Technology and all of its dangling parts can mess up an open house – Daily Bulletin
We rely on so many gadgets and devices to run our lives these days, but in many cases, our homes were never designed to handle all of these modern conveniences.
So, we’ve made accommodations, from the flatscreen TV that replaces the art above the fireplace, to the Google or Amazon device that sits on your kitchen counter, to the cordless vacuum that hangs in its charging station in your garage.
Most of us, it’s fair to say, have power cords hanging around in sometimes unusual places.
When it comes time to sell your house, these cords may prove to be something of a distraction to potential buyers. Especially if they are draped across your walls, dangling from the furniture, running across the counters and hanging from the ceilings.
Potential buyers probably have all of the same devices you have, maybe even more! When they visit your house remotely through the photos and videos, or in person at a private showing or an open house, what will run through their minds? Will it be “Oh my goodness! What a mess! How is this ever going to work for me?” Or “How much extra is this going to cost me to drill into the walls, add more outlets, and pull cables when I move in and install all of my own electronics?”
Granted, in this crazy sellers’ market, this is likely to be a small point of contention when sellers have multiple offers, often over the asking price. But depending on the degree to which your cords are dangling out of control, it may turn into a bigger deal than you think.
So, taking some steps before you put a For Sale sign in the yard may head off some headaches down the line.
Here are my tips:
Hide the charger cables, Alexa or Google power cords, and bedside lamp cords down the back of the bedside table. Take the power strip off the bedside table and hide that cord behind the table and run the cord behind the bed to the outlet. This may require the purchase of a bedside table in order to successfully hide cords and cables.
As for the flatscreen TV and its associated sound equipment, whether in a bedroom or bonus room for gaming or in the family room for traditional family viewing or streaming, give some thought to figuring out how to hide the cords in the walls behind, around or below the equipment. This may turn into a straightforward DIY project or may require a handyman or even an electrician. This all depends on your skill set, tool kit, home design and budget.
Regardless of the remedy you choose, the more you can do to either temporally or permanently find a place for your cords and cables, the more neat and attractive your home will be.
Leslie Sargent Eskildsen is an agent with RealtyOne Group West and a member of the California Association of Realtors’ board of directors. She can be reached at 949-678-3373 or leslie@leslieeskildsen.com.
Gloss