Presenting a house for sale

[JoceAndChris]

What do forum members think is important? Fresh white walls? All tatty old junk furniture and worn curtains removed, so it's empty? Or better to have nasty furniture and fittings in place? Leave all the exterior damaged woodwork (guttering, fascia board, sills) or get it repaired? Get the carpets steam cleaned or just leave them in their current filthy condition for the next people to rip out and replace?

I suppose the question I'm asking is how much work do you have to do to sell a fairly ordinary 2 bed terraced house in Leeds (c1900, a few period features remaining) in these times?

The situation is the house is co-owned by my husband and his brother. It was furnished with unwanted junk 7 years ago and he has lived there for the last 5 years and done nothing to improve it.

He is a surgeon and has no time, Chris is in London every day and has no time, I can't go there and work as I'm recovering. The parents in law are doing bits and pieces but I still think it looks very unappealing and below the standard of other houses for sale in Leeds. The brother won't spend anything at all on it. Should we override the wishes of the brother and the parents and just get the contractors in?

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Check overall condition of essentials outside,---gutters, sills, roof, rainwater goods to make sure no holes/gaps, moss etc.
Check interior paintwork for chips, scuffs etc, if necessary re paint in a bland colour, but make sure clean. Hoover carpets and see how they look, hire a cleaning machine if really necessary. Leave some furniture--i.e a sofa and couple of easy chairs in living room, a dining table and 4 chairs in dining room, a double bed in a bed room, and perhaps a single in the other, scour the bathroom appliances and kitchen appliances, clean the windows. Cut the lawn, sweep the paths,That's all!!!

 

[vicky whitworth]

I agree with Jocelyn. That's all I would do. I think most people are put off if they can see obvious problems like damp so these need sorting and then they want something clean and plain that they can move into. Get the price right and anything will sell.

May I say, I'm glad he's not my surgeon :shock:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Me too! And very glad he isn't my brother, as I never want to see or speak to him again!

Thanks for the advice, that sounds very sensible. I'd wondered if putting in a new carpet throughout, and a proper interior redecorate might be necessary but it sounds like Joss thinks a touch up is a better plan, which would be a whole lot easier. And that's interesting that you both think furniture ought to be left, though I wonder if you'd think that if you could see the terrible furniture in question.

The outside is pretty bad and I think will need a full redecorate, I wouldn't take it on in its current state. I guess we could just put it on the market and if it doesn't sell get the decorators in.

 

[DJH]

I guess we could just put it on the market and if it doesn't sell get the decorators in.

Hmm, you do have a problem Joce. I'd be inclined to do the work before putting it on the market rather than after if it doesn't sell. You will more than likely have to increase the price of the property to cover the work you have done. Houses that return to the market usually surface cheaper rather than dearer when they reappear for sale.

I agree with keeping a few sticks of furniture around and, in particular, cleaning the grout in any tiling in the bathroom and clear any debris from the bath and shower waste outlets.

Doug

 

[Keithj]

We had that a couple of times recently - first, M's aunt's place and then our place in Essex when we moved up here.

In both cases the Estate Agent's advice was: put it on the market as it is. People who are seriously considering it will be planning to redecorate it anyway, so some cosmetic blemishes won't matter and they'll be able to see that there are no more serious structural problems. Money you spend on decoration isn't likely to be recovered in the selling price, and will be painted over anyway.

The most they suggested was tidy up, dust, and make the garden vaguely presentable. We found a willing gardener who, for £72, transformed the garden from budding wilderness to something resembling tidy. Both sold quickly (priced to sell, mind).

I suspect if there had been serious structural problems the advice may have been different.

 

[Flyfisher]

I agree with Keith and it's pretty much exactly what our agent said when selling our previous house in Hertfordshire, even to the extent of leaving FF junior's dark navy blue bedroom walls that made the room very dark. The agent said the serious buyers won't be put off and the frivolous viewers will always find something they don't like. That was borne out during all the viewings and it was sometimes very dispiriting that viewers would pick up on stupidly trivial things they didn't like but would be easy to fix if they had really been serious. We even had one couple who came in an immediately announced that they didn't like the stairs - I felt like telling them to b***** off then and look for a bungalow! I guess that a certain number of time wasters come with the territory.

But when the right buyer arrives you can tell they are serious and are more interested in what they can do rather than the colour of the walls. A near-neighbouring house (in Hertfordshire) had a huge amount of work done to it, which completely transformed it into a gleaming, immaculate five-bed family home, with new kitchen, en-suites everywhere, including full landscaping fo the front and rear gardens - the full works. It was subsequently sold for almost £1m. The new people held a garden party for all the neighbours to introduce themselves and they spent a lot of time explaining, in some detail, their plans to completely re-model the internal layout, especially the upstairs because they didn't need five bedrooms and wanted fewer, larger ones.

So who really knows how best to present a house for sale? It all depends on the buyers. Clean and tidy is probably the best bet.

However, given the 'delicate' ownership situation, perhaps a discussion with the brother about recovering any costs you spend on preparing the house for sale might be in order, before splitting the proceeds? After all, whatever effort you spend will probably benefit him with a higher sale price even though he has contributed nothing. But such family issues can be tricky, so good luck!

