Ugly House Photos

This Mesa, Arizona home is a great learning tool for home staging.  It has many examples of what not to do when selling your home.

Visual Clutter:  Please put away personal items, trinkets, doodads, knick-knacks, etc. before selling.  Anything that would visually distract a buyer.

Pets:  Please remove pets from real estate photos.  Could be a turn-off to buyers.  Please remove visual clutter as well.  A neutral bedspread pattern is another option.  If the budget allows, new window blinds.

Poor Photography:  Flash in a mirror means a new photo should be taken.  The toilet tank lid should be replaced.  Please complete repairs before selling.  Remove clutter as well.

Covered Up Counters:  Please remove all unnecessary items from kitchen counters before selling.  Same goes for above the cabinets.

Refrigerator Magnets:  Please clear all items off of the refrigerator.

Collections:  Consider reducing the number of items in collections.  Buyers might stop, look, and spend too much time on your collections and forget about the house.  Please keep entry ways and foyers cleared of items.  Please put away coffee table clutter such as water bottles and toilet paper.

Driveway:  Please remove vehicles from the driveway before taking real estate photos.

Weeds:  Buyers do not want to see weeds and unmaintained landscaping.

Not Selling a Lifestyle:  Buyers want to envision themselves living in a house.  House photos should have energy, should be sexy, or should feel relaxing or inviting.  Random items on a patio do not have any of these attributes.

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You might be in disbelief, but these are actual real estate promotional photos of an actual home for sale in Chandler, Arizona.

Mommy cat gave birth to several kittens recently.  She’s feeding them next to a baby crib.

Here’s the baby crib.  Let’s refer again to the photo above.  Dirty, soiled carpet, damaged drywall, and cat dander.

Outside we see two puppies.  With gas canisters nearby.  Those eyes are so sad looking.

The patio is filled with junk.

More junk!

And more junk!

Messy room inside.

Cluttered kitchen.

Soiled carpet.  I hope the baby doesn’t crawl on that.

Dirty carpet in another room.

Cluttered bedroom.

Stuff piled up in the garage.

There is a bed in the garage!  The garage door has a Dallas Cowboys poster and a sign that reads, “cat/kitten crossing.”

It’s no surprise that the driveway is dirty too.

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Hurry!

Worth every penny.  (emphasis on penny)

Gotta have it.

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Thank you for including a photo of a curb and driveway.

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Please join me in singing the 3rd annual UglyHousePhotos version of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”  Everybody join in now.  A one, and a two, and a three.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Twelve million cow things…

Eleven chairs a stacking…

Ten rolls of T.P….

Nine deers a killing…

Eight dolls a staring…

Seven plates collecting…

Six bears a stuffin’…

Five water jugs…

Four brass geese…

Three turtles dove…

Two panda bears…

And a John Deere in the front room.

Merry Christmas!

2011’s version is here.

2010’s version is here.

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Would buyers think, “Car maintenance = home maintenance”?

Looks like a fun weekend project.

See?  They’ve starting getting the roof ready for you.

Odd.

The white rock seemed like a good idea at the time.  [Apache Junction, Arizona]

They’re planning to seal the driveway this weekend.  [Houston, Texas]

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What is the definition of a driveway?  And of a carport?  This house has a driveway and a carport, sorta.  Can you imagine having to drive in reverse that entire length every day?

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Did a dinosaur stomp on their sidewalk?

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It’s supposed to be Best House On the Block, but these three sellers think it’s the other way around.

Block the house!  Don’t let anyone see it.

Do not show the outside of the house to buyers.  Cover it up.

This was the only photo of the house.

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Smiley face pillow!  Have a nice day, Phoenix.

Smiley face spare tire cover!  Have a nice day, Atlanta.

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