Century 21 Affiliated
Barry Shaw - CENTURY 21 Affiliated

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Barry goes above and beyond for each client whether buying or selling, regardless of the price point. WI and MN Licensed.
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You’re supposed to leave your house in “broom clean” condition for the buyer when you sell your house, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation. It often boils down to sellers feeling like they left the place looking immaculate, and buyers wondering if the seller even owned a broom.

The point is, it’s kind of subjective.

Which is probably why so many sellers think they’re being super thoughtful when they leave certain things behind, but buyers end up feeling like you just left them something to figure out what to do with or get rid of.

So here’s a list of 5 things you shouldn’t leave behind when selling your house, even if you think you’re doing the buyer a favor:

1) A Pile of Random Keys
Of course you need to make sure your buyer has the keys to all the doors in the house, but that stash of random keys you can’t figure out what they’re supposed to open isn’t something your buyer wants or needs. If you don’t know what a key is for, just chuck them in the trash. The odds of your buyer eventually coming across some random lock you never knew existed in the house that fits one of those keys are pretty low.

2) “Touch-Up” Paint
Is it even possible to buy just the right amount of paint? Judging by how many cans of leftover paint sellers leave behind in their garage or basement, it doesn’t seem like it. The go-to rationale most sellers use is that the buyers may want it to do touch-ups, but let’s be honest, paint is a pain in the neck to get rid of so it’s just a handy excuse to avoid dealing with it yourself.
(This goes for extra tiles and any other remodeling remnants you may have lying around as well…)

3) Manuals for Appliances You Haven’t Owned in 17 Years
It’s nice to leave the manuals and any warranty information behind for any major appliances or components of your house that are still working and included with the sale. But do your buyers a favor and get rid of the ones that went with the olive green oven from 1977. Having every manual from every appliance that ever existed in the house just makes finding the right one you need in an emergency that much more difficult and aggravating.

4) That Ridiculously Large Sofa You Couldn’t Get Out of the Room
It’s easy to forget how difficult a piece of furniture was to get into a room, until you try and get it out of a room… on moving day. It’s also easy to rationalize leaving it behind for the buyer to enjoy, free of charge!
But free or not, buyers don’t always want your old furniture that you couldn’t get out of the house in time. Feel free to offer any furniture you don’t want (or just can’t move easily), but plan on getting all of your furniture out of the house before closing day no matter how much pivoting it takes to get it out the door.

5) A Curb Full of Trash
The last resort for many sellers is to throw out everything they couldn’t fit in the moving trucks, or just don’t want anymore. The problem is, some sellers wait until closing day and put piles of garbage bags and furniture to the curb fully expecting the trash collectors will throw it into the back of the truck on garbage day. Maybe they will… But maybe they won’t!

Unless you happened to sell your house to Oscar the Grouch, don’t bet on your buyer being happy about pulling up to the house and seeing piles of trash at the curb. Either get rid of things bit by bit over a few weeks before closing, or plan on making a trip to the dump before closing day.


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What my clients are saying  

Barry is the best in the business! He exceeds expectations and truly cares about the people he is working with! Thanks Barry, we look forward to working with you again.

 

~ Kelli Joy

"Great experience would use Barry again. All worked out well. Excellent experience."

 

~ Collette

First time home buyer, and he was great to work with! I will definitely be using Barry in the future! Best guy in the business!

 

~ Jon K.

"Pleasure to work with. Answered all of our questions and always responded promptly. Made his schedule flexible to fit ours. Overall great experience."

 

~ Brad

"Barry helped my husband and I buy our first house. A lot of people advised me when I started talking about the home buying process that it was very stressful and time consuming. Yes, it felt a little stressful but I have to say buying our first house was a smooth transaction. Barry was excellent with communication. I prefer using my email since I don't always have my cell phone on me. Barry was very quick at replying to all my emails and was always very polite. Barry was also very professional when setting up showings for us, showing the house and at closing. When we received a counter offer on the house from the owner I wasn't sure how to go about it. Barry walked me through all possible options. The options he gave with his opinions felt trustworthy (he wasn't just trying to make the sell). I also really liked that Barry was laid back. He has a calm and friendly demeanor, made him a pleasure to work with!"

 

~ Katarina

I chose to work with Barry because he was recommended by a good friend. Barry was amazing. The process went smoothly because he constantly kept us up to date on EVERYTHING. I have already recommended Barry to a few people.

 

~ Liz

I was purchasing this home from out of state and Barry carefully chose a beautiful home for me and my price range.He carefully listened and answered all questions and was always available.I would highly recommend him!This was the perfect place to come home to.

 

~ Mike

This realtor is more on selling your home and investing his time and money into it. He works with you and is very respectable of your home. I have not found another realtor that cares about you selling your home instead of how much money they make. He is the best by far!! I have also heard from others how nice this person is and how helpful he is; who goes out of his way to please!

 

~ KT N

Barry was wonderful to work with, especially as I was a first-time home buyer and being completely novice with the home buying process. From working with me on affordable homes and proffering advice, and knowing when it was right to delegate concerns as appropriate, Barry definitely knew my needs and interests in a home. His approach is no-nonsense. Definitely not pushy. On the contrary -- On the day I saw the home of my dreams, there were still a couple homes on the list to check out and he had asked me if I was sure I didnt want to see them. I'd said no, but it was fantastic he encouraged me to try one or two other homes. But even my mum has an old adage - when the right house is found, one knows straightaway that is the one. And he was very helpful for a post-sale issue too. Am most grateful! And he's right - living in Wisconsin is fantastic. Barry is highly recommended - again, much thanks!

 

~ David

If you are looking for a new home Barry Shaw is your guy. He is excellent! He found us the home of our dreams and helped us with all of our questions through closing. Thank you Barry!!

 

~ Robb

Barry understands all the emotions you go through when buying/selling your home. He responded to emails quickly. He set up home showings quickly for my husband and I to view. His negotiation skills are excellent. I highly recommend Barry to sell your house or find the house you always wanted! He found the perfect house for my family.

 

~ Jennifer

It was very enjoyable to have Barry show us houses in Prescott,WI. and surrounding areas. He was responsive in showing us the homes we were interested in, with no pressure. He was very helpful.

 

~ MC

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