What sort of value would you put on these plants & Koi?
Discussion
We're in the process of buying a house and the vendors have offered us their Koi (a couple are up to 1ft in length) and filtration system (approx 10' by 10' pond along with the following plants all in large pots;
1 Olive Tree (approx 12' high)
1 extra large Acer
4 large Acers
3 medium Acers
3 extra large bamboos
4 large bamboos
3 large Pieris
1 large Rhododendron
1 extra large Skimmia Japonica
3 extra large Hosta's
2 large Hosta's
What sort of figure would be a good deal for the above? I don't want to insult the chap but at the same time don't want to offer over the odds, given I have no idea how much Koi are worth nor the plants.
1 Olive Tree (approx 12' high)
1 extra large Acer
4 large Acers
3 medium Acers
3 extra large bamboos
4 large bamboos
3 large Pieris
1 large Rhododendron
1 extra large Skimmia Japonica
3 extra large Hosta's
2 large Hosta's
What sort of figure would be a good deal for the above? I don't want to insult the chap but at the same time don't want to offer over the odds, given I have no idea how much Koi are worth nor the plants.
What they are 'worth' in this instance is irrelevant.
It is a bit like carpets. You might have £4000 of carpet in a house, but how much are they worth to the house owner when they have to roll them up and transport them?
The main issue here is what the guy *wants* for them. I would just ask him, because that is the only figure that counts.
If you have no idea how much they are worth then that kind of says that they are more valuable to him than you and the moment - but as I said the transportation cost is the issue.
I would just ask what he wants for them. You'll get a lower answer by him putting a figure in first.
It is a bit like carpets. You might have £4000 of carpet in a house, but how much are they worth to the house owner when they have to roll them up and transport them?
The main issue here is what the guy *wants* for them. I would just ask him, because that is the only figure that counts.
If you have no idea how much they are worth then that kind of says that they are more valuable to him than you and the moment - but as I said the transportation cost is the issue.
I would just ask what he wants for them. You'll get a lower answer by him putting a figure in first.
The Koi - it's impossible to say, assuming they are the usual garden centre moggies with unknown provenance/disease history - very little. £30 each? However if they are championship winners!
Plants - very expensive to buy semi-mature/mature shrubs, £300 - £1000 per plant easily retail.
Do you really want them? Can they be bothered to move them? It will cost them a fortune! Unless you really want them, say you don't want them. They'll probably leave them anyway!
Plants - very expensive to buy semi-mature/mature shrubs, £300 - £1000 per plant easily retail.
Do you really want them? Can they be bothered to move them? It will cost them a fortune! Unless you really want them, say you don't want them. They'll probably leave them anyway!
how large is 'large'. If you like them, keep them, as finding these plants in garden centres /nurseries is expensive. Finding them privately (or attempting to sell them privately) is unusual, and for a fraction of the retail cost. If they are asking 100s for the plants and you are not particularly interested, then may as well save the money and find things you really want.
A good idea of what they are worth is to look around a local nursery that offers similar plants, and see how much it would actually cost to buy similar specimens.
Also remember that large pots are generally pretty expensive - you may pay £100 for a pretty 18" pot, though if they are plain it may be more like 15 for a plainer terracotta jobby.
A good idea of what they are worth is to look around a local nursery that offers similar plants, and see how much it would actually cost to buy similar specimens.
Also remember that large pots are generally pretty expensive - you may pay £100 for a pretty 18" pot, though if they are plain it may be more like 15 for a plainer terracotta jobby.
Why are you being asked to value them? Is the seller really going to take trees etc with him (are they in the ground or in pots, even)? If they're planted in the garden and the agent's particulars don't say they're excluded, whatever price you agree includes them.
Not thinking of the Koi here, but I would say they have a negative effect on a property value if anything. High maintenance and unless you're into them, offputting to buyers.
Not thinking of the Koi here, but I would say they have a negative effect on a property value if anything. High maintenance and unless you're into them, offputting to buyers.
Thanks guys.
It's more the plants I'm interested in - the Koi at his stage aren't that important to me and any offer I make will be for plants only, if he wants to throw in the fish then fair enough. He originally wanted £500 for the Koi and filtration system only which we would certainly not be willing to pay.
All the plants are in pots/tubs and are fairly large/mature.
He's given us the chance to make an offer in his words
"a happy medium between what you would pay at a garden centre and what you think is fair to offer me"
We would like the plants but don't have time to get down to a garden centre to get an idea of value. I know it's pretty much asking the impossible due to none of you having seen them but assuming large, medium & XL fit in with your ideas of what those sizes mean what would you pay?
