Unless you're brand new...you've been in one! Your first encounter may seem quite benign...a listing pops up for a client and the information seems perfect. There are usually no pictures on line...but never mind. The home is in the right area...and seems to be priced right. So, you pop off a quick e-mail and arrange to go over to take a look.
That's when things begin to become interesting. The view from the sidewalk may reveal a number of issues which are potential red flags. In winter time...the home may not have seen a snow plow for awhile. You are faced with contemplating wading through a foot of snow to try to access the front door. In summer, the trek may be through grass a foot high at the back door where the key-box is...while this is not as cold, it is still disconcerting.
An examination of the home reveals what you've sensed ever since you pulled up at the driveway. Someone who lived in this home was not happy and the home reflects their time of discontent.
Angry houses reside in every neighborhood...because angry, hurt people do. Sometimes the signs of the tension are apparent...holes in the doors or walls, stripped wall paper, garbage or junk left around or items stripped from their moorings...At other times, it is much more subtle.
I've been in homes which simply exuded sadness. I felt it as soon as I walked through the front door. It's as though the essence of what happened in the home had not yet left; there was a palpable weight of misery which seemed to permeate the core of the walls. I've noticed that clients will also instinctively absorb the vibes of a place. Small animals become jittery, seeming to want to escape as quickly as possible...little children become whiny and loudly demand that we leave. In the worst cases...everyone just wants to EXIT as fast as possible!
Neglected homes often exude the same type of energy that Angry Homes do. The neglect may stem from a variety of different sources, including excessive clutter..but the overall effect is the same. The home feels unkempt and uncared for.
So, what can one do if you're given the task of selling an "Angry House? Sometimes, the owners are still living in the home. Their ongoing battles, anger, bitterness and sadness continues to be a potent influence. If home owners cannot leave their home prior to the home being placed on the market, it is important to explain to them that they should not be present during showings. The presence of homeowners has a way of increasing the level of discomfort which may already exist in a space.
Another helpful suggestion is to hire a home stager. Staging a home can be a very powerful way to neutralize bad vibes. It's amazing the difference that a coat of paint, some new carpeting and tastefully appointed furnishings can make in a home which has been bruised and battered by its' former owners. I remember walking through a formerly battered home which had been staged and put on the market for resale. I was astounded by the change! It seemed as though the home had once again found rest.
But perhaps, the most important service that I provide as an agent is talking with home owners about the message they are sending out about their home when they project their anger on their surroundings. Often times people are not aware of how much impact their emotions have on their surroundings. Sometimes, they do not care. I explain that effort expended in cleaning up their environment physically, emotionally and spiritually has the potential to create good dividends for them. The converse is a home on the market for many, many months and a sale far below the potential market value.
Anger can be a very costly luxury...in relationships and in successful home sale! Bringing a home back to a place of peace restores balance and prosperity. It also attracts the favorable response of those who matter most in a successful home sale...Potential Buyers!
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Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511. Thanks for visiting our blog. Here are links to some of our most popular posts for you to enjoy!
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Great post, Lola! I have so many angry homes lately, and each one had a good reason for being angry. It's really sad. But you're right, selling an angry home is so difficult! The agent needs to take responsibility for explaining this to the seller, and getting the seller to make the house happy again, or drop their price significantly.
Lola,
Unfortunately adverse circumstances do create angry homes that can be successfully marketed with your good ideas. They can be an opportunity to a buyer if he can see past the clutter and holes in the walls.
Yes, very sad...Bryant. I often refer to ANGER as one of the most expensive luxuries in the world...right next to nursing the Ego. No one wins when Anger is in violent motion. Even the buyer of such a house has to know what to do so they don't carry that anger around and allow it to wreck havoc in their lives as well. Best wishes for your sales. I hope the sellers eventually come to a place of peace. That type of anger is so toxic.
I've been in those homes. They are usually an impetiment to an easy divorce.
It took me a full year to sell a wonderful house in a great community back in 1993. I knew the community and every time I had a buyer for it, I would call the listing agent to see if we could get in. Not yet, Lenn. The husband had moved out and the wife wouldn't let anyone see the home.
