Tips for drawing attention to parents house

Jenniefour

Websites/companies who promise to buy your house to be avoided. They prey on the vulnerable (usually people who are in serious debt) and will not pay the market value for the property.

However, if the house has been on the market for two years with offers then something is wrong. Possibly over priced when it was first put on the market. When a property has been on the market for that long people wonder if there's something very serious wrong with the property. So it might be worth considering a substantial price drop to generate some interest and a possible sale. As long as your parents can pay off the mortgage and have enough money left over to downsize.

It's not entirely clear to me whether this is a debt problem (where your parents still owe a very substantial amount on their mortgage) or a house presentation/pricing problem. Or a mix of both.

jmkni

Tixy wrote: »

Have they used a local estate agent at any time? or just places like the current one?

Has the price been reduced at any point during the time it has been on the market?

Were the photos taken by them (or you) rather than a professional estate agent? They really are very difficult to see and need to be redone. Ideally with a floor plan.

Have they had any viewings this year?

1. Yes they have used a number of local ones, and haven't had much luck
2. Yes, substantially, at one point they were asking for nearly 250
3. Them, they sent somebody out, and they never mentioned anything about a floor plan.
3. One.

shegirl

The photos are awful,they really are.

They,combined with the clutter etc make the house look very dull/dimly lit aswell.

Also,the inclusion of a halogen heater in the living room photo would make wonder whether the heating is screwed/hasn't been maintained or if it's a particularly cold house.

jmkni

shegirl wrote: »

The photos are awful,they really are.

They,combined with the clutter etc make the house look very dull/dimly lit aswell.

Also,the inclusion of a halogen heater in the living room photo would make wonder whether the heating is screwed/hasn't been maintained or if it's a particularly cold house.

The halogen heater is an ornament, it's not used, and the heating works fine. I completely see your point though, as somebody viewing the photo's wouldn't know that.

clw1

From the rightmove listing I have no idea what the house is like and so I wouldn't bother going any further and wouldn't bother viewing!

No floor plan and no description of rooms / room sizes - get the estate agent to add these asap.

There aren't many photos which makes me think it needs alot of renovation and hence will cost me alot !. Also the photos that are there are badly taken and often make the rooms look dark. For a house that size I would expect 15-20 photos (3 x outside (front, back & garden), 2/3 of reception roons, 2 of kitchen, 4 of bedrooms, 1 of bathroom, 1 of hall, 4 of annex)

shegirl

jmkni wrote: »

The halogen heater is an ornament, it's not used, and the heating works fine. I completely see your point though, as somebody viewing the photo's wouldn't know that.

Exactly,even more so with the ea comment about heating as described .Not that they have actually described much!

I'd be shooting he EA' s to be perfectly honest!!!


I have to ask though,sorry,a halogen heater as an ornament?!?!?!?!?!?

jmkni

All really great advice guys, thanks very much

quidsy

New photos 100% needed

Floor plan 100% needed

Room Descriptions & measurements 100% needed

Helpers: Rooms cleared & decluttered, remove personal wall photos, the stuff hanging from the ceiling in the kitchen needs to be put away. Generally neutralise the place, get rid of the china on the dresser, replace with vase of flowers & a couple of photos in small frames.

jmkni

shegirl wrote: »

Exactly,even more so with the ea comment about heating as described .Not that they have actually described much!

I'd be shooting he EA' s to be perfectly honest!!!


I have to ask though,sorry,a halogen heater as an ornament?!?!?!?!?!?

Ah, I thought you were referring to something else, they do have an old ornamental heater elsewhere in the house, and thought for a second there was a picture of this on the property site, apologies, no that's not ornamental. The bottom floor is a self contained flat, which is currently rented out to people on holiday, and that heater is there if they want to heat the flat when the heating is not scheduled to be on, my mistake.

jayss

Along with the pictures being blurry and dark, the description is really confusing 1 reception then lists other reception rooms.
Without a floor plan it's hard to work out.

Best of luck.