Cluttered Rooms

[3Denver3]

Have you ever had a lender ask you to comment on the ingress and egress of a property, due to the clutter of a couple rooms? I was able to walk through the entire home and did not see any safety issues. How do you satisfy the lender condition without offending the home owners? Poor house keeping is not a safety issue right?

How would you address this issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

THX!

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Simply put, the clutter is not permanent and did not prevent the inspection, ingress or egress from one room to another, or a health and safety problem. Housekeeping is not a factor in the valuation process.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Our clients have become morons.

I have had houses where the floor was basically invisible however....REOs typically, plenty of them like below...

 

[ockyappraiser]

" Housekeeping is not a factor in the valuation process."

I have been in homes where there was so much stuff that the floors were not visible with the exception of a small path to walk through the rooms. That will require hypothetical statements at that point and the report being done subject to.

This also applies to garages. If you inspect the garage and it is floor to ceiling filled with boxes and you cannot see three of the walls. . .how do you determine condition?

 

[Randolph Kinney]

" Housekeeping is not a factor in the valuation process."

I have been in homes where there was so much stuff that the floors were not visible with the exception of a small path to walk through the rooms. That will require hypothetical statements at that point and the report being done subject to.

This also applies to garages. If you inspect the garage and it is floor to ceiling filled with boxes and you cannot see three of the walls. . .how do you determine condition?

When you encounter extreme clutter, either internal or external, do you refer to "housekeeping" in your report?

When you see dirty dishes in the sink or a pile of laundry on the floor, do you make that subject to?

 

[ockyappraiser]

You have to note the type of walls and flooring as well as their condition. . .if you can't see them. ..how do you know their condition?

Let's play this out. . .you "never" note clutter in your reports. . .so you make no notation of condition statment regarding a room completely filled with boxes, etc. The bank takes it back and after everything is out. . .finds that it is only subfloor in that room and that it has mold. Who do you think they will ask about this?

I never use the word "housekeeping". I take a photo of EVERY room. If I cannot see the floors or walls I include a conditional statement.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

You have to note the type of walls and flooring as well as their condition. . .if you can't see them. ..how do you know their condition?

Let's play this out. . .you "never" note clutter in your reports. . .so you make no notation of condition statment regarding a room completely filled with boxes, etc. The bank takes it back and after everything is out. . .finds that it is only subfloor in that room and that it has mold. Who do you think they will ask about this?

I never use the word "housekeeping". I take a photo of EVERY room. If I cannot see the floors or walls I include a conditional statement.

Using Terrel's photograph in post 3, is this sufficient for you to make your report subject to "clutter"?

I believe a picture is worth a thousand words. When its shows an unmade bed with clothes piled on it with some on the floor, I don't even make mention of it. Do you?

 

[ockyappraiser]

that photo is MILES from what I am talking about. I am referring to "hoarders". I do a few each year where 90% of the floor in most rooms is not even visible. You open the garage and it is filled floor to ceiling with boxes and junk.

Again, I take a photo of each room. the photo in the thread is just some stuff on the floor. I am talking floors and/or walls not even visible in rooms.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

that photo is MILES from what I am talking about. I am referring to "hoarders". I do a few each year where 90% of the floor in most rooms is not even visible. You open the garage and it is filled floor to ceiling with boxes and junk.

Again, I take a photo of each room. the photo in the thread is just some stuff on the floor. I am talking floors and/or walls not even visible in rooms.

So everyone knows what extreme clutter is and not to be confused with general housekeeping.

Carry on. :Emoticon_hug:

 

[ockyappraiser]

Just a thought. . .would you address a safety issue in an FHA appraisal if boxes and clutter prevented access to exterior doors or windows? Again. . .not just stuff on the floor you have to walk around, but significant boxes and items that could not easily be moved in the event of a fire. etc.