It's more the plants I'm interested in - the Koi at his stage aren't that important to me and any offer I make will be for plants only, if he wants to throw in the fish then fair enough. He originally wanted £500 for the Koi and filtration system only which we would certainly not be willing to pay.
All the plants are in pots/tubs and are fairly large/mature.
He's given us the chance to make an offer in his words
"a happy medium between what you would pay at a garden centre and what you think is fair to offer me"
We would like the plants but don't have time to get down to a garden centre to get an idea of value. I know it's pretty much asking the impossible due to none of you having seen them but assuming large, medium & XL fit in with your ideas of what those sizes mean what would you pay?
Would you consider buying them if he didn't want you to take them?
Sounds like he doesn't really want them so thinks he can make a few bob from selling them to his only possibly buyer - you.
If there's something you really do like, offer the price of the usual size specimen, not the £100's a large specimen might cost, after all he's had them for years presumably and has already had more than his money's worth.
I went to a tree nursery some time ago and was looking at a long stand of larger specimens in the ground. A fella who worked there told me that they plant them as whips or grafts, they then dig up alternate ones to sell as they grow. They get more expensive as they get bigger until eventually they need the space and don't have a buyer so out comes the chain saw. This seems a similar situation.
What would he do if you said you didn't want them and asked him to take everything with him? Sounds like he's being a bit of a cheeky fecker TBH.
Sounds like he doesn't really want them so thinks he can make a few bob from selling them to his only possibly buyer - you.
If there's something you really do like, offer the price of the usual size specimen, not the £100's a large specimen might cost, after all he's had them for years presumably and has already had more than his money's worth.
I went to a tree nursery some time ago and was looking at a long stand of larger specimens in the ground. A fella who worked there told me that they plant them as whips or grafts, they then dig up alternate ones to sell as they grow. They get more expensive as they get bigger until eventually they need the space and don't have a buyer so out comes the chain saw. This seems a similar situation.
What would he do if you said you didn't want them and asked him to take everything with him? Sounds like he's being a bit of a cheeky fecker TBH.
Zippee said:
Thanks guys.
It's more the plants I'm interested in - the Koi at his stage aren't that important to me and any offer I make will be for plants only, if he wants to throw in the fish then fair enough. He originally wanted £500 for the Koi and filtration system only which we would certainly not be willing to pay.
All the plants are in pots/tubs and are fairly large/mature.
He's given us the chance to make an offer in his words
"a happy medium between what you would pay at a garden centre and what you think is fair to offer me"
We would like the plants but don't have time to get down to a garden centre to get an idea of value. I know it's pretty much asking the impossible due to none of you having seen them but assuming large, medium & XL fit in with your ideas of what those sizes mean what would you pay?
No.It's more the plants I'm interested in - the Koi at his stage aren't that important to me and any offer I make will be for plants only, if he wants to throw in the fish then fair enough. He originally wanted £500 for the Koi and filtration system only which we would certainly not be willing to pay.
All the plants are in pots/tubs and are fairly large/mature.
He's given us the chance to make an offer in his words
"a happy medium between what you would pay at a garden centre and what you think is fair to offer me"
We would like the plants but don't have time to get down to a garden centre to get an idea of value. I know it's pretty much asking the impossible due to none of you having seen them but assuming large, medium & XL fit in with your ideas of what those sizes mean what would you pay?
What would *you* pay?
That is the issue. He has been a bit clever in his wording as that indicates effectively that he wants you to pay *more* that what you would deem a fair offer to him and over that going toward what a retail (inc VAT) price for them.
That is silly. You are not at a garden centre and if you were you could pick and choose exactly whatever ones you wanted. These are trees which he is selling to you because otherwise it would cost him hundreds of pounds or even a thousand pounds or more to remove.
Don't make an offer on the basis because you are buying them retail because you are not. They are trees which he can take at his own cost, or offer to you at a rate which takes that into account.
In actuality the price will end up being what he thinks is fair - taking into consideration if he doesn't sell he has more cost.
So, just ask him how much he realistically wants. I've bought Acers at between £100 and £200 before so for you to offer close to retail that might be a few grand - but he wont be cheeky enough to ask for that. So let him ask.
If you really want any of those, I'd offer half price.
However you could call his bluff and say 'no thanks, take them away' hoping it will be too much trouble so you get them for free. How do you move a 12-foot olive tree? It'll cost him more to collect it than to leave it there.
However you could call his bluff and say 'no thanks, take them away' hoping it will be too much trouble so you get them for free. How do you move a 12-foot olive tree? It'll cost him more to collect it than to leave it there.
Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 1st November 15:03
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