Sometimes it looks like we have a little bit of Beverly Hillbillies going on at our house. Worse, the pile above has now become almost invisible to me. My birthday is coming up, and I had to think about what I might want, and just like last year I wanted a dumpster. Mainly because it hit me what a pretty property, but what the heck is with that dead Christmas tree, abandoned basketball hoop, broken plastic totes, metal pile, rock pile and dirt pile, broken wheelbarrow, etc. What is WRONG with these people? Wait, that’s us. The truth is we’re busy and it doesn’t really bother us, but with a little bit of a spotlight on it, and actually wanting to be courteous neighbors, there is now a dumpster in the driveway. The Cleanouts and Dumpsters category is one of the most popular categories on my Recommended Professionals page.
While talking with people about buying a new home, there are some key factors that we like to know as a baseline to begin their search. People are usually pretty dialed in on what towns they are considering, how many bedrooms they want, and they typically have an awareness of non-negotiables like their new home must have at least X bathrooms, or it must have at least a one car garage, or they absolutely won’t live in a log cabin, etc.
After some discussion, we usually also have an overall feel for the type of property that appeals to them. A major differentiator among buyers–those who want to live in a subdivision type of neighborhood and those who definitely do not want to live in a subdivision type of neighborhood.
I’ve had beautiful listings on classic New England country roads only to hear from buyers that everything about the place is perfect, except they really want to be in a neighborhood with sidewalks to be able to send the kids out on their bikes, and not be isolated. The exact opposite conversation sometimes happens – – people don’t want to live in a subdivision where they feel that they have to keep up with the neighbors on tidiness, lawn care, etc. Jay and I fall solidly in category B – – our house is on a New England country road and I would be stressed out if I had to keep up with any neighbors in terms of tidiness and not have exterior clutter in one way or another.
I’m also quite frugal and hate throwing anything usable or useful away. I was happy to hear from a few cleanout companies that they have resources for donating usable items even when they are doing a cleanout–which I fairly frequently have on my roster of listings. If you’re getting ready to sell, or just have too much stuff, or are tasked with emptying the home of a family member, ask any of the cleanout companies where they donate usable items to. It might make you feel better, knowing that perfectly good items are being passed on to someone who could use it.
I’m working on my own list of donation resources for a future story. Message me with your donation resources in Central Mass.