Just viewed a house - What a mess

[DickSkruttock]

I've just viewed a house with my OH.

Why is it that people expect to sell their house for more than it's worth when they haven't tidied it or painted it where necessary. This house had ironing hanging up in the living room and a box of shoes in the Kitchen as you walk in. The bedrooms were a mess and hadn't been tidied. Nearly every room needed painting and there were cracks in the plaster that - IMO- should have been filled and painted over.

The asking price was £375000, which was more than the Estate Agent had recommended.

Needless to say that wont be viewed again!

[GarryA]

DickSkruttock said:

I've just viewed a house with my OH.

Why is it that people expect to sell their house for more than it's worth when they haven't tidied it or painted it where necessary. This house had ironing hanging up in the living room and a box of shoes in the Kitchen as you walk in. The bedrooms were a mess and hadn't been tidied. Nearly every room needed painting and there were cracks in the plaster that - IMO- should have been filled and painted over.

The asking price was £375000, which was more than the Estate Agent had recommended.

Needless to say that wont be viewed again!

Link please.

[anonymous-user]

Great story. Thanks for sharing

[dtmpower]

Lack of vision - when you buy it all their junk will be gone and 1 day with filler and emulsion and the walls are sorted.

[Furberger]

DickSkruttock said:

This house had ironing hanging up in the living room and a box of shoes in the Kitchen as you walk in.

Holly st! You mean people were actually LIVING in the house!!!!!!

[Wacky Racer]

dtmpower said:

Lack of vision - when you buy it all their junk will be gone and 1 day with filler and emulsion and the walls are sorted.

There is a certain amount of truth in this, PROVIDING the price is attractive.

If the lounge is painted orange and the carpets are gruesome these are things that are easily changed.

[Torquey]

TBH I can half understand people giving up and not bothering to tidy up after about the 10th tyre kicker (and i dont mean the OP) comes round to pass an hour of there day by nosing around a house.

I hold Estate agents responsible for this!!

[GT03ROB]

So if the house had been perfect other than needing a lick of paint, you would have bought it? Most people want to change colours when they move in anyway, so why bother? The ironing won;t be there when you move in or the rest of the junk.

When I sold my place in the summer, you couldn't get in one of the rooms there was so much junk in it. Sold on the 1st viewing.

[s3fella]

Been watching too much "house doctor"?

I am sure they would tidy it when they move out.

[DickSkruttock]

s3fella said:

Been watching too much "house doctor"?

I am sure they would tidy it when they move out.

Not really, just expect the tidying to happen before a sale.

GT03ROB said:

So if the house had been perfect other than needing a lick of paint, you would have bought it? Most people want to change colours when they move in anyway, so why bother? The ironing won;t be there when you move in or the rest of the junk.

When I sold my place in the summer, you couldn't get in one of the rooms there was so much junk in it. Sold on the 1st viewing.

I can see past carpets and paint, but it's the laziness of the sellers expecting top money when they can't be arsed tarting it up.

Agree that most people will want to decorate, change carpets, etc. But not even making the effort to make a property tidy and and cosmetically pleasing seems odd to me. Having ironing hanging over a door when it could be put away, and a box of shoes on the kitchen floor when you have a utility/garage to put them in, is a bit lazy.

I wouldn't expect top dollar for my car when I sell it if it's dirty and needs work on it, I'd price accordingly.

Edited by DickSkruttock on Thursday 13th January 16:38

[GT03ROB]

DickSkruttock said:

Agree that most people will want to decorate, change carpets, etc. But not even making the effort to make a property tidy and and cosmetically pleasing seems odd to me. Having ironing hanging over a door when it could be put away, and a box of shoes on the kitchen floor when you have a utility/garage to put them in, is a bit lazy.

I wouldn't expect top dollar for my car when I sell it if it's dirty and needs work on it, I'd price accordingly.

I'd agree price accordingly, but don't discount. You never know the circumstances of the people. They could have had many viewings and got tired with forever clearing up just for the vieings when they have lives to lead, or as in my case I'd agreed with the agent to start marketing in a couple of weeks when I'd had a chance to do some of the things you say, but the agent said I've got this customer who will buy your house, but he has to see it today or he'll buy somewhere else. No chance to clean & tidy. Guy came round & offered on the spot despite the place being a tip.

[DickSkruttock]

GT03ROB said:

DickSkruttock said:

Agree that most people will want to decorate, change carpets, etc. But not even making the effort to make a property tidy and and cosmetically pleasing seems odd to me. Having ironing hanging over a door when it could be put away, and a box of shoes on the kitchen floor when you have a utility/garage to put them in, is a bit lazy.

