To get the new year off to a flying start, I changed my FOR SALE advertisement on www.realestate.com.au to include the following words:
"People are suspicious. Seeing a neighbouring house (albeit with pool) on a mere 1700 square metres sell for over $1.7 million makes Riverbend's grand two-storey house on an enormous seven acres look suspiciously cheap at $1,995,000. Where's the catch? What's wrong with the place? After all, the last vacant waterfront block in the neighbourhood, also a mere 1700 square metres, sold for $750,000 - and Riverbend's extra seven acres ought to be worth more than just an extra $200,000-plus. From 1st January 2018, the listed price of "Riverbend" will increase by $130,000 to a still very cheap $2,125,000, just so that people will not immediately think that there's something wrong with the place."
It's working because I've just received my first inquiry in over six months. Someone who's never seen the place but obviously knows me quite well, wrote, "That's the funniest thing I've ever seen. I wish you well with the sale, YOU DICKHEAD!" Obviously a serious buyer or a serious mental case, or both.
I've since toned down the ad a tad but the new price of $2,125,000 stays - as does the missing apostrophe!