 

[Juju]

I agree with the others plus I've clearly watched far too many property shows - which highlight that a lot of people would rather have a project that they can add value to. If you start tinkering too much you could end up spending a fortune so just keep to having it really well cleaned and the garden tidied. When we were about to put Mr Juju's late father's house on the market, we'd decided just to do that and let someone else deal with the outdated kitchen, bathroom, dodgy paintwork etc but of course we then had pipes burst in 18 places and so the whole place was renovated mostly paid for by insurance. Yes we got about £40k more than if it had been unrenovated but we had another year of hassle and doing 500 mile round trips to check on the house...
I personally would rather buy a house in the condition you describe than one that's been cheaply and hurriedly done up and where I probably wouldn't like the kitchen or bathroom etc. No doubt you'll get time wasters viewing and cheeky so and so's offering ridiculously amounts (we had that from the builders we had to quote for the insurance work!) but be realistic about what it's worth in its current condition but obviously don't give it away - you can use that money for your lovely house!

Juju

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks for all the advice and words of wisdom - and Flyfisher, I did laugh out loud at "b*gger off and get a bungalow then!" :lol: Is there no end to the inane and cheeky remarks people make! Grrr. I'd never be able to hold my tongue, just as well I won't be there at any viewings.

Sounds like you've all been there and lived through the stresses of this. How awful to have the burst pipes all those miles away Juju! Actually we've never sold a property so this would be a first, and yes, a very delicate situation as it's basically an unwanted "gift" from Chris's parents, and if anyone out there is considering buying two siblings a joint property please please don't without asking them first. I'd like to be able to tell them to stick the house where the sun never shines but as Juju sensibly pointed out it will, perhaps, pay for what BC needs. I am sorry if I sound ungrateful, I know I do, but I just see it sitting empty with us being forced to pay council tax on it and all manner of other expenses, and it has never brought us one penny to date.

But I'm pleased that the consensus is that to put in very expensive work is unnecessary. Next time we go we'll have a good look at the outside and decide if it really needs timber repair before putting it on the market.

 

[plasticpigeon]

I think so long as the kitchen and bathroom function as such, you shouldn't do anything but clean it. People need to be able to move straight in even if they don't plan on keeping the house the way it is.

 

[Owain]

Depends on the market.

A 2 bed terrace in Leeds is likely to appeal to either a first time buyer or a buy-to-let. FTB will usually want something they can move in to and not have money left over for alterations. BTL go by return on investment, so if you can do the tarting-up more cheaply than it would cost a landlord, they'll buy your house in ready-to-let condition. If you can't they'll buy it mucky and tart it up themselves.

If in doubt, paint it off-white, if for no other reason than it makes the rooms look lighter and bigger.

New plain carpet can be very cheap. Cord carpet is usually under £3 a sq metre.
http://www.onlinecarpets.co.uk/carpets/style/cord-carpet.html

You may not get back the cost of redecoration but in the current market it's often about getting your house sold before the others, not getting a higher price.

If you can't dress the house for sale for viewings, at least beg/borrow from your own house, or even ask the neighbours, for things like a sofa for the lounge and a small table/chairs for the dining area, for when the estate agent interior photos are done. Helps to show the purpose and proportion of the rooms in the photos even if they're subsequently removed before viewings.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Like you JuJU I have been watching too many house selling programmes, they drive me mad-- doesn't anybody take a good look at what they are actually buying--location, room spaces, etc, instead of drooling over the B & Q feature wall, commercial sofa's and dining tables with the ubiqitous vase of flowers stuck in the middle. It's the same with our local Estate Agents, it's all about the 'simply stunning' bland magazine driven presentation-- get real, I could not care less how the house is furnished, I just want sound bricks and mortar and room spaces that work for me. I am beginning to wonder if anybody will understand this house if I ever market it--- it is a home!!
I do have symapthy with first time buyers, it is nice not to have to worry about plain tcolours and wooden floors etc---- but isn;t that what they have come to expect as the norm?

 

[Zebra]

what our agent said when selling our previous house in Hertfordshire

Ooh, have you sold it at last then Ff? Hope you can now spend all that cash on the new (old) one...

I think it's hard to say what to do for the best, as it depends what people are looking for. My sister bought her bungalow FILTHY, as the location was great and she planned to do it up herself anyway. I had trouble selling my flat in immaculate condition, as people then seemed to find fault with it, compared to others in similar condition. It seems to me that "projects" are in demand, whereas "tarted up" houses are ten-a-penny. Save the money I'd say, if you're not doing it up for yourselves. If you were doing it up to rent, then slap a coat of paint on and a cheap carpet. But if someone wants to buy it they probably want to choose their own carpet and can see past the nasty furniture. But I don't know what the market's like in Leeds....

 

[Gareth Hughes]

what our agent said when selling our previous house in Hertfordshire

Ooh, have you sold it at last then Ff? Hope you can now spend all that cash on the new (old) one...

