Curb apeal

I was recently asked to look at a home for a friend's client. They had the property listed with another manager. It has been empty since the first of September, and now it is the middle of December and still no tenant.

When I drove up to the home, there was a rent sign in the front yard. That was the only positive I could say about my visit. The front yard was completely covered with leaves, their were branches blocking the drive from a recent windstorm, the back yard was almost entirely engulfed in blackberries, and the gutters were brimming over with debris.

I did not have a key, so I was hoping to peak through the windows to get a look at the inside. All the blinds in the home were down. I also noticed that the big picture window in the front of the home had blinds that were badly broken. There was a dripping exterior faucet that had a cap over it. There were several garbage cans full of leftovers from the previous tenant. The mailbox post was leaning like the Tower of Piza.

In a market that is highly competitive, or even one that is not, why would anyone stop to look at this property.

I am continually amazed by what is presented, by a description on the competitor's web site as a clean freshly painted home, is so very different from what I would call rent ready.