The only reason not to list such a house is that the sellers insist on pricing it as a beautiful, clean, updated home. 

Yes, I would. I have a good friend that told me years ago. "There is a behind for every seat!" He sold used cars and no matter how bad those cars had gotten, someone would buy it if it was priced right!

So Yes, take the listing.

Someone will buy it if it is priced right! 

I've actually been there and done that!  I recall an especially dirty and smelly house, I had been called out to list.  The home had been occupied by an elderly couple, who had been moved into assisted living.  When I met with the son, we addressed the "elephant in the room" directly.  There is no benefit in pussy footing around a situation like that.  The property was cleaned of debris as best as possible, but was still pretty much in bad shape.  It was priced to sell, and it was advertised pretty much as a "Dirty Smelly Fixer."  You wouldn't believe how the phone rang.  We ended up having a bidding war.

There are buyers who won't run from a "Dirty Smelly Fixer" because they only smell OPPORTUNITY!

might list it but id surely buy it.  those are the ones that are the paydays.  the smellier the better i say.  if the place stinks like a box of feet and a$$ the sellers surely know it.  the place will sell only to folks that can look past the defects and are usually not the owner occupied ones so you're not going to be hurting any feelings.

those that are owner occupied and repulsive get the dutch uncle talk that the place needs some sanitizing.  i have a gal that can make a dumpster sparkle and they get her number  and the memo  that she's coming by.

most agents with a few years under their belts have paid to have cleaning done...it's often the path of least resistance.  once i paid to have weekly maid service for a gal with a teenager too frikkin stupid to put his scuzzy clothes in a washer.  the kid was beyond pig so i sent my gal over to straighten up every week

Bring it on!! Give us the dirtiest, most decrepit, run down, problematic, structural mess with termites, foundation and drainage issues at the right price and we'll pay cash and close within 30 days.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!   And hire an ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) Home Stager who has been trained to handle this and to be "your bad guy" to do all of the communicating of "what the Homeowner needs to hear but doesn't want to hear" topics. A stager is to be your HELP, not a competitor, in getting those listings sold for top dollar!  Once a property has been staged by me, which includes the consulting addressing the areas that need inprovement and then the Homeowner makes these changes, the property gets a contract in a very SHORT amount of time -- ie one of my staging projects got a  solid contract in less than 8 days!   So, use an ASP stager!!!!!

Sometimes just the awful smell of cigarettes or cigars can be a deterent.  Here's a tip that works to rid a vacant home or an appartment of cigarette or cigar smells.  In each room place a plastic bucket in the center and add a gallon of white vinegar. ( reasonable at resturant supply places ) Leave it there for 2 days and remove.  You will notice that the white vinegar is murky and has absorbed the odors.  If not quite clear yet repeat the process.  If there is severe yellowing on walls and woodwork then some washing may be necessary but the vinegar will extract most of the smell and make it less obnoxious.  We have been using this method for years with great results.

fun  to see the difference of opinion here.  truly proof that one mans trash is anothers treasure.  regarding cigarette smell...y'all are going to love this one...

i once took on a rehab for a guy that had had a tenant in residence for twenty years.  the tenants hobby it seems was smoking and he was good at it.  the place was just FILMY and CAKED with nicotine staining and stank to high heaven.  the walls got a serious hit with a strong TSP solution and the film streaked off nicely as we prepped for paint.

the fun came when my sheetrock guy started scraping the cottage cheese ceilings...the stuff was brown with nicotine and when some of the scrapings hit the guys arm they were like little nicotine patches...LOTS OF THEM.  the guy got light headed and then the nicotine in the scrapings hit hard and sent him to the yard for a little lunch toss and a 45 minute nap.

fortunately the sheetrock guy was a smoker and no herm was done but he could have been on  a ladder.

note to self...always wear tyvec coveralls for the scraping of the ceilings. 

I've had two occasions in the recent past re: this subject. One was for a home filled with the smell of smoke from her recently deceased husband who was dying and smoked constantly. We were going to list it, so I found a man whose company doesn't just mask the smell of smoke in a property but the ingredients used actually change the chemistry of the smoke and eliminate the smell. The lady was so pleased that she decided not to list and stayed there another 7 years before we listed and sold it in a week this past summer The smell had never come back........The other was the unbearable smell of cat urine which was overwhelming visitors at the first Open House. I told her the company I had used successfully would come and explain the process to her, but the cats would have to stay away, or the smell would come back. She followed our suggestions and put the cats in a cat hotel for the duration which was very emotionally painful for her. We sold it within two weeks to a family with cats, and the smell hadn't come back, but it probably has now and they wouldn't care or even notice. I can vouch for this man and his company which, I believe, works in other parts of the country as well. You would have to contact me by email, as I can't give out this information here.

