Do estate agents show around viewers?

Ames

Hi all,

My mum died last year and now we need to sell her house. I live in Leeds, the house is in Scarborough. Is it possible to just give the keys to the estate agent to show people around?

Dad's had his house in the same village on the market for six months and has told the EA to just let him know in advance so he can make sure it's tidy, but they insist he shows visitors round himself.

Obviousy that's not very practical for me living so far away (and I have mobility problems that'll make showing round the upper floors difficult for me).

Also, the house is run down. My dad and sister (dad has no legal say in it, the only beneficiaries are me and sister) want to spend a few k doing it up as they say it'll add value. But after doing a bit of reading around that's not neccessarily the case. Especially since houses in that village aren't really selling at all right now. (I'd be the one paying for the improvements, with a bit of help from dad, sister's completely skint).

tizerbelle

Yes they can do and if that's what you want, you tell them that at that outset and if they won't then you find another EA. Often they decide not to where houses are occupied - why do the work you're being paid for when you can get the people who are paying you to do it? With an empty house it should be much easier.

As for spending money on the house, it depends on the house, the type of work that's needed but generally I would say unless you're doing a major revamp a bit of decorating isn't going to add much value (if any).

IMO you'd be better off pricing it realistically to sell quickly and let someone else worry about spending £ks on it.

phill99

Tizerbelle is right. Unless you are willing to spend out on a new kitchen, new bathroom, a rewrite, new CH, windows etc, it's not worth doing any work.

Spending a few quid on decorating will make no difference at all.

If the house needs 'doing up' and is priced accordingly I would have thought that would increase its chances of selling as you will appeal to a lot of people. for many people a house that needs refurbishing is the only way they can get on the property ladder, plus many builders will be interested.

dimbo61

If the house wont sell have you and your sister considered renting it out ?
Now if you are going to rent then you will have to spend some money on gas safety checks, boiler service ( replacement which you might get a grant towards the cost! )
electrical safety certificate ? How is the wiring ? new doors etc.
I have know idea of the condition of the property or the location and if its in a good location to rent BUT if you cant sell ? worth considering.
Sure your sister would rather have the cash if she is skint so sell at the right price and Good Luck

Dunroamin

I've never known an EA who didn't show people round; that seems to me to be what you're paying them for!

What sort of work were you planning to do?

Ames

Thanks everyone.

Dad's already started putting in a new kitchen (I said no but he didn't listen). They want to put in a new bathroom, replace most of the carpets and do decorating, and fix a DG bedroom window that wont shut. In reality it also needs a new CH system and boiler.

My dad and sister seem stuck a few years ago, where you could spend 5k and add 20k value. They say if we don't do the work then any buyers will knock tens of thousands off the asking price, and sister has a price she wont go below.

Renting it out isn't an option - I'm on benefits and my half of the rental income wouldn't cover what I'd lose by owning a house. The DWP will expect me to sell it asap and use the money to live off, so my benefits will stop in six months unless I can show I've done everything I can to sell it.

roger196

I am not clear on whether your Dad and Mum lived together or not. Is Dad living in the property.
Who is the executor of the will. What does the will say about the house. Does Dad have a claim against the estate.
It is the executor(s) who decide whether to do the house up or not. This has the potential to get very messy.
Subject to what the will says, it needs to be made clear to Dad that he has no authority to do work on the house and that he will not be paid for any work that he has done, but could be liable for any damage caused so far.
What do you intend to do with the sale proceeds? If you were able to buy a property to live in yourself, the capital would not affect your benefits. A lodger would help to meet the expenses of running the house ( but needs clarification whether this counts as income for benefits purposes). Another option is for you and sister to use sale proceeds to buy a house together in an area both wanted to live.
The quality / variety of advice will depend on how much info you are willing to disclose on a public forum.

DocProc

If you are selling a house which does need a new kitchen, then it's almost always best to let the buyer do it for themselves. And of course, the price being asked for the house, should theoretically reflect the acknowledged fact, that the house does surely need a new kitchen.

Let's say you spend the money and re-do the kitchen.....

I'm sure you wouldn't want to do a really, really good kitchen and, even if you did, it might not be exactly what the buyer wants for him/herself. Thus, because the buyer is going to re-do the kitchen anyway, they would need to allow for this in the price they are prepared to buy at. They will offer you your asking price less the price of a new kitchen.

Similarly with everything else.

Move any bed and the area of carpet under where the bed went is always a different colour to the rest of the carpet. So a new carpet might well be required. As a seller, don't re-carpet before the sale, but let the buyer do it after he has bought. The buyer might have allowed for this fact in the offer he makes when he buys.

DocProc

If you are selling in Scarboro' then pick a Scarboro' Estate Agent.

He will accompany all viewings and will sorta, kinda 'act for the buyer' as he is showing them around and 'act for the seller' only when he is speaking to the seller.

That's the way the cookie crumbles. And the agent doesn't get paid unless there is a sale of the property.

Funnily enough, the seller won't agree to a sale unless he gets offered an acceptable price. Thus a good agent will help bring the two parties together so as to get a deal made.

How do you pick a good agent?

Well, start with looking at a web site like 'RightMove.co.uk' and see who is clocking up the most SSTCs (Sold Subject To Contract) stickers on the house pictures on the adverts for Scarboro' properties.

Then approach the chosen agent and start negotiating with him. Tell him what you want to achieve and what you would like him to do.

DocProc

Dad's already started putting in a new kitchen (I said no but he didn't listen).

Aaaargh! Silly old fool or wot?

All that hassle and expenditure and he might only get back just about what he has financially put in. And all that hassle too!

Meanwhile, the market moves downwards, for example by 1-2%, and knocks down the price of the property by more than the price of the kitchen.

And you couldn't get on with selling the house because the kitchen wasn't yet finished, etc, etc.

Yes. Silly old fool or wot!

Mojisola

Ames wrote: »

Dad's already started putting in a new kitchen (I said no but he didn't listen). They want to put in a new bathroom, replace most of the carpets and do decorating, and fix a DG bedroom window that wont shut. In reality it also needs a new CH system and boiler.

Ames wrote: »

Also, the house is run down. My dad and sister (dad has no legal say in it, the only beneficiaries are me and sister) want to spend a few k doing it up as they say it'll add value.

(I'd be the one paying for the improvements, with a bit of help from dad, sister's completely skint).

I hope you haven't given him any money towards the new kitchen!

You control the purse-strings and you are a joint owner. Your Dad has no right to do anything without the agreement of both owners.

Put your foot down - no more money and no more "improvements"!