Is an estate agent giving us bad advice about tidying up house, and fitting carpet?

Rhubarb_And_Custard

AdrianC wrote: »

What flooring's in the non-carpetted rooms currently?

There's a BIG difference between bare concrete or chipboard flooring, and nicely sanded/waxed floorboards...

One upstairs bedroom, which is fully decorated, has chipboard flooring. It is new, so in good condition.

The rest of upstairs has new wooden floorboards, but these are just cheap things from Travis Perkins - not exactly the sort people would love to see.

The lounge downstairs has concrete, which is clearly quite poor.

MobileSaver

Rhubarb_And_Custard wrote: »

One upstairs bedroom, which is fully decorated, has chipboard flooring. It is new, so in good condition.

The rest of upstairs has new wooden floorboards, but these are just cheap things from Travis Perkins - not exactly the sort people would love to see.

The lounge downstairs has concrete, which is clearly quite poor.

No brainer for me, I would lay the carpet. As the EA says it won't add value per se but I do believe it will increase your chance of a faster sale; some people will definitely be put off by "unfinished" rooms especially the concrete floor.

AnotherJoe

Rhubarb_And_Custard wrote: »

One upstairs bedroom, which is fully decorated, has chipboard flooring. It is new, so in good condition.

The rest of upstairs has new wooden floorboards, but these are just cheap things from Travis Perkins - not exactly the sort people would love to see.

The lounge downstairs has concrete, which is clearly quite poor.

I think your definition of "fully" decorated is different to most then

To me, bare floor boards (and certainly concrete !!!) even if in reality simple to fix, will leave a poor subconscious impression with many people that will just put them off the house, and certainly reduce its value to them, and for those of another mindset, they may say to themselves "looks like seller has given up and so will be looking to get shot at any price" and they will make you a very low offer not because of the house but because they think you are desperate to sell.

custardy

Unfinished rooms say I need to spend money on this house ASAP.
What really matters here is whats available locally for around £370K.
In the end its what you are competing against that matters IMO.
If you house at £370K is the same as a fully polished £400K house then its no issue IMO.
f theres a house fully polished with a few £K of your house then you may lose a sale.

AdrianC

Rhubarb_And_Custard wrote: »

One upstairs bedroom, which is fully decorated, has chipboard flooring. It is new, so in good condition.

The rest of upstairs has new wooden floorboards, but these are just cheap things from Travis Perkins - not exactly the sort people would love to see.

The lounge downstairs has concrete, which is clearly quite poor.

Carpet, definitely. That's going to look AWFUL.

csgohan4

as a FTB and I see concrete or bare floors, It gives me a bad impression. Just put something down even if it's a cheap one

amersall

Agree with other posters,put the carpet down, a bare concrete floor? NO way.

9ja4life

Definitely put carpets downstairs though someone like me will rip it up for wood flooring. However, I would not view one that had concrete floors.

phoebe1989seb

If it were being marketed - and therefore priced accordingly - as a fixer upper I would say don't bother about the bare/concrete floors. It sounds as though the EA you had round - only the one? - wasn't planning to market it thus, though?

If the rest of the house is at least reaonably presented I would lay the carpet you have.

Our last house - definitely a fixer upper, lol, as parts were falling down and it was unmortgageable - had bare concrete in the dining room. This was a 200 year old, non-listed, thatched house where the other floors were bare floorboards, quarry tiles, some 1980s parquet tiles and ancient Lino glued to more concrete

The price we paid reflected all of this and the price we paid reflected the work required.

As part of the extensive restoration work we carried out we laid both limestone and engineered oak flooring.

sniggings

The agent is most probably correct, putting carpet down will most likely mean the house will sell faster but at the same price (unless it's ugly carpet then it will sell slower but at the same price).

I would get the house on the market now and do the work if you feel it's needed, the longer the house is on the market, and the more people that see it , the faster you will sell it.