to think feedback after viewing a house is pointless

[saymyusername]

Seriously, what's going to please a seller, other than "I'll take it and pay what you're asking."

Am happy to be corrected with examples of feedback you thought was worthwhile.

I worked in an Estate agents office, and very often sellers wanted feed back on why their property was viewed but not had any offers made. Reasons ranged from, didn't like the look of the neighbours, it would cost too much to change decor, i.e. the fireplace in one house was slate, and stretched from one side of the room to the other, to too many take-aways on the street. The reasons some of our properties were sold. The saying, 'One man's meat, is another man's poison, is so true when selling your property.

I work doing viewings for an EA. Would say that some things are evident before the viewing eg no parking, or separate dining room yet viewers till go and see the house then reject it on that basis such a waste of time - if you want a kitchen diner, don't go and see a house that does not have one - feel sorry for vendors who may have spent ages cleaning etc. Also the viewings are 30 minutes apart yet so many viewers turn up 15 or 20 minutes late eg 2.50pm for a 2.30pm and I have to to be leaving 2.50pm to get to my 3pm.
Also if there is a family of 4 adults living in a 2 bedroomed small house, sometimes all 4 are there at the viewing maybe one in lounge, one in bathroom (!) and one in each of the bedrooms - makes it very difficult to look round!

Sometimes feedback can be useful, room a bit small - you can try and declutter, felt a bit dark - pull curtains right back move furniture around so not obstructing light. We had the feedback our roof was leaking - turned out to be a corner of the ceiling we'd missed painting (and hadn't noticed ourselves) - easy to rectify.

We have been asked in the past and given honest reasons because of:

Burnt out cars, sellers were obviously aware of where they lived and were desperate to get out, but agent was an idiot so told him on the basis that we didn't want to view another property in that location.

Terrible damp problem, if it hadn't been soggy and smelly we might have been interested.

Suspected collapsed drains which the agent refused to comment on when asked although he knew.

A few that hadn't mentioned the extent of the cracks in the walls, leaking roof and missing floorboards in the details which were a bit too much for us to deal with.

The yapping dog next door.

Negatives: dated kitchen, not up to spec, strong smell of damp.

But Peng that feedback would actually be useful. A damp smell is something you can do something about.

I bought my first property at a bargain price due to the bad smell! Soon sorted it out once I did. I think it’s awkward but it’s the kind of thing you need to know. Presumably no one told my seller.

NonaGrey

I didn't say it wouldn't be useful. I said it's rude, however useful.

laGattaNera

Sometimes you don’t know what you want until you see it, sometimes you think you know what you want but then something changes your mind. My last property purchase is a case in point. I wanted a two bed, two bath flat with an outside space and went to view one in a new development. When I got there I hated it, dark, poky, weird room shapes and the EA offered to show me a studio in the same block. I had seen the studio online and discounted it as it was a studio, not a two bed, it had no outside space and only one bathroom. On paper it was a total non starter but as soon as I walked in I loved it, huge, light and bright with double height ceilings and a massive mezzanine. I rang my DH and made an offer for the full asking price on the spot without him even having seen it.

YABU. Feedback is really important to vendors. Kitchens and bathrooms sell properties so feedback on the house including “rude” ones are useful. I’ve bought and sold on a couple of properties in a bad state for a profit, one of them was derelict. I got it spot on the second time, less so the first even with extensive experience of doing up my own house. It really is not obvious to home owners how to maximise the price of their house. The thing is not to take feedback personally. So many people see their house as an extension of them.

We went to see one house where the garden was a mess, complete tangle of brambles, the owners had made no attempt at even wiping round the kitchen or bathroom and there was obviously a damp problem as they'd left mouldy soft furnishings about. The décor was about 40 years old as well.

I suggested that they could wipe round and remove the mouldy things.

I’ve had feedback that our main room seemed a bit dark. We immediately helped a neighbour to cut a hedge that had grown very tall, cut back shrubs partially blocking other windows and bought a white throw for the sofa. The next viewer was very happy. So feedback was useful. It has to be something that you can solve reasonably and you have to be prepared to act on it.

