Last few potential buyers seem crazy ???

Old_Git

it needs an new kitchen and bathroom and that will put buyers off .

Buyers don't want the hassle off doing the work and would rather pay a bit extra to have it already done .

moanymoany

bo_drinker wrote: »

Ha ha,We have lived here for 15 years (no kids) no back boiler, c h boiler in 3rd bedroom cupboard. No upstairs pics

Your house has been on the market since last September and it should have sold before the crash bit. Having looked at the pictures the house would have been better described as in need of some refurbishment.

The living room looks very old fashioned, hasn't your EA - or anyone else - advised you to get the paintbrush out? Use plants rather than flowers as they don't need replacing so soon. Get a cheap chandelier light fitting and buy a big mirror for over the fire. Get a nest of tables and put some sidelights on them. New cushions to tone with the curtains and furniture will tie it together. Make sure the flowers also match.

The kitchen doesn't seem to have any life in it. Is that an ashtray on the kitchen table? Get a big bowl and fill it with value lemons and oranges and put it on the work surface. Get a big plant in a nice bowl and put it on the table. Get one of those strip lights with the little bulb thingies. We bought one for £15 in B&Q. Paint that door white. Get a wine rack and a few bottles of wine. Remember the mantra - you are selling a life style.

The back garden is very bleak. Get some tubs full of seasonal colour. Plant a couple of shrubs - make it look like something because it looks very dull.

Or drop the price £20k and sell it in need of refurbishment. The front looks really attractive but the inside that we can see really lets it down. If the bedrooms are of the same standard as the downstairs you need to get to grips with the decorating and dressing. new bedding - cheap, but ironed and full of plump value quilts and pillows.

I watched back to back 'Selling Houses' before setting to and giving the whole house a coat of neutral paint and the all important 'dressing it' with new cushions, dealing with old and worn out furniture before we put our house on the market. It went on at the beginning of March, repriced at the end of March and we got an offer on the 12th April that was this year, now moved out and in rental.


There are some 'House Doctor' books in the library - give them a read. My guess is that if you had done this before putting it on the market it would have sold. It is what people expect. Do this and tell your EA to take more photos and of all the rooms.

LittleMissAspie

moanymoany wrote: »

When someone was going to come and see our house I always asked how many properties they had already seen and over how long. People who had been looking for a long time and had seen dozens of properties set alarm bells ringing.

Why? It took me over 6 months and about 10 viewings to find a place I was willing to rent, and I'm going to be a hell of a lot more picky when it comes to making the most expensive purchase of my life.

moanymoany

LittleMissAspie wrote: »

Why? It took me over 6 months and about 10 viewings to find a place I was willing to rent, and I'm going to be a hell of a lot more picky when it comes to making the most expensive purchase of my life.

The guy who didn't like the triangular garden has viewed more than 40 properties. I do see your point, but this is a lot according to the ea.

bo_drinker

Livivng room decor is dated, didn't get the paint brush out so as to offer a blank canvas to people. No it's not an ash tray in the kitchen we are non smokers. The ea said it was fine as is and I pushed him for hints. It's not in need of refurb although I don't disagree with the decor thing and all the lifestyle stuff. When we had sold but it fell through we did see some dogs that were not described as such. In a quandry whether to take off sale until next spring and do the bits mentioned and new kitchen cupboard fronts and plain decor throughout. Biggest issue as said before is not able to get car to house, although if we could do that then it probably wouldn't be for sale tbh.

bdon

To be honest, I think the problem is Estate Agents. When prices were rising they didn't have to do anything to earn their 2% other than type a paragraph of text, take one shabby photo, and jangle some keys.

Now things are different. I am looking around but still find properties on the major sites with only one or two photos! This is a waste of time. I expect detailed floor plans, at least two photos of every room, exterior shots, location shots, details of lease remaining, service charges, and a couple of 360 tours. Foxtons (although they're horrid) do actually do a lot of this and belive me, as a buyer, it saves loads of time - helps me narrow things down to what is suitable.

A 2% fee on a £150k place is three grand. 1/2 days work to take detailed plans / images, 1/2 day of writing it up and putting it up on the web, then, say, 20 x 1hr viewings. Call it 26 hours. For three grand.

Isn't that something like £115 an hour?! Oh, and you don't need any training or any qualifications at all.

and don't get me started on how they charge a flat fee - so if you're selling a £300k place the effort is pretty much the same but they get even more.

grrr...

confused31_2

bo_drinker wrote: »

Livivng room decor is dated, didn't get the paint brush out so as to offer a blank canvas to people. No it's not an ash tray in the kitchen we are non smokers. The ea said it was fine as is and I pushed him for hints. It's not in need of refurb although I don't disagree with the decor thing and all the lifestyle stuff. When we had sold but it fell through we did see some dogs that were not described as such. In a quandry whether to take off sale until next spring and do the bits mentioned and new kitchen cupboard fronts and plain decor throughout. Biggest issue as said before is not able to get car to house, although if we could do that then it probably wouldn't be for sale tbh.

