Things or situations incomprehensible to the mind are usually called mystical, otherworldly. But whether there are mystical cases when selling apartments, we asked the members of the Association of Realtors of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.
They sprinkled holy water on the walls to sell …
An interesting story from her own practice was told to our correspondent by Lidiya Butareva, a specialist in the secondary real estate department of the "Apartment Shop" real estate agency.
- I had a mystical room in a communal apartment. Former hostel. Normal, unremarkable. The condition of the apartment is satisfactory. The neighbors are adequate. The price is slightly lower than the market price (the client reacted with understanding to my arguments about the pricing policy in relation to our object), - the realtor began the story.
According to her, there was no end of calls and every evening she and the client showed this room. But in a strange way, no one agreed to buy. Someone referred to what, but there were no objective reasons.
- Everyone looks and leaves without explanation, - continues the interlocutor. - About a month later, during the next viewing, one of the neighbors opposite hinted that she would like to buy this room. I decided that this is it, happiness - a buyer is found.
But, as it turned out, the joy was premature. After talking with a neighbor, the realtor realized that buying a room is only her desire, and she has no opportunity. The neighbor also left the topic of purchase.
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- And so our ordeals began … They sold the room with varying success and with a break for the New Year holidays for almost 8 months! I have already made friends with all the neighbors, not only in this apartment, but also in the neighboring communal apartments (everyone has known each other there for a long time). And I want to say that we had to sell the room with an alternative purchase. And all the time, while we were showing the room, there was no decent counter option (the apartment was supposed to be bought using credit money for the elderly parents of my client). And then one day I found a wonderful apartment. We even went and looked. My client stood in the apartment and cried, how she liked everything and is happy with it … only the room is not for sale in any way …
Lydia Butareva persuaded the agent who presented the apartment she liked not to show her for two days. The girls left the house and in the evening at the entrance were thinking how to sell the ill-fated room. And then one thought came …
- I suggested that she go to church and sprinkle the room with holy water. And so she did. I'm taking calls again. I make an appointment for an evening viewing. Three persons. The viewing went as usual: no one had any emotions … And suddenly, 20 minutes later, one of the customers called and announced that she was taking a room! I couldn't believe my ears. And then everything went like clockwork. As a result, we bought exactly the apartment that we liked very much,”the expert summed up.
On the eve of the sale, the deceased owner of the apartment dreamed of
This is far from the only story when people, selling apartments, turn to the church for help. Another story was told by the reader of our portal Valentina E.
- My husband and I moved to St. Petersburg from another city. We had no money for a full-fledged apartment. We chose from two options: either a room in a communal apartment, or a share in an apartment. As a result, they bought a share. And we immediately realized: it would be better if we did not do this.
The apartment belonged to one grandmother. The old woman lived alone, after her death she did not leave a will. And, as usual, the apartment went to her son and daughter in half. The man did not give his share to his sister, but sold to a married couple - Valentina and Igor E.
- The apartment was two-room. The seller's sister and her son lived in one room, my husband and I in another. With what a scandal we bought a refrigerator! Olga (a neighbor) fell flat on the floor - they say, our things will not be in her kitchen. They swore every day. Six months later, there was talk of selling the apartment. By that time my husband and I dreamed of getting rid of this housing. But everything turned out to be not so simple …
The apartment was not sold for a long time. The neighbors hated to each other lived under one roof for almost a year. What was the matter is still not clear. According to realtors, the price was adequate. There were also buyers. But on the eve of home views, something unexpected always happened to clients.
- The doorbell rings - they came to look at the apartment, and we have a flood! The neighbors flooded up above. They are not at home. I sit crying, my husband runs with buckets, water flows along the walls, the wallpaper falls off. What kind of viewing is there ?! The second case was: on the evening of the day before the show, I don’t know how, the neighbor’s son smashed the mug on the battery and broke it. We didn't even notice. The neighbors from below have come: you are flooding us. We look - for sure. The next day, in the morning, the emergency gang was called …
As a result, after long months of ordeals, a buyer was found.
- We were very happy. They prayed that the deal would not fall through. And on the night before the meeting at the bank, I dream of the deceased owner of the apartment. He takes me around the rooms and tells me how and what was here when she was. Where was the sofa, where was the TV, how she baked pies in this kitchen. And then he looks into my eyes and asks to put a candle for her peace. Well, nothing to do, first thing in the morning I ran to the nearest church to light a candle, then to the bank. The deal took place, we moved into new housing. We are glad, - Valentina E. finished the story.
Mystical Vasilievsky Island
Lydia Butareva says that she is currently selling one of these mysterious apartments on Vasilievsky Island:
- Now I have for sale a mystical three-room apartment on Vasilievsky. From the metro - 5-7 minutes on foot. The apartment is not communal. Repairs completed. Market price, even slightly lower. We show the apartment 2 times a week, 4-5 people at a time. We have been selling since August last year! Almost everyone comes out and says that the apartment is interesting, they liked it, but they leave and buy other objects. Here we also experimented: church, candles … does not help. I'm still trying to solve the mystery! Well, it happens! And to the old woman, as they say …
Alternative opinion: not mysticism, but affection
An alternative opinion was expressed by Rudolf Popenker, real estate expert at Adveks na Lansky:
- I did not observe any mysticism, but in many cases the sellers get so comfortable with their housing that it is not possible to part. A couple of times I solved the problem in an alternative way: keeping the old, "native" housing, they bought something else nearby for the grown family.