With to be shitty with the stylist and the real estate agent?

[justilou1]

I have just paid nearly 9 Grand to have a stylist "do" my late mother's house prior to sale. She told us what furniture she wanted to keep, and what had to go into storage. I had to empty the place by myself and while doing so I noticed that under a cabinet, where the light hadn't reached the floor, it was about five shades lighter than the rest of the room. I sent photos to the agent and was assured that the stylist would sort it out.

Please see attached photos... Don't you think it sticks out like dog's balls? I would be embarrassed about this "solution" and would have put down a longer, bigger pot or something. How dare they say that it's "sorted"!!!

Sorry, bit of a tangent there

Wanted Down Under is amazingly bad, isn't it? They take poor, innocent English people to the BEST houses in the WORST areas. Usually the dodgiest suburbs, a million miles from the centre of town. I don't get why English people are still hanging onto the idea that it's so much cheaper to live here. Our taxes are higher, we pay every time we see a doctor, we pay for our medicines, cars cost more than twice as much to buy, run and insure, and our food, alcohol, etc are insanely expensive in comparison.

@Astridwhite - What you have seen is the median house price for the suburb. This block of land is around four times the size of most blocks in the suburb, and it is surrounded by Forest Park - I think it is the only property of it's kind available in the country within a 25km radius from the centre of a capital city. As I said, I am not going to publish our bottom line, but it is rather higher than what you have seen.

That is such a beautiful house and I hope it goes gangbusters at auction. I have been doing a lot of houseviewing lately in Melbourne and have such an aversion to the 'work' of the stylists. Your story has just confirmed for me my total lack of respect for them

Its a fab house. Probably the most house envy i've ever had! Hope you get a buyer who actually wants it as a house rather than to develop it into a block of flats.

Everyone who thinks it will be a bargain compared to the UK- it won't be. Beautiful house (even with the floor and kitchen), wonderful suburb and a big block of land.

OP- the stylist has been a waste of time, but even with the floor defect, the house will be snapped up by a lucky bidder!

What a great house. Aus isn’t cheap anymore, it used to be for people moving from UK way back when, but not now.

Styling - what a gig. The rest looks ok though especially if it was really bad before.
Annoying they are a bit slapdash

Justilou - argh, I had the same thing with my brother, although he's late 20s. I did absolutely everything needed to sort my mums house out (took two years and was a lot to do), his third now with my sister until he finds something to buy (as per her will), and he's now constantly hassling her for money. He wouldn't have a penny if it weren't for the two of us as we couldn't legally sell without significant things being done and I've dropped things to help him out many times, but he can't even be arsed to acknowledge my kids first birthday. Screw him. Changing number is best bet.

Leaving the floor like that is ridiculous. Had you asked the designer to sand and revarnish the floors though? What was the remit for the job? Is that solid wood parquet or laminate?

We're selling our house and there was a black stain on the parquet (solid oak). We had to have the entire ground floor sanded and revarnished (£3000). You can't in all conscience just stick a cupboard over it.

How come I can only see one picture?

There’s a little no to the estate agents website.

Link to...

Where's the link?

I've followed this thread and i think you sound impossible to please. What do you want them to do about it? They covered it up and you are still whinging.

@Tammy - my brother shits me to tears. So bloody entitled and aggressive. He hasn't contacted me since I blew my stack on the phone.

@Wets - I'm actually pretty easy to please. I asked the real estate agent and the stylist to make sure that this bit of floor was covered in a way that made sense. We had that conversation before either went into the house. I have a text trail between myself, the agent and the stylist from the moment the ugly furniture was removed and I discovered this patch. I told them that I specifically did not want a mat put down there as it is not a logical spot for one, and would be obvious they were trying to hide something. I spoke at length about how the best thing for that space would be a low planter or a small cabinet. I was assured this was done.
Instead, they put a manky plant and a footstool there. Obviously you could see right under the footstool to the light bit of floor. I told them that this was not what I had agreed to and it wasn't acceptable when I was paying $9k for the styling. So she threw a bathmat under the bloody stool. Of course it looked worse and it didn't even cover the spot on the floor. I told them that this was what I specifically told them not to do, and they were lazy and unprofessional. I organised a planter and some plants from 2000km away and had it delivered to the house. They put them in place, and it looks MUCH better.

THEN - despite all of this shit happening, when the video went live, the mark on the floor was obvious AND the agent was also planning on putting it on a big-screen during the auction. I am paying her a LOT of money in advertising and it is her job to be on top of the ONE thing I asked her to ensure stayed out of the advertising material.

#The agent has since pulled the video, despite assuring me that it was "hardly noticeable" and "Not a problem according to the other agents in the office" and it is being edited so that it isn't showing. I made it very clear that I am NOT paying for the editing.

Am I the only one reading the Aussie posters’ posts in an Aussie accent? Am amusing myself A LOT.

Good luck with the sale OP. You’re a decent sister. The shit we do for family, eh.

Sorry to disappoint Smitff,
I'm as welsh as they come, despite living in aus

Smitff - While I'm very much an Aussie, I have lived most of my adult life in Europe. I have a disappointingly neutral accent... Sorry!

