Presentation style query

VickyA_2

As someone looking for a first home to buy with my DH, I've so far been put off by:

a) a leisure centre 15m away from the front of the house.
b) clutter, all over the place making the property seem really small (also had an objection about the obnoxious neighbours too....)
c) a 3 bedroomed town house with the most non-existant "garden" in the world. Postage stamp would be far too generous as a description.

I can see past the decorations on the walls, be it 1980s flowery wallpaper, pink with fairies on or magnolia!

gallygirl

:eek:

RHemmings wrote:

My sister once viewed a flat which had pictures on the walls of the owners engaged in sex acts and role play.

:eek: :eek: :eek: Told OH to take them down before any viewings .

I look for cleanliness and 'liveability' - could I cope till I painted it, if I scrub bath would I get in it etc.

Have just decorated an ex BTL I am selling - was left v mucky, won't go into details in case eating......

Pale lilac lounge, hall & staircase, palest pink bedrooms (colours dictated to by Focus sale). May not be to everyone's taste, but is plain, clean and makes the place v bright. Cheap carpets on beds, stairs & landing (£225 all in Carpetright with 10% internet voucher). Not good quality obviously (but not nasty cord). Again, plain, clean & bright, will do purchasers until they want to replace.

New laminate floor in kitchen, painted units white, regrouted tiles, blue walls. Buyer will probably want new kitchen in time but this is clean and neat.

Existing laminate floor in living room, toilet & hall, given a good clean :eek: and edged, looks good.

Garden - emptied :eek: , moved & relaid some slabs, stoned area, few plants in.Disappointed in grass as still not in good shape, but again garden is neat and functional.

After costs & slight rise in market (est 2k) have added 10k to value, and this on a house now valued still at only 90k, so good % return.

Keep it clean, neat and simple!

david29dpo

i have a development for sale at the moment and stage all of them in a certain style. never have any problems selling so far. have a look if you wish.http://www.halifaxhomefinder.co.uk/HxHfDetails.asp?ref=50511751000

VickyA_2

I've added another "presentation style" criteria to my list:

Do not do anything too "trendy" with the windows. I went into one house today that had no windows in the sitting room. It had glass blocks instead in the wall where a (small) window had been. As it's at the very very very top of our budget, then we wouldn't be able to brighten up the room immediately by putting in another window..........

And not a presentation criteria, but a vendor criteria........ when opening the door to let you out (first viewing and I was his first viewer, he is a builder) don't say "So, are you interested then?"....... The EA was mortified! :rolleyes: Put me right off. And the fact that he'd done up the whole house, but kept the manky looking kitchen that needs ripping out immediately (ok, so it's something that you can live with.....).

emg

I have looked at about 20 flats in the last month. The things I like to see are (in no particular order)
- the outside of the house/block looks nice and well looked after (kerb appeal!)
- how furniture fits into each room (fed up of looking at empty rooms with no idea of scale)
- kitchen and bathroom look clean and fresh (don't need to be new, just look useable until I can update)
- decor is fairly new and neutral but not to the point that there is nothing left to do to the flat

I find that lots of flats have merged into one in my head because the insides look so similar (dark leather couch, laminate floor, beech kitchen, plain white bathroom). The ones I remembered best all had a specific feature that stayed in my mind (one had a giant bunch of balloons that the seller had taken from a party - nothing to do with selling but helped me remember their flat over half a dozen others I saw that day).

Having said all that, the flat I want is presented really badly, needs new flooring and painting, has a short lease and is overpriced (but it's a good size, brilliant location and I like the idea that I can turn it into something nice)- I guess its not all about presentation!

BobProperty

Philippa36 wrote:

The house that we bought was full from top to bottom (all 3 floors) of Art Deco and Nouveau paintings and William Morris wallpaper ~ we still bought it, saved £10,000 off the original asking price and have now almost painted all of it in pale, cool colours with absolutely no patterns.....

Flippin Heck ! Each to their own and all that but I hope that wasn't original or authorised (Sandersons) copy of Morris's work. They are hand blocked and I've just Googled some prices : £674.56

yes £674.56 :eek:
plus VAT
and that's PER ROLL :eek:

Doozergirl

david29dpo wrote:

i have a development for sale at the moment and stage all of them in a certain style. never have any problems selling so far. have a look if you wish.http://www.halifaxhomefinder.co.uk/HxHfDetails.asp?ref=50511751000

:shocked: Did you just buy that as a repo or at aution? I live up the road (have friends on the development) and was going to look at the repo but ended up cancelling the appointment because we'd had an offer accepted somewhere else.

Flat looks good. I was going to post up mine, but chickened out!

Doozergirl

BobProperty wrote:

Flippin Heck ! Each to their own and all that but I hope that wasn't original or authorised (Sandersons) copy of Morris's work. They are hand blocked and I've just Googled some prices : £674.56

yes £674.56 :eek:
plus VAT
and that's PER ROLL :eek:

My SIL just painted over some. It looked like it was really quite old, but clean so I'm sure the previous owners had just done it as it's so fashionable again. Big house too, so it might have been the good stuff.

stickytoffeepudding

Whatever the colours are, make sure everything is secure. My M&D once viewed a house and as Dad placed his hand on a shelf in the hall (chatting to the vendors, as you do) the whole thing fell to the floor leaving gaping holes in the plaster:rotfl:

Oh yes, and don't arrange viewings at mealtime - M&D (again) were viewing a house when the kitchen caught fire!

Honestly!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

They sneaked away while the fire brigade were sorting it out!

EdInvestor

emg wrote:

I have looked at about 20 flats in the last month. I find that lots of flats have merged into one in my head because the insides look so similar (dark leather couch, laminate floor, beech kitchen, plain white bathroom). The ones I remembered best all had a specific feature that stayed in my mind (one had a giant bunch of balloons that the seller had taken from a party - nothing to do with selling but helped me remember their flat over half a dozen others I saw that day).

An interesting comment. What would make your flat stand out to a buyer?