I understand Loonoon it doesn't bother me but I know some vendors get upset by people giving feedback about something they didn't like which was on the property info online which the viewer saw beforehand. Yes some people don't know what they want until they see it totally agree.

Our old house backed onto woodland which was clearly stated in the EA details and there were also photographs of the garden and the woodland beyond. After one viewing the feedback was "We don't like the trees" Well why did you bloody view it then?!

I didn't say it wouldn't be useful. I said it's rude, however useful.

It would be rude if they were a guest, it’s not at all rude if they are a potential buyer who has been asked for feedback.

If they aren’t buying the house because it smells damp they are staying a fact, not making a personal criticism
of you.

Some of the feedback we've given would fall into the category being complained about on another thread where people get annoyed that it's things on the spec.

E.g. We really wanted a utility room (house didn't have one and we had the capital to do an extension if needed but after viewing we couldn't see how it would work)

E.g. We loved the plot but would be wanting to add a second storey and having got on site we don't think it would work

E.g. Garden and whole plot is a lot smaller than suggested on Rightmove (lots of issues around creative photography)

I don't actually even mind rude. I do mind ridiculous.. Apparently our four/five bed, two bath, three loo, Grade ll listed 400 year old house isn't worth viewing because it's more expensive than a 1930s, three bed, one bath and loo house which is literally less than half the size. Obviously they should both be the same price.

I worked in sales & lettings. Feedback is valuable if:
The price is unrealistic & owners won't accept agents opinion.
The house needs work or has tatty or odd (we had a house all real animal skins, mirrored bedroom ceiling, black & red 'theme' ) decor is putting viewers off.

The last one happens so much. People can't see past odd or gloomy colours etc even if you take them round and say, "imagine different colours and light flooding in". Also, I'd say 80% of buyers can't be arsed with having to redecorate or, do structural stuff. They want 'perfect' so they can unpack and sit down, job done.

I agree with previous posters that in many instances constructive feedback can be helpful and, if acted upon, can essentially lead to a auccessful sale.

I remember viewing a house that ticked many boxes but I couldn’t see past the fact that it was dark (closed blinds), cluttered, smelled strongly of animals (they had two dogs and some cats) and that they had a mini tumble dryer on top of a worktop with the hose hanging out of the window. It made the kitchen look awful.

If they ditched the dryer, opened the blinds, and gave the place a good tidy and airing it would make all of the difference with no cost!

NonaGrey

If they are asked for feedback, no problem. I said if I didn't ask.

I only gave it if they asked. One had misleading pictures of the drive that certainly didn't match reality. Another two large dogs next door which instantly put me off as the noise was too much. Clutter is definitely another, you can't assess size, the condition of the house etc if it's crammed.

I once fed back to a seller that I wasn't interested because the dog next door barked too much. Poor thing was chained to a fence in a tiny back yard (seriously, it was about 2m by 3m and bare concrete covered in dog shit). Dog was skinny and dirty and barked for the whole of our viewing and we were 30 min early. No way was I taking the house but I always hoped they'd talk to the owner or better yet call the RSPCA for the poor thing.

The only other instance I think might have been useful was when I pointed out that if the brochure said there was a long flight of steps bw the road and the front door, they'd get less people like us who turned up, took one look and walked away.

All very interesting, thanks. Where I grew up in the States we didn’t really do ‘feedback’; you either liked the house and wanted to buy it, or passed. I’ve been in the UK long enough to know it’s a different culture, but it still puzzles me as so often I read people complaining about their feedback – or lack of it. I don’t quite understand why lack of feedback is seen as rude; we’re not all brimming with constructive criticism.

When selling we always pressed the EA for feedback especially the 'tricky' feedback - does my house smell.

I found that by broaching that question the EA was more comfortable with giving the feedback which we needed eg rooms looking small/dark. While we couldnt change rooms we could change furniture layout, open curtains wider etc.

The price is unrealistic & owners won't accept agents opinion

This. A lot of the time the feedback is basically "your price band is unrealistic for your house". Vendors don't like to hear that.

But a lot of the feedback above isn't couched as "The price is too high. I would be interested at X price." No worries.

This is more like "I don't like your house" bingo. Sometimes it seems like people just enjoy being critical so they can show off how "savvy" they are.