 Only if they priced it right.  You can sell about anything if it is priced right.

Most definitely - Those are the total gems in our current market.   What smells of dog urine to one agent smells like money to another...

Yes I would. I think every home will sell. I sold one of those last spring to a rehabber. And I got both sides.

And I bought one of those. The owner had been living there 55 years. It needed everything. So we bought it, fixed it, raised our kids there and are coming up on our 29th anniversary living there.

To set the record straight my wife was motivator. And she was right again. 

Its simply a matter of PRICE.  Anything will sell for the right price.  We always say location, location , location.  But price goes hand in hand with Condition.  Good condition with updates usually equals strong price.  Dirty, smelly, moldy, etc.  can be a diamond in the rough.   Sell it!

As some have posted earlier, I would not rule it out just because of the condition. If the seller is motivated to sell and realistic in their expectations (including price!), I know of plenty of investors that would scoop it up (especially if the location is desireable!). Professional cleaning services often work miracles  

Thanks for the post!

Dirty can be overcome but smell is tough.  Buyers worry, and I don't blame them, that the smell won't come out.

I give two different recommended prices; one cleaned up and one not cleaned up.  That usually motivates the seller.  The only problem is:  their idea of clean is different from your (and a buyer's) idea of clean.

I will say: dirty significantly impedes the pice.

Yes I would take the listing.  I would offer my assistance to help them get the house in as best shape possible. I was working with another Agent a number of years ago, and we had a listing that was beyond imagineable in regards to the smell, and condition of the inside of the home.  I had to sit on newspapers on the floor to take the listing....need I say more?  We paid for a company to come in and clean up the house.  The house SOLD in less than 30 days! 

Maybe ask them to clean it - to help them sell it.

Lots of great responses here Raoul - I once sold a horders' house/REO, so my answer is a qualified yes.    The seller has to either understand and accept the innevitable discount, or be willing to do some mitigation.

Absolutely! There are plenty of folks out there that are looking for a fixer-upper and there is a fanny for every saddle.

Has to be priced right...

Yes I would if the sellers are willing to listen and we will get this cleaned, staged and priced right for the sale.

John DL Arendsen we are totally aligned with you... Bring it on and we will buy it... for the price of course

Take the listing.  Explain to your seller, that you will probably need to sell the house to a rehabber as the house needs work.  Then do some research in your MLS and find which agents do a high number of CASH buys.  Give them a call and tell them you have a good project for them.  You will sell the house quickly and with little effort.

Yes.... I once had a listing where the Sellers let the German Shepherd "whiz" on the floor, where there was only plywood to absorb it!  I held my breathe when I entered!

It sold and the Buyers pushed the home over & built a new house, since the lot was great!

Kathy Opatka

Would I? I have. A few in fact. They were REO and when you list REO you take the good with the bad. The worst one was sooo bad. I went to meet the occupants to get a cash for keys agreement signed. I noticed the smell about 10 feet from the front door. When they opened the door I almost dropped to my knees. When I got home I came in from the garage to the laundry room, stripped and put everything in the washer and went right into the shower. Sold it to an investor. It looked (and smelled) great when he was done and he made a nice profit.

Dear Raoul,

Sure. Almost any house will sell eventually, if the price is right. The one thing that does not work is to pretend it is a butterfly, when anyone can see, that it is a stinkbug.

I list: the good, the bad and the ugly. I disclose to show I'm doing my job as best as possible. Investors love these because they can make a few extra bucks.

Raoul - It would depend on the specific home.  Sometimes I would and sometimes I'd take a pass.  If it was in a "hot" area where the homes fly off the shelves, so to speak, then I might, but if it were in an area where sales are slow and only the best ones sell, then no.

I would take it if the sellers were MOTIVATED and also capable financially, to ckean and fix it or to dramatically reduce the price. I had one like that last year-practically falling apart, moldy, etc. and we finally got the price down enough so somebody bought it.

Listing one today.  Brother is executor of the estate.  Son of the deceased owner moved in with dad to take care of him in his final months.  After the death, he told the heirs that he was making the payments.  He wasn't.  He and girlfriend and 5 dogs trashed the place.  We put it on the market $20K under market value.  I'm sure I'll have a busy week going through the offers we get. 

Of course I would list the property if the owner agrees that it be priced accordingly and described accurately in the listing. There are investors out there that will snap up a well priced "fixer" in no time. If the owner does not see the house for what it is, I would not touch it.