Finally after a year, I had a great buyer and the wife relented and let us in. We made an offer they couldn't refuse and my buyer got the house.
The settlement was, to say the least, cold with the sellers not speaking to each other.
Once my buyer moved in, she made it a lovely HOME.
Persistance pays. Knowing the neighborhood pays too. My buyer made a quick $150K on that house two years later when I sold her and her new fiance a new home nearby.
Great post and so correct about the "angry" house.
Lola - I have sold a few of these, and I actually grew up in one, too. All of our doorframes were cracked when we moved out, and there were holes in a couple of the doors themselves. This came from some major fights that we had over the years (obviously).
Once, my business partner and I previewed a vacant older home in central Austin and we both independently got a weird vibe and we felt that a child had been harmed there. It was palpable.
Lola,
I deal with investors a lot, so we see "angry" houses all the time. We call them distressed, but the anger that has been absorbed in these houses manifests itself in so many ways and it's obvious. It's very interesting that you addressed this in a post. Thanks for that.
Thank you Robin.
Yes Robert...homes blessed with grace are a special pleasure and gift. Angry houses are an opportunity to bring in the grace...
Thanks for the compliment Bill. I appreciate your visit.
Lola,
It's the memories left behind in the form of discarded photos and personal effects, buried under the broken beer bottles and cigarette butts. It's the neglected details of a once well cared for home, now rotting away because someone broke the window and never bothered to fix it. It's the whole house full of someone's "stuff", left behind when they realized that they couldn't get back in because the door was padlocked. It's all sad, very sad.
I was actually thinking about how that anger just feeds into the greed. It turns into just another reason to offer less, as it's an indication of, as my investors would call it, a "motivated" seller. It's just another layer of mud, hiding the value of the house it calls home.
Lisa, I appreciate your comment. I truly hope that the home is released quickly...for your sake & your clients.
Danny, I bet you have. :)
I was in a house recently that did indeed have a heaviness about it, and it really was uncomfortable. Another home I was in had a strong feeling of fear. There were religious articles in every nook and cranny of the house, taped to every door, in the basement, everywhere. It did not seem like the owners were devout - it seemed like they were scared to death.
Lola, you are right on the mark on this one. Thanks.
Lola, You hit the nail on the head with this one, another great post. Your clients (real estate and blogging) are very lucky to have your expertise!
That is so true and observant. There are many negative feelings- anger, sadness, despair, confusion- which seem almost tangible. I have been thru houses that have been neglected and you can feel the negativity. I have not made an offer on a house that I have felt uncomfortable walking through because of this "negative energy"
Appreciate your comment David.
Hi Alecia, Thanks for your comment and your insight. Imagine how this feeling is magnified when it is experienced by a potential buyer when it is already strongly present at the time of a listing.
Rebecca...Not every divorce is angy..but most are very sad. Often times this sadness remains in the home even after the inhabitants have left. It's not easy to deal with divorce on the part of anyone involved...
Gary, Thank you very much for the comment and the compliment.
David...Appreciate your comment. Your sentiments seems to echo those expressed by Andrew Trevino.
Al, Yes, I've seen staging, cleaning and de-cluttering make a huge difference!
Lizette, Interesting. It's unfortunate that the homeowners obviously did not understand how important your recommendations were. 7 cars driving by is a lot! That was like money blowing by their house onto someone else who cared about truly preparing their home for sale!
Good post, Lola. We had one of those homes that had to be sold because of a cut-throat divorce. The place was beautiful, but half of the furniture was gone and the home seethed with anger in every room. They had been trying to sell off and on for two years. We have a good friend who is a psychic and we hired her to clear the energy. She had to do it from her home because they weren't having open houses and I wasn't going to lie and say she was a buyer. We gave her lots of pictures. It cost well under $100, and the home sold in a couple of months.
I think Allison is on the right track, too but burnt sage smells like marijuana which can hatch a new set of problems!