Listed my house 10% below market and got a bidding war that ended in a weird gift

I had this older bungalow in Mill Woods that I was SICK of sitting on, so I figured why not price it at $310k when comps were around $345k. Figured I'd just move on quick. Within 48 hours I had like 14 showings and 7 offers, and the winning bid was $15k over ask but the condition was 'leave the antique rocking chair on the porch.' I was like okay whatever, that thing is beat up anyway. Sold. Then a week later the new owners showed up at my rental with a homemade pie from that Italian bakery on Whyte Ave and a thank you note about the chair. I learned that underpricing can bring out a whole different crowd of buyers who actually care about the house's history. Has anyone else had a weird condition or request in a final offer that made you laugh?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_henderson5d ago

The rocking chair thing is actually more common than people think, especially in older homes. My neighbor sold her 1950s house in Garneau a few years back and the buyer insisted on keeping the original clawfoot bathtub in the basement that was bolted down and half rusted. Turned out the buyer's grandmother had the same tub in her childhood home and it was the thing that sealed the deal for them. I think folks underestimate how much sentimental value a weird little fixture can hold for the right person. In a market like Edmonton's right now, that kind of emotional connection might be worth more than trying to squeeze every last dollar out of a sale.

margaretw414d ago

Respectfully, I gotta disagree with you on that one. Leaving money on the table like that is just bad business no matter how you slice it. That rocking chair thing is cute and all but you basically gave away $20k+ for a pie and a note. In this market you can ask fair price and still find buyers who love the house history without losing your shirt. Sentimental value doesn't pay my bills or cover realtor fees. You can still attract people who care about the character without pricing yourself into a bidding war that leaves you broke.