Unprofessional Photos Hurt Darling Kessler Woods Reno-Ready Ranch

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Kessler Parkway front

This just drives me crazy. Here we have a nice house at 1506 Kessler Parkway in a great neighborhood, obviously last owned by an elderly couple. Asking is $450,000 though it’s on DCAD for $268,000  but then we know how behind DCAD is.

I’ll bet this home has had very few owners. Built in 1955, it sits on a huge .37 acre wooded lot with great trees. The home is a two bedroom, two bath 2310 square feet deal with a two car garage. It is very perplexing why there are only two bedrooms. There are three living areas, so maybe one of the bedrooms was converted to the sitting area off the master. Whatever. It’s been loved, but loved by someone who really liked Formica, linoleum and carpet on the added on sunroom. Oh and early American furniture.

So why I ask, why did this agent put up these crappy pictures in MLS? I mean, look at them.

House with traffic cones in front!

Were they taken by a flip phone. Could they not have removed the cones for five seconds? Could they not have moved the roll of toilet paper just for the picture, or stick it under the sink? How about blow the leaves off the roof? Move the lawn chairs and create a cozy sitting area outside?  Open the drapes, move the rolled up rug? Get some of the furniture out so you can see the bones. Yes, this is a house that needs work but I think it is a total diamond in the rough! It’s only $450,000… where would you start with this house? I’d get rid of the porch, unearth the hardwoods, gut the kitchen and baths, smooth the ceilings, paint the brick in the family room or leave it? What do we do with that paneling?

Kessler Parkway

Kessler Pkway rear

Kessler Parkway yard

Kessler Parkway ???

Kessler Parkway porch ext

Kessler Parkway porch int

Kessler Parkway brick wall

Kessler Parkway paneling

Kessler Parkway master

Kessler Parkway master bath
Kessler parkway kitchen

Kessler Parkway Living

 

 

 

 

Kessler Parkway hall

 

 

Kessler Parkway dining

Kessler Parkway kitchen bar

Kessler Parkway frideg

Kessler Parkway bfast

Kessler Parkway sofa

And get a load of that striped sofa. You need dark glasses to look at it.

OK, I am done griping about this house and the agent, Randy Wilson of Homes of North Texas. Are you? Go for it!

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Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

25 Comments

  1. Joanna England on March 17, 2016 at 10:35 am

    This house deserved so much better!

  2. Rob Schlein on March 17, 2016 at 11:09 am

    Professional pictures can also mis-represent a property. Kind of like cyber-dating, you meet the person, and you wonder…how did you take such a pretty picture? These pictures are 100% accurate. It’s a house with an ugly set of orange cones in the front!

    • Randy Wilson on March 17, 2016 at 6:40 pm

      Unfortunately an “ugly set of cones” were not put there by the homeowner but by the city due to construction or some other hazard. I would suggest that for a Realtor to take it on themselves to remove the cones is asking to be arrested and held liable for any issues that cause, regardless of how short a time you remove them for. To suggest otherwise is the ravings of an idiot.

      • Candy Evans on March 17, 2016 at 11:22 pm

        Then take the photo in front of them.

        • Jordan Gauger on March 19, 2016 at 1:43 pm

          Or crop the cones out of the photo… you really do not need to see them or the street.

  3. Keti Abazi on March 17, 2016 at 11:20 am

    I would say lack of staging AND unprofessional photos hurt this home big time. That’s what happens when listing agents do not understand that EVERY HOME for sale regardless of price point is a product and needs to be merchandized ( stage + professionally photograph).

  4. John John on March 17, 2016 at 12:24 pm

    It doesn’t seems that bad as a house or a shoot. They used a flash and things seems clear and sharp. Frankly, I don’t like the wide angle lenses and odd color changes Shoot 2 Sell has done to the shoots in sh in I have participated. They’ve made my own dark floors look pale and once gave my gray kitchen a green tone.

  5. Karen Eubank on March 17, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    I’d speculate this is a house that someone has had to downsize from and perhaps quickly.
    Regardless of the back story, it would have been extremely cost effective to get a staging consultation and a couple of extra hours of a stagers time to make it more appealing because even great photos, without staging, won’t do the job. They go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other and hope to do a property justice.

    • Randy Wilson on March 17, 2016 at 6:36 pm

      This is an estate sale. The sellers don’t necessarily have the funds to spend on the house prior to getting proceeds from the sale. I’m sure we could arrange to have you stage it … are you willing to accept your fee, after closing, when and if the house sells?

