SOME MONTHS BACK, I wrote about a little blue cottage near my own in Springs (East Hampton), N.Y., that appealed to me. It wasn’t officially on the market then. Now it is. Out of sheer curiosity, I went to see the inside.
I was shocked. I, who have seen a lot. The place was broken into and ransacked a few months back — not too surprising, since it had been all but abandoned for some time. But to put it on the market without clearing it out or cleaning it up first? Inexplicable. The broker who showed it to me waded in boots through knee-deep grass outside and knee-deep clothing tossed onto the floor inside. The mouse droppings in the kitchen were abundant.
I left and quickly put the place out of my mind. It is utter arrogance to put a house up for sale in such condition — and not at a bargain price. Still, it is an older cottage in an area where those are difficult to come by, and could undoubtedly be made very charming by someone with a stronger stomach than I.
It’s on a busy road, and that’s not gonna change. But it’s an open half-acre with good sun, and it has a separate guest cottage, below.
If that strong-stomached someone is you, the official listing is here.
7 comments
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August 8, 2012 at 10:22 pm
House Crazy Sarah
wow, that’s a hot mess! Is it a foreclosure or short sale? It could be sooooo cute! Looks like it needs a good dumpster cleansing and some love & care.
August 8, 2012 at 10:43 pm
cara
No, HCS, neither of the above. Agree it could be a charmer.
August 9, 2012 at 6:05 am
Adrienne
Well, it def has potential. But I can’t say the same for the agent.
August 9, 2012 at 9:37 am
jeanneillenye
You can see that it was once loved…and could be again.
August 9, 2012 at 8:09 pm
gap916
Like your front view more than the back view the realtor has posted. Anyway, I love little old houses like this one. Could be adorable. The inside reminds me of NYC apartment hunting in the ’80s and ’90s, in the days before “staging.” These people have an excuse–the place was broken into. I looked at apartments put up for sale by their owners with dirty clothes, including underwear, all over the floor and messy (filthy) unmade bed; overflowing cat litter boxes; obvious evidence of mice, despite the cats; kitchens full of dirty dishes and days-old leftover food; bathrooms that had not been cleaned for ten years, and more. The smell of these places made it hard to walk in. First of all, I could not believe people lived that way. Second, I was astonished that people would open these places to others in that condition with the intention of selling.
The difference now is, I think, that most brokers would have a word with the owner and expect the place to be cleaned up before showing it, even if someone has to be hired to do it.
Either that or “as is”–i.e., cheap. And you seem to think this is not a discounted price for the place.
August 10, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Richard
There is value in the furniture. You could easily find an auction/used furniture store buyer who would strip the house to bare walls and pay
some amount for the contents.
August 12, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Carol
My my!
Anyway, just wanted to tell you that you were too high quality for that website I won’t name. Aside from the gal who does the history pieces (which can be interesting), it’s fairly low level. They were just very lucky to start it when they did (and keep it going during the downturn by refocusing).
But let’s all admit that your contributions were way, way, way out of their league. And although I’m sure they appealed to their readership, these websites, from what I hear, basically want to find 20-somethings fresh out of college or desperate individuals to deliver content for pennies.
You could probably get onto other more commercial design/real estate/life style sites but they also probably pay little and even may not expect quality, just flash for 10 cents a word. Best to start your own commercial site and get a following!