Selling my family home of 28 years and people expect ME to pay for their required alterations

[user1483875094]

Hello! I wondered if any of you might give me some sound advice.
I am selling my lovely (quite large) family home of 28 years, (so am very out of practice with selling and buying. Had three agents round, all said about the same sales price. Chose one, it went on the market. FLURRY of visitors as it is quite a lovely family home, 4 beds, two lounges, huge open plan kitchen diner - all up together and in very good order.
First offer, from a young couple who had made THREE visits, and they made an insulting and derisory offer, 60 k under the sales price! Their reason? They wanted to put a conservatory on the back, turn the large utility room into a down-stairs "wet room" (whatever that is) - knock a wall through from a small bedroom, and a small study upstairs to create a bigger bedroom, and cut down three lovely old trees. They reckoned that would "cost THEM" about 60k. Therefore the derisory offer. SORRY, what is it I am not "getting?" They saw the house 3 times, they had hundreds of photos, they had the accurate floor plans... WHY AM I EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THAT YOUNG COUPLES "DESIRES" - ??? I just don't get it! If they didn't like the house because it DIDNT HAVE A WET-ROOM, A CONSERVATORY, AND UNFORTUNATELY HAD TREES..... WHY COME AND VISIT? Sorry but I have been finding this whole process very trying indeed. Another couple, LOVED the house, and the massive amount of space - (but they would have to spend a "lot of money" to make it like THEY would want... so another nonsense offer! WHY VISIT IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT!? Anyone got any advice? I don't "need to move" but have been here with my two daughters on our own for many years. They have both flown the nest and are settled - and I really don't need this big place on my own. We three decided it was a sensible move, to down-size. But WHY, in that process, should I give away 50 or 60 k. to young couples who want to vastly alter this house? I am on the cusp of taking it off the market, and sod it!

That was quick!

Wow...

Congratulations OP. Glad it's working out for you.

I hope your transaction proceeds quickly and smoothly and enjoy your new home!

Congrats OP, hope it all goes smoothly from here!

Thanks for the update OP. Best wishes.

I moaned to the estate agent when selling and a viewer gave feedback that they didn't want the house because of the lack of garage. Which was very clear on the plans/photos etc. I don't know if people are noisy, just seeing what's out there or trying to see what their house is worth. It's a frustrating business.

A mate bought a massive house in a posh area, lady was only selling because her DH had died, I think. She made her promise to keep it as it was. Mate kept one wall, rest is gone. Trouble is, once you sell, it's tough crap and you have to try not to be sentimental.

I think it's very insensitive, tho, to took about needing to do 60 grand's worth of work in front of the owner. I told an agent the other week I wasn't prepared to put the work in or 20 grand to update it. Had I seen the owner, I'd have been a lot more diplomatic.

Can you spend a bit to tart it up a bit? Do minor repairs, new lampshades etc. People don't want to think about all the work they would have to do.

Oops, just read your update. Great news.

Estate agents often ignore the viewer's instructions. For example, I made it clear to estate agents that I would not consider a house that didn't have an upstairs bathroom and they still got me to view them. I was fuming.

Foxtons are the ones for forcing you to view houses you have specified you don't want. We were harangued into viewing a house which we would have considered buying if it had been in another area. It was over priced and there were red bills on the hall table as we went in. It was an open day viewing as it had been on the market for a while and there was an air of desperation. We went just to shut the agent up and avoided Foxtons thereafter.

Re: wanting to update a purchase, the common phrase 'It NEEDS this and that' really irritated me. It didn't NEED any of it, it was just not what you wanted so why should I reduce the price for something you want to change?

The dirty trick that Blackface mentioned I had. I was selling to a developer as there was a building plot attached. On the last day he tried knocking 50k off as he said he couldn't get access to the drainage and would have to put in a septic tank. I had sought and got permission to stab in to the drain myself so I knew it was bullshit. I just went quiet and sold it to someone else without ever speaking to him again. I found out afterwards that he does this a lot.

Lovely update OP with the added benefit of feeling that you are entrusting your much loved family home to a new family who will continue to love and enjoy it as much as you have.

I hope it all goes smoothly and you find a new smaller family home to cherish.

I am surprised at some of the rather harsh responses the OP got here.
Sure a house is only worth what people will pay and Estate agents may go for top end figures but they too want a sale and want to make a commission. You would think that no one heard of chancers and time wasters.
Where I live there is a certain demographic of people that are well known for doing this sort of thing and have done all sorts of tricks to keep getting a house price knocked down including threatening to pull out on the day before signing etc. I have seen plenty of colleagues, friends and aquantances end up in tears over viewings and sales.

