or call me:
jjbryan01@aol.com or 919 272-0699.
Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Jessica Bryan
Managing Broker
House to Home Realty Services