If it smells it wont sell!  I do think it depends on the house, and most of all the price. If the smell is an easy fix your seller certainly will gain back any cost to cure in an increase price, but if they are not able to or unwilling to, then price it accordingly and advertise/disclose it properly.

Depending on the source of the odor and if it can be eliminated I might. There are times when I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly whereas the owners have become immune to it.

sure, you'd curdle as some of the listing I have taken... and some of them I have bought and turned a nice profit... It's all about price, condition, location... never changes

Yes  it is something i see in REO every week, the one thing that cures smell is price. But if it is occupied, it needs to be priced right or cleaned. 

Yes.

Some buyers are going to run out and some are going to run in. Believe me.

Besides, they're not going to ask me at the bank where the money came from.

Cheers.

Have done it in the past...has to be priced right.  I would also recommend they treat it to get the smell out.  Came across PrOzone Indoor Air Quality Professionals - DFW's leading smoke and odor removal service....give them a shout if you're in the  DFW area.  www.PrOzoneProfessionals.com  

Yes as long as they were realistic with the price, and depending on their time expections.

Yes, I would take the listing and help them with odor mitigation. I carry an ozone generator in my real estate tote in the Jeep. I use it judiciously as it can cause irritation to mucous membranes and lungs if used in the same room as people or pets.

In a heart beat! Bring me your dirty smelly huddled masses.  Every home will sell for the right price.  The sellers should be aware that conditiond dictates price, then the ball is in their court.  Some people like ugly homes, they feel like they are getting a deal, even if that is not true.

If priced right for its location, condition, and seller motivation, sure.

Sure.  As long as the seller is realistic that the property will sell less than similar properties without the smell.

Yes, and hire a professional home stager!  We have a network of cleaners and organizers at our disposal, and we can give your clients a report and "to do" list to take care of all of these issues.  Then we go back and make everything beautiful for your marketing photos.  Check www.homestagingresources.com for professional stagers in your area.

Yes, if they agree to clean it up and/or price realistically.

Looks like you hit it out of the park with this question.  Smells like a gold mine and who know a treasure may be buried in there somewhere!  My buyers like this approach, so yes I would take the listing and especially if it is the worst house in the best neighborhood. Location, Location, Location!

Yup, if as others have said, they were motivated and priced it for condition.  Odors are harder to overcome than visuals (I think) and it will likely take longer to sell, too.

Hey Kevin
How do you get your CAR
forms with just MLS only?

YES!!!! Why not? Listen, I'm in Southern California. Our so-called "gang-invested, crime invested, rough-rough, boyz-in-da-hood, sleep-in-the-bathtub-so- you-don't-get-shot" neighborhoods fetch $250k-$300k, and more... EASY.  Smelly house gets smelly price.  Smelly price is GOLD! Likewise, pretty house gets pretty price.  (I don't get why this is a tough question for LICENSED PROFESSIONALS.) Yet, another reason why i don't join the stupid idiot realtor club. MLS ONLY! I'm a California Licensed Salesperson.   

Sure I would take the listing, but the owners might not be happy with what I suggest for list price!  It will carry the same stigma as a foreclosure or short sale!

I had a listing that was full of cats. It was nasty, but it sold full price in two weeks. I didn't think it would ever sell, but I was brand new in the business. Buyers must have been cat people.

Yes, I would list it IF the sellers agreed to have the house professionally cleaned from top to bottom at their expense.

It all depends on the location and motivation of the sellers.  Never underestimate that.  Also, you can have a professional service clean and deodorize the home.

Absolutely - on the condition that it be priced accordingly or cleaned up. 

Yes, providing they would agree to follow directions on making the home sellable.  

Why not?

I have purchased a few of these opportunities.

The listing sells if priced right! Price accordingly - and just meet the sellers somewhere else after the initial meeting.

The right price overcomes all objections.  Yes if they're willing to list at the right price.

I do and have done this many times - Once had a house with tires in the upstairs bedrooms, 2 cars in the backyard, piles and piles of pizza boxes, a huge porn magazine collection (dating back to the 1950's) filling a whole bedroom and a dead cat in the freezer of the fridge that had been without electricity for over a year.  Pricing it right is always the key - the house sold in 5 days and had over 20 offers.

Raoul Loustaunau I bought a house in 2002 that was owned by a "hoarder." I wasn't allowed to enter the premises, it was that bad. The price was well, undermarket and we could see the roof, windows and stucco was in good repair.  After 10 dumpster loads the people helping me agreed to clear out everything to the studs (they kept everything they found including a pot belly pig in a giant jar)  yes really :)

I don't take listings I don't believe I can sell.  Even smelly homes have a buyer waiting.  You just have to get it cleaned up as much as possible and mitigate with price. 