I think it's hard to say what to do for the best, as it depends what people are looking for. My sister bought her bungalow FILTHY, as the location was great and she planned to do it up herself anyway. I had trouble selling my flat in immaculate condition, as people then seemed to find fault with it, compared to others in similar condition. It seems to me that "projects" are in demand, whereas "tarted up" houses are ten-a-penny. Save the money I'd say, if you're not doing it up for yourselves. If you were doing it up to rent, then slap a coat of paint on and a cheap carpet. But if someone wants to buy it they probably want to choose their own carpet and can see past the nasty furniture. But I don't know what the market's like in Leeds....

That's an interesting bit of psychology - make people think they're getting a bargain by keeping it down at heel and not making it look as if you've already spent all that needs to be spent on it.
My house would fly off the estate agent's books :wink:

 

[88v8]

Having sold my parent's house, and ours boohoo...

First impressions are important. If the outside is tatty it will be a killer. Any work done needs to be able to withstand at least six months of weather, yes it could still be on the market...

The users of this forum are not typical of the population - most people are lazy and incompetent and want no work to do, so fix anything obvious that doesn't function.

It's important to dress the interior. If the house is empty or sparsely furnished, attention is focused on any faults in the decor. If necessary buy or borrow furniture & ornaments, not too many !!

Otoh remove clutter and excess furniture, unless it's needed to hide stains on the carpet or wall. If necessary throw away or hire a storage unit.

Don't redecorate one room, it will show up the others.

Do touch in chipped paint - the paint might be in the shed? - and stick down lifting wallpaper seams.

No family photos etc.

Clean the bathroom and loo.

Clean the windows. Open the curtains.

Clean in general.

Keep cleaning and tidying. That includes the garden. You're in competition with every other similar house. If they're tidy and you're not, you lose.

Have a beauty parade of three Agents before you decide on one. Start with a realistically low price.

Ivor

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks Ivor, that's good advice. We'll try and put that into place.

 

[Feltwell]

I'd get 3 estate agents round and ask them for an honest opinion - tart it up or leave it as is?

I got decorators in after I'd moved out of a previous house, before selling it - I'd done the kitchen and bathroom already to a really high standard, the outside of the house was very good, but I'd never got around to skimming over the artex ceilings or getting rid of the woodchip from some rooms.

As I'd moved out into rented (it was a move with work) and the house was empty it was much easier to do the work with tradesmen, I spent £700 on a plasterer to skim the ceilings, then £1800 on decorators to go through the whole place. The agents reckoned it would add around £8k to the value of the house and make it quicker to sell - it sold to the second viewer.

It will depend on the local market though - what is already available and what is in demand? If the area is full of refurbished houses and those wanting a project for a bit less money are struggling to find anything then it will be quicker and easier to sell it as is.

If it really is in a state and you just want shot with minimum hassle then is it worth putting it into an auction? Depends on how much the money is important to you versus the hassle factor of doing the place up (even with tradesmen) and selling it yourself.

 

[Penners]

I'm with the "do nothing" team.

You've explained all the reasons why your B-I-L, Chris and you simply can't devote any time to tarting the place up. From that I infer that, if you had the time and inclination, you probably would try to get the place looking smarter and more bijou - which would cost money.

So my suggestion is - do nothing at all and price property very realistically by knocking off its price the money that you would otherwise have spent on it. Everything will sell at a price. Since none of you will be relying on the proceeds of the sale to buy your main residence, then I presume that this will be - how can I put this - "bonus" money for you?

If you set the value of the place unrealistically high, then if/when you have drop the price substantially to sell it, you'll feel as though you've "lost" money. Whereas that money never, of course, existed.

Take the agent's advice on a realistic price for a quick sale as the place stands. Split the proceeds, put the money in the bank and think no more about the house. You've just made a problem go away!

 

[88v8]

Penners may be right... certainly it's my perception that agents will always err on the side of the quick-sale route. It's not in their interest to have a house on the books for a long time, multiple viewings, they just want it gone, and another 5 or 10% on the commission is nothing to them compared to throughput.

Anyway, just while we're on the subject of selling, the photography can make a big difference given how many viewings start online.
Our house was sold with a mix of the agent's pics and my own. Some listings are awful in this respect. Here though is one that imho has been very well photographed. And, incidentally, well presented, even thought the general effect is too modern and minimalist for me.
You see how all the lights are on, that warm glow... go to the end of the pics, the way the owners have treated the attic room, pretty good eh what?

Having said that, the exterior pics let it down, overcast, gloomy. The agents should and perhaps will, come back and redo the pics on a sunny day, if any....

Ivor

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-37544899.html?utm_content=ealertspropertylink&utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailupdates&utm_campaign=emailupdatesjun11&utm_term=buying&sc_id=4990530&onetime_FromEmail=true

 

[Owain]

Yes, even if it's decrepit, it can still be presented better if it's clean, tidy (or empty) and the photos are well lit and show the room proportions.

If there's a garden it's often worth paying someone to give it a quick strim every couple of weeks during the growing season to keep the triffids at bay.