Selling father's (fairly neglected) house - advice please

bananz

Hi all,

Really hoping you can offer some advice please? My sister and I are trying to convince my 75 yr old father to move near us in Glasgow from Brentwood in Essex as he lives alone and his health is deteriorating and it would be best for everyone if he was nearby.

He's lived in his house for 35 years though and is really quite distressed at the thought of everything that needs to be done in order to sell it. He seems to be under the impression that the fact that it needs a fair bit of work done to it that he would need to get this done before putting it on the market, but he's mortgage free and even with having to share the proceeds with my mother (who left him 10 years ago), he could easily afford to buy a house outright in our area judging by recent sales in his area.

Is there still much demand for "fixer-uppers"? The kitchen and bathroom were replaced about 6-7 years ago so aren't ancient. The rest of the house would need to be redecorated and re-carpeted, the front porch needs some structural work and the garden will need some landscaping as it's become quite over-grown.

Our feeling is just to put the house on the market "as is" and accept a lowish valuation to save on stress and hope that it would sell quickly being in prime commuter-belt country, but we are obviously not experts. We really just want him to be able to move closer to his family with as little stress as possible. Does anyone have any advice? Are we off the mark?

Thanks so much in advance!

Hermia

I sold my mum's house "as is" as I was living miles away and could not get time off work to do it up. It sold in three days at a price I was very happy with. The house was empty so the condition was plain to see. I would get some estate agents in as they will know the market best. The three I got valuations from all said their would still be of interest because of the location and ddn't even advise me to get the magnolia paint out!

rosie383

As someone who has viewed many houses over the past months, I would say not to bother doing anything much to it. Unless you are going to do it up perfectly then I think you would be adding stress to your dad at a time that is difficult enough for him.
I wanted to view a house tomorrow that sounds even older and more in need of modernisation than your dad's. Because of the location, it literally sold in one day. I don't know what offer was accepted but I doubt that it was more than 10k below asking price. I'd say, look at other sold prices in the surrounding streets for similar houses, get at least three EA in to value and go for an asking price around the middle. If property is selling well, then he will probably get a decent price for it without doing anything to it. If you are prepared to get about 20k less than a really nicely done one in the same street, then just go for it.

WeAreGhosts

Everything sells at the right price

bouicca21

Sell as is - some people will actually pay a premium to get a place they can do up to their own taste.

xylophone

In your father's position, I'd get the property valued and sell as is - why go to the trouble of getting in builders and decorators for a place you'll be putting on the market the minute it's done?

mchale

As it's in the south east, try the auction route as prices are good.

GaleSF63

I sold my mother's house just over a year ago in rather worse than "fairly neglected" condition (inside and out). A decent offer (more than I would have settled for) came in after 3 days.

As above, I think location was a key point. And there are always people who don't have the money for the perfect house, but want to buy something they can spend money on as they get it.

tealady

Tell him not to worry about doing the house up, if he is happy to move then just go. I would prefer a house I could do up to my taste, judging by some of the horrible "makeovers" on programmes such as Homes under the Hammer (those horrible brick shaped white tiles make me think of public toilets no way would I have them in my house but they seem to be all the rage)

cr1mson

I would sell as is but do any tidying. For instance you talk about the garden being overgrown I would get that cut back as it wouldn't cost a great deal and would add to the kerb appeal.

Kitchens and bathrooms have been done recently enough for then still to be serviceable but long enough for someone to feel they are not pulling out a perfectly good one.

In terms of the structural work is that restricted to the Porch? How serious is it? Just that structural work can scare people. We had a dodgy outhouse on our property when we sold and we ended up demolishing it in order to sell.

Perelandra

If there's anything that might "scare" people, that can be fixed cheaply, then that might be worth doing- if only to increase the number of people who might be willing to buy it.
But otherwise, agree with the above- "fixer-uppers" are not a problem.


From the things you've said, I'd leave those alone- those shouldn't scare people, as they're easy to fix.