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.

Peng estate agents ask viewers for feedback as standard.

If course you don’t have to listen but if you are seriously trying to sell a house (which costs you as seller in EA fees) it seems terribly short sighted not to pay attention to the perspective of potential buyers.

It’s your choice of course but personally I like to sell my house quickly and for the best possible price...

I got feedback like...It's on a main road and has no parking....Yes I know it says so in the details. Not useful.

Nobody asked me for feedback which was good as there is no way to politely say...you've lived here for 40 years, clearly haven't done a thing to it in all that time but still think it's worth 500k, you're dreaming.

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.

You are taking it way too personally then Peng, selling your house is a business transaction and you need to approach it as such.

I think feedback is incredibly useful! We viewed a house that the owner was clearly very proud of. When we arrived I noticed every window was open. They were clearly very heavy smokers and every room absolutely stank. I knew we would have to rip all carpets out. They also had their extensive range of cowboy posters up on every brightly coloured wall. I just could not see past it. We were asked for feedback (probably because it had been on he market so long) and I just said I felt a more neutral colour scheme would help. I didn’t have the heart to mention that leaving every window open could not combat the level of smoke.

it's pretty pointless, they either want the house or not.

NonaGrey

That's all very well. I am entitled to think someone is rude if I like though; whether or not I am taking it "personally", I still think it.

NonaGrey

Me too. But within reason, you know? I don't feel someone else's view that the rooms are small is helpful. I live here - I know how big the rooms are.

I have no issue with feedback if a) I asked for it and b) it is constructive and politely worded.

I have noticed that there seems to be less staging of houses for sale and presenting houses as 'lived in'. While I can see that gives a more honest view I would find it a bit off putting as piles of 'stuff' makes me wonder about storage and whether the current occupants are actually ready to move.

Probably an age thing. A lot of the times I have been selling have been in tricky markets where sellers had to pull out all the stops just to get viewers in.

We had several instances of ‘we don’t like the street’, which drove me mad at the time. We were in an area where for the price we were asking you could have a pretty street, parking, decent size rooms - pick two. Also, Google Streetview exists. It’s easy now to look back and see it was actually reassuring nothing was wrong with the house, but god it was frustrating at the time, given the cleaning and tidying AND the fact we vacated the house for every viewing.

We were equally crap as buyers though, mostly didn’t give feedback as our only feedback would be ‘dunno, it’s just not the one’.

Personally I always prefer to know and the agent should always couch it politely when passing it on.

I wouldn't take something like your house smells of damp or the rooms are small as rude, it would simply help me understand why I wasn't selling, and if I could do anything, from fixing the damp to decluttering to make rooms looks bigger, to even relooking at the price.

I think if you're selling your house it's best not to take feedback personally and get insulted. Best to hear it and either consider it or discard it.

I think “your house has a strong smell of damp” is rude if it’s a lie but possibly not if it’s true. And there’s no point in tying yourself in knots over whether your sofa cushions are putting people off buying because they’re the wrong colour if the real problem is that the house is not priced to allow for a damp problem being sorted.

I think feedback is useful if it shows that the EA has not portrayed the house correctly (eg hidden the fact that there is no parking or similar) - just wastes the buyer’s time. Not helpful if it’s something that cannot be changed and has been made obvious in the preliminary details - why go and see it then?

When I sold my last house, the windows needed replacing. If every viewer had said that was putting them off and no-one had made an offer, then I would have either looked to replace them or dropped the price. I wouldn’t have considered that the viewers were being “rude”.

I think of someone says your house smells of damp when it doesn't the agent would tell you that.

But if your house does stink, it's not rude, it's a statement of fact.

think if you're selling your house it's best not to take feedback personally and get insulted. Best to hear it and either consider it or discard it.

I really find this sort of perspective odd, because I don't think it is up to me whether I feel insulted by something someone says. It either insults me or it doesn't.

If someone said through the estate agent that they didn't buy it because it would have needed a damp course, I wouldn't be insulted. If someone said they didn't buy it because it stinks of damp, I would be.

Likewise, "rooms are smaller than we expected" = not insulted. "Poky" = insulted. "Kitchen and bathroom need updating" = not insulted. "Not up to spec" = insulted.

People choose to be rude more than I choose how to feel when they are rude.

But if your house does stink, it's not rude, it's a statement of fact.

So, statements of fact are never rude?

If every viewer had said that was putting them off and no-one had made an offer, then I would have either looked to replace them or dropped the price. I wouldn’t have considered that the viewers were being “rude”.

Nor would I, if a) I or the estate agent asked what was putting them off and b) they said it was putting them off that they would need to replace the windows, rather than "manky old windows". There is a difference.

