Was there anything you didn't notice as quite common until looking to buy?

Callie22

Winter_Phoenix wrote: »

One thing I shall never understand, is why so many vendors don't make the beds neatly before allowing the estate agent in to take photographs.

It's not that much of an effort, but makes such a difference to the pictures!

This amazed me too. I've never sold a house but when my parents put theirs on the market they saw all of the pictures before they went online and could discard any they didn't like. I'm assuming that most people would do that and I can't understand the people who look at their pictures, see the unmade beds, the unwashed dishes, the grubby bathroom, the cat litter trays, the dog cages, the pants drying on the radiator and all of the other grotty bits and think 'mmm, yes, what a fantastic advert for my home, I'm sure that'll tempt people in'. I know in some cases the properties might not be occupied by the owner and the current occupants might not have welcomed the estate agent taking photos, but you see it so much it's like some people really just don't care.

Davesnave

Jon_B wrote: »

I completely agree. I didn't suggest it as I didn't want to be accused of bemoaning the boomer male generation who seem to still be flabbergasted that a man even dare step into the kitchen.

Really? I know many boomers never went to uni, as only about 12% did in the 60s/70s, but at mine, whilst in halls, it was obvious that only the guys did 'proper' cooking.

Young men around the age of 20 were not going to go hungry, even if the main appliance, grudgingly supplied, was a Baby Belling!

Davesnave

I'm very suspicious of staged houses.

As a buyer I'm much happier seeing pants drying on a radiator or a bit of peeling wallpaper; anything that will put others off.

We only saw one property that was truly perfect, and to be honest, it scared us rigid. There wasn't a speck of dust, a room un-refurbished or even the chance of the heating going down in a power cut, because there was a back-up system in place. Good Lord, those people had even bought 2 acres of woodland behind the property, just to make sure that no one could look down upon them!

We couldn't love that place. Common sense said it was a very good buy, but there was no way we could see ourselves living there; we'd have messed it up!

We walked away and bought a bit of a wreck instead.

moneyistooshorttomention

Callie22 wrote: »

This amazed me too. I've never sold a house but when my parents put theirs on the market they saw all of the pictures before they went online and could discard any they didn't like. I'm assuming that most people would do that and I can't understand the people who look at their pictures, see the unmade beds, the unwashed dishes, the grubby bathroom, the cat litter trays, the dog cages, the pants drying on the radiator and all of the other grotty bits and think 'mmm, yes, what a fantastic advert for my home, I'm sure that'll tempt people in'. I know in some cases the properties might not be occupied by the owner and the current occupants might not have welcomed the estate agent taking photos, but you see it so much it's like some people really just don't care.

Actually, to me, its best to get a dispassionate "pair of eyes" viewing your house on your behalf I think. That would avoid all that.

I got a friend of mine to walk through my last house before I put it up for sale and pretend she was a would-be buyer and give me her feedback about any suggestions she had for presenting it better.

Though, I admit to being glad that my current house was just so badly-presented it wasn't true when I came looking at it. I wanted it to be up to normal standard personally - but it clearly was very far from. Reason for that being - to put other people off buying it and give me a clear run at it. It wasn't funny having to live in a house that was smelly/felt dirty/barely functioned to start with - and hence I can certainly understand why people look to get a house that has been presented properly.

I would have loved that "perfect" property by the sound of it Davesnave.

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I would have loved that "perfect" property by the sound of it Davesnave.

Are you sure?

Property like that doesn't come cheap, leaving little in reserve for changes.

And no matter how thoughtful the previous owners were, their taste won't likely be one's own, nor their choices of, say, heating. There was no wood-burner, for example, despite the endless supply of wood!

Ripping-out perfectly good decor or facilities comes hard, unless the price is right. We have cheerfully knocked down 6 walls in the last year and torn out one kitchen and two bathrooms, but it has all been affordable and there's literally nothing salvageable, so no guilt....or ebay, unfortunately!:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

Will never forget a few years ago, went to look at a three story new build house. Kitchen was big and beautifully fitted out, the top story main bedroom had a dressing room, beautiful en suite., but I was so shocked when I saw the lounge was smaller than most studies. It was drowned by a two seater sofa and small TV. There was also a study just about big enough for a desk and a chair. Not a good first impression.

Was obviously aimed at a very different life style to mine. Personally I thought whoever designed the house must have been mad. It wasn't cheap either!

But I have been amazed by the titchy kitchens in most houses. Even when I lived in a council house, I had a reasonably large dining/kitchen room and took the few cupboards there were out and put my own in. I need storage cause I cook from scratch. I don't know how families can live with titchy kitchens. Saw some new built council houses a friend moved into.., once you put a washing machine and cooker in it, there was no room for a full height fridge freezer, and only room for four cupboards. Couldn't cope with that.

Might have to though.., am being made homeless so my opinion may change soon. Anything with a roof will do lol. And of course, unless you press your nose to the windows of houses (and able to go round the back) you have no idea what the kitchen is like before bidding. I have no problem with putting more cupboards in etc.., but its gonna be a major problem if its titchy. Oh well.

moneyistooshorttomention

Yep....as you say...property like that indeed doesn't come cheap. That woodland would have been big bonus time to me and I would perfectly understand buying it specially so that no-one else could overlook me - that's exactly how I think given the chance (ie the money).

It would hurt to have to rip out a super-duper high-quality kitchen because it was black for instance....whereas ripping out the kitchen in this house when I can afford it wont give me any qualms at all (because its 1980s style - despite having been put in much more recently than that/was done by a bodger and is badly-planned). Guess I can understand it being old-fashioned right at the outset - as it took me a while to click that a house that has only just been built near me was outdated already the second the last brick (concrete block) was laid - as its 1970s style (despite being brand new).

I was rather assuming "perfect" also meant "my taste". As I don't have a creative bone in my body - its a pretty safe bet that my taste will be whatever is currently fashionable (veering towards Scandinavian pale wood/good taste/simple) and I'd probably be fine with that. My individualism centres around food tastes:rotfl:

Slinky

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Well...some things are down to personal tastes.

Personally...my ideal house is a Riad I would think. I want an internal and totally private garden area with a fountain and some plants in the middle of it.

Add in - that I would like the outside/public-facing part of the house to have a covered verandah with Adirondack type chairs there and prairie-style outside. Add the Mediterranean style courtyard garden somewhere and a permaculture nod to the 21st century.

Has to admit my house would be a bit of a hodge-podge of all the different styles I like ideally.

I think that, if I had to have just one style though, then it would probably be Moroccan-style.

I definitely do NOT want bedrooms at the front of the house. Privacy is high priority to me personally. Errrm....and what has my current house got? You got it - a bedroom with window at front of house and its the main bedroom at that.....the darn compromises one has to make when buying a house...

We all have a fantasy style of house we'd like, and then there's the practical reality. From how you have described your current home on the many threads I have read, it sounds as far from Morocco as you can get.

The bedrooms at the front of a bungalow are the compromise you have to make to get the privacy for a conservatory at the back. I'd far rather stick up nets in a bedroom window where I go to sleep at night than blinds in a conservatory where I spend a large part of my day in the summer.

moneyistooshorttomention

Certainly is - ie as far from Morocco as you could possibly get:rotfl:. Not even modern-day styling - but I'm working on it...

fdavidson

We went to view a house that was littered with beer bottles and pizza boxes and had a poo in the toilet....