Is it ever worth putting a house on the market when it's in desperate need of a makeover

[OrmIrian]

in the full expectation that you will have to ask/accept a lower price.?Or does everyone want a house that looks like it's been mugged by Laurence Llewellyn Bowen these days ?

We have an overstuffed 3 bed terrace, no time and not that much money to fix it up. Nothing structural wrong, has CH and dg, new kitchen and bathroom but looking more than a little weary.

[Elibean]

Definitely. We have new loft extension, but not done the side return (back) extension that most people in the road have had done - and not redecorated, apart from the landing/stairs/hall, for ten years

We had plenty of interest, because people want to pay less and do their own thing to it anyway - and have sold (subject to etc). The house over the road, more expensive but dolled up to the nines and shiny white, is still for sale

[OrmIrian]

THanks eli. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you take off the price bearing in mind the more...erm.... antique nature of the decor Or did the agent value it lower because of it?

We need to move soon before 12yr old DS kills his 6yr old brother one night (they are sharing atm).

[HerHonesty]

yes.. i wouldnt personally buy a house which was recently done up.

[Mintyy]

Orm, unless its competing with a really amazingly swish and gorgeous and/or extended place you could price yours at the same price as average for your type of property. It sounds like there's very little to "do up", not many £££ needing to be spent - and people do like to do their own finishings and decorations. Some will even pay a premium for a blank canvas. Take maybe £5000 off asking price of slightly smarter but similar houses if in doubt.

[Elibean]

Agent valued it, Orm, so not too sure tbh...its maybe gone for 10-15% less than the one over the road would accept, but they've built an expensive extension and we haven't.

If its decor alone, I think take off whatever you think it would cost to do a reasonable make-over??

De-cluttering, however, I think IS worth doing - as much as you can - because it makes the place look bigger/its real size. Too much stuff makes them look so much smaller, iyswim.

[OrmIrian]

Thanks everyone.

eli - it's the 'decluttering' that will present the biggest problem. I live with 4 magpies....

[Elibean]

Tell me about it

Very cathartic, though, once you start...

[JimmyMcNulty]

Agree with everyone else. My heart sinks when I see a house we could go for but which has been recently 'much improved' in order to sell it... i.e. money spent to the owner's taste that they will expect to get back on the sale price.

[MartinBlankWasMyFirstLove]

I agree with not going for the 'developed' look but ime a declutter and paint job helps.

[goldenpeach]

I hate dolled up houses, they want you to pay a lot of money and then you realise that the new kitchen and bathroom are the cheapest fittings you can find at b&q. I'd declutter, though and perhaps quick paint fixes here and there.

[Sidge]

I wouldn't buy somewhere too "done" as I wouldn't want someone else's idea of gorgeous decor. For example I can't bear wallpaper and wouldn't buy a house wallpapered to the gills as I know I would want to strip it all out.

I would want to buy a house that was decluttered (hard to see past someone else's crap personal treasures) and clean. If it was in good repair and had a decent kitchen and bathroom I would be happy with splashing a bit of paint around.

[1dilemma]

Agree not interested in paying over the odds for a house that's been done up but undreneath it all cheaply/to someone else's taste and no longer 'new' anyway

[nooka]

I think that you have to be able to 'see' the house. If there is too much stuff then that can be very difficult. The other thing that matters is upkeep, and extreme clutter can give the impression that a place has not been looked after, so might worry people. Other than that I woudln't worry too much so long as your price is reasonable.

However if you are hoping to miove it is a really good time to get rid of junk, because you'll only have to pack it up and move it, so better to clear out in advance as much as possible I think.

I too have rejected over done places (why pay for someone else's taste?), but have always cleared and refreshed where possible (dejunk and lick of paint where I'd not decorated for a few years)