Peng, ive bought and sold five times, ive never been insulted by feedback. If someone said to be it stinks of damp, I'd do something about it, not be offended. I can't see the issue with poky or not up to spec either. It either is or it isn't.

I've always been completely honest with agents, it's up to them if they wish to pass it on. I saw one house, price was approaching seven figures and it was a shit hole, rubbish on the floor, cat piss smell making your eyes water, dirty bed linen, dirty towels on floor, so far from the images on the particulars. I was very clear with the agent, it was so filthy I couldn't see past it. It was disgusting. The agent in question clearly agreed but didn't say so much, just it needed a lot of work, who knows what they told the vendor. I really didn't give a shit. He asked, I told him, not my problem,

I've never declined a house due to decor, but I have said it's really small for the price and the pictures are misleading, it makes it look much bigger. You learn quickly to look at floor plans.

I've never told a vender directly. Always given feedback honestly to thr agent, their call what to do with it. I've always wanted feedback on my viewings and as honestly as possible.

Feedback was invaluable for us when we sold so I really try to make an effort when we look at properties. Some were due to poor marketing/misleading photos on the sellers behalf, and some were due to features/room sizes. When I was selling we had numerous potential buyers mention our deck. We knew it needed work but figured it into the price - but it became clear that it was a sticking point for people so we fixed it! The very frustrating issue was when people either didn’t read the listing or look at the photos, and then rejected the house on the grounds that it had a feature that was perfectly clear from a cursory glance at the photos. It was a three story Victorian, around 4800 square feet. Main and servsnts’ staircases, original woodwork, formal dining room. Primary complaint - people wanted an open kitchen/diner; and the house had two many stairs. FFS people

So, statements of fact are never rude

Well I never said that. Clearly if someone said your hair is an overdyed mess it would be rude, even if it was true. But on selling a house, no, I see no statement of fact or honest opinion as rude. Never have done. It's not personal. It's a comment about an asset you're selling.

Bluntness100

Of course it is personal to tell someone their home stinks. Well, it is where I'm from.

Anyway, this is my opinion. I am not looking for agreement.

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

Thing is though, although you might know there is limited parking, if the house were perfect in every other way, then that might matter less to you as a prospective buyer. Because, having viewed the house, you found it to be "okay", then the limited parking carries more weight. I suspect almost everyone has to compromise over something when buying a house, but the 'pluses' have to be bigger than the 'negatives'.

As a pp said, sometimes you don't really know what you want, until you see it. Just as when we bought the home we've lived happily in for the last 15 years - it wasn't really on our 'wanted list'. We agreed to look at it (suggested by the agents) along with 2 others we chose ourselves, all on the same day This one was a bit out of our price range and a bit outside where we'd been looking, but the moment we walked in we knew it was 'the one'. When we are selling, we have to accept you will get lots of people who don't really want what you are offering, but amongst them all, you will find 'the one'. An absolute pain when you have to keep the house pristine and get out of the way, but the more you get through the door, the better your chance of selling, and selling for what you want for it.

Feedback though is incredibly useful. No good if it isn't honest though, and if people aren't prepared to say - as a pp noted - "i couldn't get past the smell of smoke" or damp or the rooms were a lot smaller than the pictures in the brochure suggested, or whatever. It is hard to hear about your home, but if you are wanting to sell, you need to know why it isn't selling so you can decide if there is something you can do about it.

I think the difference is here you need to disengage when you sell. Remove emotional attachment and not take it personally, see it as a business transaction.

If the house stinks, it stinks. As said I saw one that stunk of cat piss. My eyes watered as I went round. I said it stunk. The agent knew it stunk. It's not rude to say it. He can say to the seller, there is a rather overwhelming smell of cat urine, maybe you could do something with the litter boxes and have the carpets and upholstery cleaned ie phrase it more politely. That's his job. He shouldn't say "your house stinks".

If you don't want to know your house stinks, fair enough, but personally I'd rather know.

I think everyone is different, so just instruct your agent that you need it couched politely or not to give you feedback. I differ, I want it straight, then I will either deal or discard.

So if someone said "manky old windows" for example I'd either think "yup, they are manky old windows I need to fix that, or it's reflected in the price" I wouldn't be offended if indeed I did have manky old windows.

If it’s fixable things - usually the price! - then it’s very helpful. Otherwise not so much.

Remove emotional attachment and not take it personally, see it as a business transaction.

It isn't a choice. Feelings happen, you don't decide on them.

Sometimes even if something is abundantly clear to the vendor in the details the buyer may not see the details in the same way. The vendor has the advantage, they know their home intimately. They may be very familiar with a particular style of house.

The buyer comes in cold, maybe hasnt looked at the details as the EA has just roped them in for a viewing at short notice.

Penggwyn - agree - but then, you CAN control how you react to them.