I wouldn't expect top dollar for my car when I sell it if it's dirty and needs work on it, I'd price accordingly.

I'd agree price accordingly, but don't discount. You never know the circumstances of the people. They could have had many viewings and got tired with forever clearing up just for the vieings when they have lives to lead, or as in my case I'd agreed with the agent to start marketing in a couple of weeks when I'd had a chance to do some of the things you say, but the agent said I've got this customer who will buy your house, but he has to see it today or he'll buy somewhere else. No chance to clean & tidy. Guy came round & offered on the spot despite the place being a tip.

Agreed, this house has been on the market for 3 months and they've had a number of viewings. Most have commented on the price as well. If you want top money you've got to make the effort though.

[GT03ROB]

DickSkruttock said:

GT03ROB said:

DickSkruttock said:

Agree that most people will want to decorate, change carpets, etc. But not even making the effort to make a property tidy and and cosmetically pleasing seems odd to me. Having ironing hanging over a door when it could be put away, and a box of shoes on the kitchen floor when you have a utility/garage to put them in, is a bit lazy.

I wouldn't expect top dollar for my car when I sell it if it's dirty and needs work on it, I'd price accordingly.

I'd agree price accordingly, but don't discount. You never know the circumstances of the people. They could have had many viewings and got tired with forever clearing up just for the vieings when they have lives to lead, or as in my case I'd agreed with the agent to start marketing in a couple of weeks when I'd had a chance to do some of the things you say, but the agent said I've got this customer who will buy your house, but he has to see it today or he'll buy somewhere else. No chance to clean & tidy. Guy came round & offered on the spot despite the place being a tip.

Agreed, this house has been on the market for 3 months and they've had a number of viewings. Most have commented on the price as well. If you want top money you've got to make the effort though.

True cosmetics can fool any mug punter......I wasn't implying you were incidently. The place I bought had been n the market for a year, prime reason I suspect was some dodgy decor & furnishings. To be honest it put me off when I saw the details, but in a more positive frame of mind I saw past this & I think I got a bargin accordingly.

[rfisher]

Went to view a house last summer.

Owners had a dog.

Back garden was overflowing, I mean overflowing, with dog st.

Filthy bds.

Wonder if they ever sold it.

Would have required professional decontamination.

[ColinM50]

So it's been on the market for 3 months @ £375K and it's a tip? Well offer them £300K 'cos iot needs completely redecorating etc and see what they say. If they say yes and you don't really fancy it you can always tell 'em you've changed your mind.

[Blues]

Sounds like they may bbe "distress" vendors. Possibly splitting up, and sharing the proceeds, and neither half can be bothered with it. I remember viewing a house years ago with a similar lack of care. When i asked why they were selling, i discovered they were about to divorce

[scirocco265]

DickSkruttock said:

I wouldn't expect top dollar for my car when I sell it if it's dirty and needs work on it, I'd price accordingly.

So, if you cleaned it on a Saturday it would be advertised at one price but come Friday when it needed cleaning again, you'd reduce accordingly?

[StevieBee]

Once viewed a house in Surrey - vendor was a recently divorced woman and to be honest, I think I had an inkling as to why.

Some of the gems:

Kitchen tops full to brimming with unwashed pans and plates from at least a weeks worth of dinners
Cooker covered in grease to the point where it had started to go white
Laundry basket full up with skidded knickers on full display
Toilet complete with assorted bowl moles

Best of all - was being shown into one room when the bed started to move - was her teenage son, still asleep (at 3.00 in the afternoon)

An hour so later, started to get itchy shins and found I'd been bitten to buggery by what I assume to be fleas.

Can only assume she is still there!

[Tiggsy]

scirocco265 said:

DickSkruttock said:

I wouldn't expect top dollar for my car when I sell it if it's dirty and needs work on it, I'd price accordingly.

So, if you cleaned it on a Saturday it would be advertised at one price but come Friday when it needed cleaning again, you'd reduce accordingly?

Are you saying you dont think a clean car helps sell it? If so you better go tell all those dumb garages that employee people to spend all day washing the things.

[scirocco265]

Tiggsy said:

scirocco265 said:

DickSkruttock said:

I wouldn't expect top dollar for my car when I sell it if it's dirty and needs work on it, I'd price accordingly.

So, if you cleaned it on a Saturday it would be advertised at one price but come Friday when it needed cleaning again, you'd reduce accordingly?

Are you saying you dont think a clean car helps sell it? If so you better go tell all those dumb garages that employee people to spend all day washing the things.

I'm not saying that at all. What I am saying is that something that we use every day such as a house or car can somedays look better than others but at the same time a bit of dirt means little if everything else works for the buyer, be it age/mileage/spec for a car or location/size for a house.