How Important are Interior Photos?

Dear Phyllis,
My mother is in rehab, and when she recovers, we are going to move her to an assisted living facility closer to my family. We will then be selling her home in Torrance.

Unfortunately, her house is extremely run down. It will be a lot of work relocating her, and we want to sell the house without making any repairs.

There are holes in the walls from past plumbing leaks and one of the bathrooms has been gutted. Although my mother
has the money to make all of these repairs, she didn’t do them and chose to live this way. I am embarrassed for the neighbors to see how my mom lived, so I don’t want interior photos or open houses. The Realtor I met with insists on them. He says both are critical in marketing the home.

How important do you think interior photos are? I am interested in your point of view.

Thank you,
Jan

Dear Jan,
Thank you for your question. I understand your situation and the Realtor you hire should respect your wishes and your mom’s privacy. I can imagine how challenging it must be for you to manage all these aspects. Home buyers pay more attention when they are engaged. Although interior photos are important, they are not necessary. You might consider having some interior photos that the Realtor you hire can send to other Realtors if asked. They don’t need to be added to the multiple listing service (MLS). This is simply an option but your choice.

Open houses can be an excellent tool for getting a lot of buyers into the home. However, as your mother’s house is vacant showings will be simple to schedule. I suggest the Realtor you hire take exterior photos and perhaps a drone shot. In the
MLS remarks your agent can indicate that the home is a fixer if you are “okay” with that. Something like: “This home
offers the ideal opportunity to renovate to suit your taste.”

Yours is not an unusual situation. I have come across it before and always respect my client’s wishes.

I wish your mom a speedy recovery.

Best of luck,
Phyllis