selling house - more problems

GreenB_2

First impressions count. An outdated kitchen is ceratinly a turn off for many buyers. I do not agree that buyers want to "gut" things and start again. Many buyers want to be able to move in and leave things alone for a while after all the hassle of moving.

meanmachine_2

Kitchens made of dark wood, for example, are a defo no-no.

But then, another buyer might have a different opinion. Unless you remove all traceof your personality and paint the walls, furniture, windows, kids and pets beige, you're always going to go against someone's tastes.

At the moment, people just have too many properties to choose from.

GreenB_2

meanmachine wrote:

Kitchens made of dark wood, for example, are a defo no-no.

But then, another buyer might have a different opinion. Unless you remove all traceof your personality and paint the walls, furniture, windows, kids and pets beige, you're always going to go against someone's tastes.

At the moment, people just have too many properties to choose from.

So it is important that the house is as presentable as possible!

Regardless of whether the buyer intends to rip out the kitchen or not , it is instinct that the most presentable one will appeal more (and less for the surveyor to comment on in a survey). If you had two identical houses at similar prices, one with a nice kitchen and one with a 60's style with damaged cabinets etc - which would you choose?

safesound

GreenB wrote:

First impressions count. An outdated kitchen is ceratinly a turn off for many buyers. I do not agree that buyers want to "gut" things and start again. Many buyers want to be able to move in and leave things alone for a while after all the hassle of moving.

I've just bought a house that has no kitchen to speak of, just a sink and a cooker point <g> To be fair if the kitchen was okay then I would have put up with it but as its a wreck I have an excuse for a new kitchen
We paid roughly 6% less than the asking price but it does need a bit of work (mostly cosmetic). I think we paid a fair price because although we could have probably paid less, we desperately wanted it (right location, vacant and within budget).
Anyway to get to the point, my advice; it wouldnt have mattered to me what the kitchen was like if the rest of the house was suitable and favourable priced so do what you can within a reasonable budget but dont go spending thousands on it as it really doesnt matter that much.

seabiscuit_2

UPDATE

we asked the buyer to meet us half way and they offered a bit more but not quite half way - so after discussions with my other half, we decided to accept their offer

other half is in panic mode tho thinking that once the surveys are back that they are going to try to knock us down further on the price - although we only bought the house 3 years ago and there was nothing major surveywise then

btw - i want a dark wood kitchen :rotfl: