Looking to sell next year - get work done or leave it?

sammyjammy

Looking to sell my 120 yr old terrace next Spring. I've done alot of work over the years and some more recent work on the roof and chimney.

The house is in general good condition for its age, new boiler, heating/double glazing etc but some of the work was done nearly 20 years ago so despite keeping it looking nice there is work to do.

The main bedroom is untouched from when i moved in pretty much, woodchip wallpaper needs removing, plaster skim , carpet and redecoration.

The kitchen is north facing and keeping damp at bay in that room is a constant battle, I think some work needs to be done with the external wall (there is a 2m wall on one side of the garden as the house is on a hill, I think its related to that so maybe tricky to fix.

When I bought the house in 1999 it was the worst house on the street, I'd now say its top 20%, if I do say so myself the garden is beautiful.

I'm tired of spending money on it and getting work done is so stressful so was thinking price it reasonably with a view to taking a lower offer . I would say £5k (which I don't really have spare if I am selling up) would get it perfect and if that was done it would be worth around £240k.

Thoughts? What would you do? My biggest concern is that a house needing work puts people off?

twopenny

Try it on the market and see what people say.

Buyers have their own ideas so other than maintenance if people can move in comfortably and not have anything immediate to do that's what's needed.

Sadly I've sold 2 houses with lovely gardens and both were tarmac over. It sells them though

eddddy

Explain to 2 or 3 local estate agents that you plan to sell soon, and ask if they'll do a market appraisal. i.e. Visit the property and give you their opinion on what does or doesn't need doing before you market the property, (and how much the property might sell for at the moment)

They talk with prospective property buyers every day; they probably do multiple accompanied viewings each week; and they ask viewers for feedback - so they'll have a good idea of what buyers are looking for and/or expect.

I guess a lot depends on your target market - for example, if it's younger couples, both working, first time buyers - they might want a place that's all done, because they don't want the hassle of DIY or hiring tradesmen.

But other types of buyers might enjoy buying a 'project' property, which they can decorate to their own taste etc.

RelievedSheff

I personally wouldn't do the work and would market the property at a price that reflects that.

If a perfect property is £240k, market yours lower at say £220-225k.

sammyjammy

Thanks guys,

I wouldn't call it a project property. Well its in Sheffield so possibly first time buyer house depending on how much you earn! Getting a few EAs in is a good plan. I'm hoping to move to a house of a similar price and my mortgage is minimal so would be happy with £220k although as we've seen with petrol alot can happen in a year!

sammyjammy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82047964#Comment_82047964

Oh no, I'd be horrified, if I could do one thing it would be to pick my garden up and take it with me. I am very friendly with some of my neighbours so if I were to visit I'd have to shield my eyes 😂

J63320

Some friends of mine offered on a house and the seller took them round the garden, asked if they knew the names of plants and how to look after them etc. They said it was obvious she wasn’t going to accept their offer if she didn’t think they would look after the garden.

sammyjammy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82048279#Comment_82048279

Wow, I don't think I'd be that fussy, alot of it is in pots so I'd be taking all of those with me, would probs try and transplant my peony tree as well.

Dustyevsky

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82048279#Comment_82048279

Bonkers! Our last garden was the best in the street, Three years on and it looked like the Amazon rainforest on a bad rain day.

Did I care? The garden we moved to had more potential.More fundamentally, our old garden belonged to the nice people who paid us money for it,. so what they did (mainly sport) was none of my business.

sammyjammy: as we've seen with petrol a lot can happen in a year!

Well, in 2025 44% of property put up for sale didn't sell, and while my crystal ball's rubbish, I can't see reasons for an immediate improvement!

Keen pricing may get you further than numerous tweaks.

twopenny

Pots are the answer. Take all your favourites. But warn the removers first.

They did all mine and kindly put them as a border in my new blank space including a deformed gnome! 😉

My only regret was they made the move difficult so I didn't let them have the £500 of tools I was going to leave and they tarmacked over a big important peony that would have made them a few hundred online and a musk rose but I was able to replace that

TroubledTarts

Damp issues will come up in a survey so expect after an offer for offers to be reduced or withdrawn.