If it's to be sold "as is" and the sellers agree to the price we recommend, yes.  If not, no. 

Yes and will work with the owner on price or cleaning the palce up.

It depends...sometimes the sellers know they have to get work done before it goes on the market.  What's icky is that they live in dirt and clutter every day,  I can't do that and it's a buyer turn off

Listed and sold a smelly, hoarder house last month.   These need to be marketed to investors.  Price them appropriately and multiple offers will appear, at least where I work.  Every home sells.  The only things we do not know for sure is to whom, for how much and when. We can get pretty close on to whom and for how much.  When is less certain.

It depends if the occupant is an owner or tenant. I'd normally say no to both but the owner has more at stake & might cooperate more. Have everyone move out if they can.

Why waste your valuable time? What's the chance that it will sell in it's condition?

I wouldn't take the listing under those conditions nor would I take a listing on an unqualified property that didn't meet my business plan. 

Rauol-yes I would and I have.  Please remember this: every home looks good at the right price.  If it doesn't look good at $X, reduce the price $50,000.  If it still doesn't look good, reduce it $50,000 again.  Repeat as necessary and eventually you'll get multiple offers.  My preference, of course, is to have the seller clean it up.  

Yes I can sell anyones home with a little TLC some good advice to the sellers who are willing to listen, and pricing it right, it's all good.  We just all need to be on the same page. 

I would. I'd give the seller the price at which I think it will sell 'as is', and give them the option to have it cleaned and staged.  Sometimes they don't have any money to dress it up, and I'd try to determine that first and not mention the option.

Yes I would take it as long as the seller was willing to list at the price I recommend -- he/she must be realistic.

Are you talking about one of my current listings? Yes, I did take a smelly and dirty listing last Spring, but my client at the time assured me that he had friends that would help him to clean his house and to make it more apprealing. Unfortunately, his friends did not effectively ehlp him, and the price of the house went down $100,000 during the listing period to reflect its current condition.

I now have it relisted at an attractive price for the condition, and we have an offer on the table, but they not not responded to our counter yet...

Like many others on this page, I've been there and bought them!  Those are the best deals if priced accordingly for condition and location.

Preferably I can convince the owner to correct the problem. If that doesn't work out I will list a property with ANY defect if PRICED PROPERLY to compensate for the problem

Yes, I would but would thoroughly explain to the seller the importance of making the property presentable.  Also, a sign in front of a house will attract buyers, maybe not for that house, but for the others for sale in the neighborhood.

No, unless the sellers are willing to make changes that will make the house saleable.

I agree with others who said that either it should be cleaned up or priced accordingly. I can give recommendations for cleaning service if they would like .

Over the past 7 years, most active real estate professionals have a list of no less the 3 investors who are ready to pounce on these stinky, dirty, ugly, neglected properties that are the bread and butter of profit minded business person.

If you have no such list, don't take the listing.

If you do have such a list, keep your intention focused on the end game and be fully aware of the integrity of the one with whom you will partner.

Not unless the sellers agree to clean up the house and stage it properly for sale.

One listing I remember well: the smell from few animals who never went outside was eating my eyes, there were mold issues, holes in the floors, plumbing issues, etc. I wanted only one thing: to get that old lady and her daughter out of those unlivable conditions asap.

I will and I have done it. All depends on the price of such property. If it is priced accordingly, it will be sold fast with multiple offers. With L.A. housing prices we have a lot of bargain hunters.

REO agents do this every day. I toured several today and can't imagine someone buying some of these homes. They seem to do ok - but it's based on volume. When I do a listing appointment with a real seller condition obviously comes into the conversation especially when comes down to pricing.

I agree with Susan Haughton; take the listing but price it for the smell.  And push for feedback from anyone that shows the home so that you can share with your seller.

No, I don't want to waste my time and money trying to get a sale on such a place.  The home owner isn't motivated to sell.

Yes. Just happened upon this last week. Asked him to clean up/fix up and then we list. If not we need to adjust the price because at that point everyone will be wasting their time.

Now to that he could have thrown me out but because it was a refferal and he knows that I know what I'm doing, I think he'll listen.

I am in a situation like that now and we agreed to put the house on the market once it's cleaned and ready.

I would, if the Sellers take some advice, or price it accordingly.

I would provided that I got confirmation from the sellers that they would follow directions/take the necessary steps to get the home in showing condition and priced appropriately

I would not take the listing. The most valuable thing I have learned over the years is to walk away at times when I don't see a successful situation.