I wouldnt worry about the decor, ive had my house from last November and to be honest i think its the price and whether the people who want your house can afford it.

And to be honest with the situation with the first time buyers, your in the same situation has us, you need some one who owns a first time buyer property to make the step up and buy yours.

And with no first time buyers about there is a short supply of people to view or buy your house, personally i like the house and when i look at a house i look at the potential of how i could have it to suit my taste.

I would just keep your fingers crossed you will sell in the end, just keep on reducing it as the market falls, eventually some one will buy it.

confused

moanymoany

bo_drinker wrote: »

Livivng room decor is dated, didn't get the paint brush out so as to offer a blank canvas to people. No it's not an ash tray in the kitchen we are non smokers. The ea said it was fine as is and I pushed him for hints. It's not in need of refurb although I don't disagree with the decor thing and all the lifestyle stuff. When we had sold but it fell through we did see some dogs that were not described as such. In a quandry whether to take off sale until next spring and do the bits mentioned and new kitchen cupboard fronts and plain decor throughout. Biggest issue as said before is not able to get car to house, although if we could do that then it probably wouldn't be for sale tbh.

I wouldn't bother replacing the kitchen or the doors. It is really not bad, just a bit bleak. My kitchen doors were grim so we replaced them. People didn't see the work tops were warped. Viewers may think they would like to replace it in time, but it is certainly livable with - especially if the rest looks as if they can just move in and won't have to re-decorate.

If you got going you could do a lot of work before mid September, there is usually a peak in September/October and even though there are not so many buyers there will still be people looking.

We had to replace most of our duvets because they were old and flat, we bought value ones from Tesco and they were great. If you have a Primark, they are good for bedding, towels and tea towels.

Your sofa and curtains look ok. If you get some cushions to tone it will make a big difference. I think you need to get some paint over the paper. The House Doctor book gives some really good ideas. It isn't just neutral walls, it has to have some 'dressing' ,stuff to make it look lived in.

It is a lovely house, it has a lot of character which is what a lot of people are looking for.

Andrew Winter - of Selling Houses - gets really cross when ea's haven't told people they need to make changes. Your house looks as though you have the basics - we needed to buy new sofas - all you need is the neutral walls and the 'dressing' to make it look lived in.

Take your camera and go and look at some show homes on new builds. Snap everything for ideas.

We spent about £3,000 on a new fireplace and granite hearth, sofas, kitchen doors, new carpets and floor covering, cushions, towels, plants, ornaments, light fittings - less than 1% of the asking price. It was a pain and hard work - we are both getting on - but worth it in the end.

bo_drinker

Our e a is 1%, he sent a "newsletter" to all on his books to tell them what 90% of them already knew re the state of the housing mkt. A bit of a hint to some to start to chop prices. I feel we are ahead of the game as we have made the decisions to drop 5 times I think. As said before I think he started too high and greed gets the better until weeks/ months later then you realise. Trouble is not everyone wants to play the same game. I would knock 10k off tomorrow but I know the folks with houses we like will not so it prolongs the affair and it's getting boring now. If only everyone came on here they may wake up to it.

Davesnave

Although I agree with everything Moany says, you have to beware of taking the show home thing to extremes. Not all your viewers will be looking for exactly the same thing.

When we thought we'd sold, DW and I viewed a lovely large bungalow where the owners had spared no expense: 3 new bathrooms, new kitchen, new ch, refurbished electrics, new fire & fireplace, new Aga and new floor coverings throughout. All the soft furnishings, pictures etc had had the same treatment too. They'd even bought the woodland behind the property to secure their privacy. All this came at a sensible price because we were in Wales.

DW and I knew that, on paper, this place made perfect sense; it even had a pub and a shop at the end of the drive. However, despite several visits, we eventually walked away from it. No matter how much 'good value' it was, nor how sensible a buy it would be, it didn't do it for us and we couldn't love it. We are just not the sort of people that would ever buy a new house or a new car; we actually prefer things that other people have used and loved a little. We also thought, 'How the hell can we make this place ours when everything has already been done?'

Anyway, that's my two pennorth. It was a good thing that we didn't love it, because, like you, we're still unsold, though things are certainly 'warmer' than they've been for some time. Also like you, I'll be getting the paintbrushes out if we're still unsold by autumn, but having spent 3 months landscaping the garden at the agent's suggestion, I'm taking a rest for now!