Justilou1 we pay every time we see a doctor
You might be paying every time you see a doctor, but I live in Australia, certainly don't pay for visits to GPs. Look around for a doctor who bulk bills. Many are ethically committed to doing so.

cars cost more than twice as much to buy, run and insure,

I was curious, and did a price comparison to two cars that I have recently had experiencing at pricing:
I recently bought a Kia Rio 5 door 1400cc automatic. It cost me around $17 500. This converts to £10, 250, yet the driveaway price quoted for the Uk is £12,137.50.

I looked at a Hyundai i30.2.0 litre - automatic was $23,250.0. This converts to £13556.85. UK driveaway price is quoted as £16,995.

Those prices are only for those two models, and probably only includes basics like AC. However, I can't really see what extras you could pile on that would make the Australian price double. Other brands of cars and upper end luxury cars might well be double the price, but you are generalising.

Price per litre is £1.16 ($au1.99) for petrol and £1.18 for diesel in UK. I paid $1.30/l today.
i can't compare insurance or repairs as so many variables are involved.

Yes, house prices are dreadful in some places, but (in my humble opinion) I think some of your other claims make me raise my eyebrows quizzically - never said that before, but I think I've been reading too many "Golden Age" mysteries.

www.mydr.com.au/first-aid-self-care/australian-health-system-how-it-works - bulk billing is becoming less common and more restricted, according to this.

Food and alcohol are definitely more expensive here, cars can be more expensive (we paid $12k for a second hand, 8yo car a few years ago that wouldn't have cost more than about £5k in the UK). Books are horrifically more expensive unless you go to a bargain basement bookstore, or buy online (DVDs are more on a par now though).

It may well be area dependent, but Justilou isn't entirely wrong.

ThumbWitchesAbroad: Of course Justilou isn't entirely wrong. However, nor is she entirely right.

cars can be more expensive
That's my point: CAN be more expensive.

However, I'm not too sure about comparing second hand cars. It's such a qualitative thing, unless you know exactly what you're looking for. New cars, however, can be easily compared.

Bulk billing may be getting less common, but my personal experience is that it's not hard to find a doctor that bulk bills - not that I actually looked, I just happened to select a conveniently located GP who had good recommendations and, coincidentally, bulk bills. People I know in other suburbs have had similar experiences.

Books are horrifically more expensive Wouldn't know about that: that's what libraries are for, and I am a library user. I am a reader, about 5/6 books a week, and once I've read them, I find them just so much clutter, because it's the content that matters to me. That is, except for the 50 or so reference books I own and use. I don't personally find shelves of books appealing. But that's just me. And I worked a a librarian for several years.

Food and alcohol are definitely more expensive here Yes that's probably right, but a lot of expense can be ameliorated by buying in season. I read here about people gasping in horror at, for example, bananas for $13/kilo, and can help but wonder why on earth anyone would pay that for an out of season/short supply item? I paid $3/kilo on Monday. Additionally, some ridiculous "urban myths" are spread here, such as someone who claimed last week that her Nan HAD to (not chose to for some bizarre reason) pay $7/loaf of bread.

Buying "in season" is often an anathema in Australia, @IClaudivs.... There are two main supermarket chains (That coincidentally also own most of the petrol stations and alcohol stores). Food is trucked around the country - to central storage facilities and then on to supermarkets - and a lot of our "fresh" produce is kept in storage for YEARS before it hits the shelves. Doesn't stop them from blaming the rising cost of transport for the insane cost of food. Aussie lamb is MUCH cheaper in UK than here. Our wines are MUCH more expensive here than there. I could wax lyrical on the differences, but it is not the magical, easy step-up that it used to be for British people moving here. I would suggest you look at the cost of registering vehicles, council rates, electrical goods, housing insurance, car insurance, medical insurance (and what it does and mostly doesn't pay for).

Buying "in season" is often an anathema in Australia

Since when? anathema implies that people are repulsed by the thought of buying in season. That may have been your experience, but I've never come across anything like that. If everything is just cold storage for years why are fruit and vegetables cheaper when they are abundant and in season? Additionally, don't buy at the local supermarkets. Buy from small independent grocers and butchers, which are probably both cheaper and superior quality. My local butcher sell straight from the farm, and the meat is no more expensive than Coles but much better quality, so a smaller quantity satisfies.

I would suggest you look at the cost of registering vehicles, council rates, electrical goods, housing insurance, car insurance, medical insurance (and what it does and mostly doesn't pay for).
Unfortunately one would need a think tank to get an accurate picture. I only know that when I moved out of Sydney (about 55kms from where I previously lived) I ended up paying about 30per cent less for local council rates, about 25per cent less for both car and house insurance, yet my salary remained the same. So comparisons are difficult over a short distance. How do you suggest they be done accurately to do international comparisons? I certainly don't have the skills, or access to information, to do so.

It would be impossible to get an accurate picture without comparing everything you have mentioned as a percentage of net salary. Yes, perhaps a washing machine may be more expensive here than in the UK, but the price tells you nothing. It needs to be seen as some sort a percentage of the average person's spending power.

medical insurance (and what it does and mostly doesn't pay for)
Just by the by, I had a double knee replacement. With private health insurance, it cost me $500. That included a private hospital room, doctor, theatre fees, etc, plus two and a half weeks in a private room at a rehab centre. Waiting period was, I think, four weeks. (by the by, the orthopaedic surgeon only charged the Medicare fee).

but it is not the magical, easy step-up that it used to be for British people moving here.
And why should it be?

It's a lovely property justilou1 . I hope you get a really good price for it .

Stick a snazzy 10 quid rug over it.