Cost of readying ex-rental property to sell?

Curv

I'm after some advice from LLs or anyone with experience of getting an ex-rental property ready for sale on the open market.

I have a relative who is currently allowing someone else to live in a property he owns outright (tedious family story - won't bore you with the details). It's looking increasingly likely that the person living in the house will be asked to leave and that the house will be sold. However, the house has not been looked after very well by the person living there and the person who owns it is expecting to have to redecorate and refloor throughout. Hopefully the kitchen and bathroom will be OK with a really thorough clean.

How much would be a reasonable amount to budget for this type of thing? And how much do professional house cleaners charge?

TIA

Debt_Free_Chick

Curv wrote: »

However, the house has not been looked after very well by the person living there and the person who owns it is expecting to have to redecorate and refloor throughout.

Oh dear ... how long's a piece of string? Seriously, you can pay £10 for a tin of white emulsion in B&Q or £50 for a tin of Farrow & Ball :eek:

Any fittings to be replaced e.g. light fittings?

What do you mean by refloor - just carpets? Or floorboards? Joists?

I think the best way to tackle this is to visualise the finished article, then work backwards from that. Separate out the DIY jobs from those that need a tradesman. Get three tradesmen to quote for those jobs and then price up the materials for the DIY jobs. Then add a contingency as you usually end up spending more! :eek:

Curv

Thanks, DFC

I don't think light fittings have been damaged, but they won't have been cleaned either. By 'reflooring' I meant replace carpet/laminate - the current occupant has at least six cats plus other pets in the property and the house doesn't smell too great.

My relative lives a long way away from the property so ideally he would get professionals in to do the lot. It's pretty much a cleaning/refreshing/cosmetic type thing that will need doing - nothing structural. I thought of asking local LAs if they can recommend any tradesmen but I'm not sure if they would be willing to do this.

mlz1413

Hi Curv, If your doing this to sell get the place thoroughly cleaned first and skip everything your not keeping, move out anything you are keeping if you can (maybe to a garage), everything is so much easier when your not moving/working around furniture.

When it's clean be realistic about kitchen and bathroom - no point decorating then dragging a new bath all the way through house!

Go to a somewhere like Wickes trade/retail shop to buy magnolia and white paint.

Flooring will depend on what market your aiming at, wood floors stripped are lovely but it's time consuming as you have to stain/varnish boards and each layer needs hours of drying time. Laminate and Carpet comes in all prices ranges for £5 sq m to £40+ sq m. If your going for bottom end go to Carpet Right/Allied Carpets, if you have £8-10 go to your local carpet shops, you'll get a better service and quality.

The budget range will truely depend on how much you can do yourself and how much you trade you need to employ. If this person has cats in the house budget for a skip to throw away carpets/curtains/soft furniture and a professional clean, THEN invite builders/tradesmen round for quotes - no tradesman is going to want to tread or kneel in cats pee and so the quotes will reflect that if they are invited round before!

As DFC says make you have some slack in your budget as everything always costs more.

clutton_2

a lick of tile paint over kitchen and bathroom makes it look like new tiles - for a lot less money.

budget_counsellor_shaz

I paid professional cleaners in August to clean my 4 bed detatched property with one ensuite, 1 bathroom and cloakroom. They wouldn't do the wheelie bins, garden or garage but cleaned all carpets and cooker. It cost us £250.

I would suggest that you emulsion the walls and changed the flooring and bleach the tiles in the bathroom.;)

Shaz

Sorry I forgot to add the house was totally empty