I think some o the blasé posts on here have been rather awful.
We were asked on a viewing of my house if we could move out within two weeks and the guy would pay us cash each week so that he and his family could live there ( in my house!) when I asked him how would I buy my next house if he was only paying me rent he just shrugged and said that wasn't his problem! He was chucked out of my house immediately!

As I said before the worst offer my friend had earlier this year was £80,000 less than price on a £275,000 house. She reported backto the estate agent who was not impressed with the fella and did have words with him about it. Mind you the guy is well known in our area and hasn't got a good reputation!

Yes!!! Good for you OP, best of luck in your new home

"I would have to spend a lot of money on this for it to be how I want it"

• is a pretty standard thing to say, accompanied by a stupidly low offer. they're well within their rights to try this.

An appropriate response (if it would be a bad deal for you) is to say I couldn't give a monkeys we understand that but the lowest offer we would consider is £amount, and they will make another offer that is too low, and so on until you either sell to them or decide to wait for a better offer.

First offer, from a young couple who had made THREE visits, and they made an insulting and derisory offer, 60 k under the sales price

AM I EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THAT YOUNG COUPLES "DESIRES" - ???

You don't think that the OP was quite rude about the viewers who are perfectly entitled to put a lower offer in if they think that's what the house is worth? The OP is just as entitled to reject it.

I don't think any replies were harsh (certainly by mumsnet standards).

I also find it incredible that after about an hour of starting this thread in the evening, a viewing was made, an offer was made and it was accepted.

Just incredible.

Don't budge! Check what other houses like yours are going for in the local area and make sure the agent also doesn't bully you into accepting rubbish offers! Not in a million years should you be cutting your price for their desires! Some people are so entitled! GOOD LUCK!!! book yourself some massages! Selling and buying is a stressful business! x

Just wanted to say thank you again for all your advice, (negative or otherwise). It's amazing the difference a day can make. As said in my last post, - had a lovely, lovely family round, who made an extremely sensible (very close to the asking price) offer, and I have accepted - on that basis, they have also accepted an offer on theirs, - delightfully no chain! Hurrah. Just to re-iterate, - I took great head from all of you lovely helpful posters who told me to bide my time. Incredibly, my post almost sort of "crossed" as sometimes emails and texts do, and in that meantime, this lovely family came, loved my house, and we are "off" - we have exchanged solicitors information and are now quietly in the process. Yes there were quite a few sharp comments to me, - but I did take in all that you ALL said (and that's NOT "shouting" it is just emphasis... to the mum who accused me of shouting at the young couple, when of course I would never dream of doing any such thing. Anyway, a hugely happy and successful outcome, and I have taken heed also of some of your advice to "watch out" after survey.... didn't know that could happen, and nor did I know that folk can suddenly drop their offer just before completion, so fantastic advice all, and thank you again! TBH I simply can't imagine this lovely family trying it on like that, but for-warned is for-armed. Thank you all so much, again. Even you guys who sniped at me.

I also find it incredible that after about an hour of starting this thread in the evening, a viewing was made, an offer was made and it was accepted.

That's what I thought! Perhaps OP just wanted everyone to shut up (I don't blame her really).

Just turn the the offer down 60k under is ridiculous

That's brilliant OP, lovely family homes are hard to come by and will always command a premium. You got a really quick sale and I'm glad you like the family who will call it their home soon.

Estate agents know the value of your home so don't consider anything less. Tell the agent you will not be considering anything lower and to stop sending time wasters. Sounds to me the agent may have prompted lower offers to get his sale in before end of the month!

Also due to insultingly low offer you won't consider more offers from those vendors.

If you're still sitting tight in 6 months review then.

I do believe some people forget their manners and that they are visiting someone's home and that the vendor does not have to sell their home to them.
Surely the OP will have taken advice from estate agents over the price too.
It is most unusual for folk no to want to put their own style on a new home but they don't need to rub the vendor's face in it. What they decide to do with the property when it is theirs is their business and the vendor does not need to know.
Whilst the house belongs to the OP they should show some respect.
When we were looking for our house I was careful not to offend and in some cases it was challenging.
Just because someone has lived somewhere for 28 years does NOT mean that it's outdated - we're designers and fashion has caught up with us finally, after 30 years (mind you, not everyone will like our taste nor is the house finished!)
OP if you don't have to move, can you tell the estate agent that you are not interested in purchasers plans nor opinions, that he is the mediator - that's what you're paying him for, and for him to pass to you the offers, good/bad for you to accept/reject? He can show them round too...
Have you started looking...?

Sit tight OP, if you aren't in a rush to move then hold on until a better offer comes in. it will - as long as the house is valued correctly. People will always come in with a cheeky low first offer to see how its taken and gauge the response. You may well find those same people come back with a higher offer in due course