The Saga of the Sale

I already let the proverbial cat out of the bag that we have decided to take a chance on a red hot seller's market in Barrie. It will also come as no surprise that to anyone who has paid attention to the zaniness of the Barrie area real estate that some really incredulous stuff has been happening. Not only are the list prices WAY above what would have been a scant 2 years ago, but some head shaking bidding wars have materialized, fuelled by boat loads of money making its way northward out of the GTA.

THIS is why we chose to test the waters.

We met with our agent, BCC alumnus Tomas Sample (Century21 in Barrie) on March 30th and decided to purge 30 years worth of crap, had a professional photographer make the house look like someone else lived there, and went live on Wed April 7th. Having never been through this process before, it was all a new to us, but we weren't remotely prepared for the Spartan surroundings we would be inflicting upon ourselves, and the nomadic existence we'd endure during the multiple blocks of showings. On the plus side, we enjoyed a number of quaint picnics on Barrie's beautiful waterfront while enjoying the tremendous weather this recent stretch has blessed us with. 

At the time of this writing, we had 15 showing appointments stretching Apr 7th through 10th, with offers being accepted up until noon on the 12th. Apparently this was good, or so we were being assured, and Tomas was very upbeat and positive ... even more so than normal ... you'd have to know him to understand. 

Now, all was not well in OZ (or some other quaint saying in the same vein) because we've added some new gems to our ever adapting Personal Pet Peeve list. Our full list is extensive, being the true Curmudgeons we are, (you can read about some in other posts like "Call me Joe Cool", "Think like a HOG", or "Adventures in the Hinterland"), but at the risk of tarnishing your opinion of us, we'll only include the latest additions that have to do with the house selling process:

1) The showings are Covid-friendly, and we've provided sanitizer and wipes for people to use. We understand that it's weird times to be physically entering another person's space, but we're thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing as much as possible between showings. Our new Pet Peeve surrounds viewers who bring a coffee with them while touring our home since, to us, it's obvious that masks lowered for sipping said beverage and exposing everyone involved to potential transmission is completely offside. 

2) The showings have been requested to be no longer than 30 min, as per the Covid parameters. We totally understand that "stuff" happens, and are fine with accommodating an extra 15 min, but when you're inside our home for 30-40 min past while we wait in our truck across the street, we're not at all impressed. 

3) We empathize with those visiting our home feeling nervous about touring in socked feet (or worse, bare feet ... who does that?), but if you feel you must wear shoes, have the decency to ensure they are clean as possible so we are greeted by piles of sand and soil on our return.

4) We get that, for many, when Nature calls immediate action is required, but we were completely grossed out when we discovered that someone on a showing had used the bathroom, especially considering these times. You might feel differently, but this is OUR Pet Peeves, not yours.

And those are after only a few showings!

The good news is that the process is relatively short in a market like this, and true to expectations, the offers and decisions emerged in a whirlwind, causing bewilderment, disbelief and just a hint of anxiety, if I'm honest. What was forecasted to be a short happenstance has now (potentially) become even more condensed. 

Who knows how it will look when the dust settles? Like the old 60's Batman series ... Don't touch that dial! Tune in next week ... Same Bat time, same Bat channel.