      • Candy Evans on March 17, 2016 at 11:23 pm

        When is the estate sale? We may have sold that sofa for you!

      • Karen Eubank on March 18, 2016 at 12:32 am

        Randy, Stagers do not make what Realtors do ; ). If someone cannot afford 250 bucks for a consultation, estate or not, something is wrong. It’s the smallest investment for the largest ROI they can make. Even banks know this.

  6. Sam Saladino on March 17, 2016 at 2:32 pm

    Dearest Candy, you are hilarious and spot on as always. I’ve driven by that house for almost 20 years and when it listed I thought the same thing. Empty it out and paint everything white I say. As Elsie de Wolfe said so well, “a bit of white paint and optimism!”
    PS I love the striped sofa!

  7. Victoria Rippner on March 17, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    This home has really nice curb appeal especially if you have a photo without a car in the driveway. Regardless of price, it’s so important to “stage” a home so it can show at its best regardless of how much work or updating is needed. Pictures can sell your listing quickly…or not as indicated by these pictures.

  8. Margaret Manser on March 17, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    Now, Candy – don’t be too hard on that poor agent. At least she/he had carpet cleaned! You can tell by the coasters on feet of furniture. Kinda like panties on lamb chops, don’t you think?

  9. Doug Canipe on March 17, 2016 at 4:30 pm

    Those photos are far from fantastic…….but there are much bigger issues to be dealt with before we blame anything on the pictures.

  10. Janet M. on March 17, 2016 at 8:52 pm

    OMG. Don’t skip the crooked lampshade or the shoes that look like they were just “left there”! After a crappy day, this just made me giggle. This is like the house version of “The People of Walmart”.

  11. LonestarBabs on March 17, 2016 at 9:07 pm

    Perhaps an “intervention” is needed to help the agent, and ultimately help the seller. Any pro bono pics and staging (a few hours’ work?) COULD be a nice partnership and success story that could shine a positive light on all parties. I think we all agree a little improvement would go a long way…might be a feel good moment for everybody,

    Yes, you’d like to think the agent knows better…

    • LonestarBabs on March 17, 2016 at 9:14 pm

      Anyone notice the cooking utensils hanging on the soffit above the sink???? They are not decorative. If they are to be functional, who the heck can reach them — Dirk???

      I think the striped sofa has potential, so I’m not repulsed by it.

  12. Suzanne on March 17, 2016 at 9:54 pm

    Photos are the least of the problems. The view from the front yard is I30 and the side street is Sylvan. Hardly worth $450K in this condition at this location.

  13. D Town on March 17, 2016 at 10:13 pm

    Point taken on the photos, but a big part of the reason this house is not moving quickly given the scorching hot market is because it sits at the intersection of Sylvan and Kessler Pkwy, literally facing the I-30 overpass.
    I had the pleasure of meeting the elderly gentleman (~90 ish) while doing some political canvassing years ago and always have appreciated that he allowed his yard to be a bi-partisan location for campaign yard signs. Given its highly visible location at the entrance to Kessler Park off the freeway, you could be sure of 100s of views. Sometimes he’d be sitting in a swing on the front yard; at least they moved that and the wheelchair accessible ramp that was out front. I hope his agent does right by him/his family.

    • LonestarBabs on March 18, 2016 at 12:46 pm

      Thanks for reminding us that this was the home of someone who had a history in the neighborhood, and adding the human element back into the discussion.

  14. Ron Dwyer on March 18, 2016 at 9:07 am

    I see maybe 3 poor photos but the rest are ok. Repeating what others have posted, it wasn’t the photos that stopped the sale but the fact that the home is dated and now worth $450K

  15. Christopher on March 18, 2016 at 10:18 am

    At least we know that the homeowner has an ample supply of toilet paper (see bathroom pic). Come on seller’s agent, help your clients! Make some effort regardless of the seller’s financial situation. It’s a bad pic in the first place but not taking 3-5 seconds to remove the toilet paper from the shot is shameful.

    • LonestarBabs on March 18, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      @Christopher — you make a good point “…regardless of the seller’s financial situation…” This house and its owners deserve a level of respect and professionalism REGARDLESS. Care and consideration to put the best foot forward under any circumstances with the goal of the highest and best outcome should be paramount anywhere for anyone.

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