A Dilemma on Price to Sell House

TroubleWithTribbles

I have inherited my father's house. A 1959 built 3 bed semi.  The house is habitable - good heating system with boiler only 2 years old.  The roof doesn't leak and there is no discernible subsidence or cracks.  However, the property hasn't been looked after and has not had anything done to it for 25-30 years, so is very tired looking.  I would expect a prospective buyer would want/need to replace all the glazing, maybe re-wiring, and of course decorating.  While the central heating works well, and the house is warm, there is no radiator in the kitchen and an oil filled heater was used there.  The gardens would need renovating and an old garage demolishing.  Properties in the estate have been selling for between £210K and £260K.  I know the old saying that the house is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it, but I'm just wondering what to pitch it at when I do come to sell it, bearing in mind the amount of work that would need to be done by the prospective buyer.

p00hsticks

Are you intending to sell via estate agents ? If so they'll be in the best position to advise on what it could fetch, and also say if there are any things that are worth fixing before you put it on the market. 

Get several in and see what they each say before deciding which one to go with. 

WellKnownSid

Estate agents should give you some steer, so don't over-think it.

The house sounds like it's warm, dry, and habitable - so likely mortgageable, and no onward chain will be a plus.

All buyers re-decorate - which makes new windows and a re-wire a much more straightforward proposition.  Don't fret about a missing radiator - the buyer might want to move the kitchen to a different part of the house!  The garage might need to go, but could be a useful material store whilst the builders are on site in the meantime.

I might be tempted to tame the gardens if it improved kerb appeal - getting people through the door is what matters, and they might not have a machete handy.  This requires no investment other than time.

FreeBear

WellKnownSid said: All buyers re-decorate - Don't fret about a missing radiator - the buyer might want to move the kitchen to a different part of the house!

Quite possibly any buyer will want to replace the kitchen and install a plinth heater - Got one in my kitchen..
Depending on where the pipework runs, it may be a trivial exercise to fit a radiator (or plinth heater).

TroubledTarts

Everything has its price so as others have said get some local estate agents round to value 

RelievedSheff

People often seem drawn to project properties. They can sell for more than you might expect.

Let your agents set the price. That is what you are paying them for.

gwynlas

See recent posts about selling.

Ensure that house and garden are clean and photo ready in order to get best valuation from 3 local agents.

Choose who you feel most comfortable with and see that they mention new boiler in description.

Check house regularly for security etc particularly in view of weather conditions

Herzlos

Don't spend any real money on it, because the buyer change it anyway.

Empty it out, give it a clean, tidy up the garden and list it as is.

With it being livable (and mortgageable) it'll be ideal for someone to move in and do up over time.

Clive_Woody

FYI - our kitchen didn't have a radiator so when we had it replaced we had underfloor heating (electric) put in and it's great.

ReadingTim

Get 3 EAs in and ask them what they'd market it at to sell in its current state within a reasonably quick timescale.  take an average of the prices they recommend, select the outfit you liked the sound of the best, and tell them to put it on the market at that price. 

newsgroupmonkey_

RelievedSheff said:

People often seem drawn to project properties. They can sell for more than you might expect.

Let your agents set the price. That is what you are paying them for.

Came in to say this. Some of the Project Properties I've seen go for as much as a finished one.