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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to broach the issues with my parents house sale?

93 replies

RhymingRabbit3 · 31/12/2019 08:04

My parents are thinking of putting their house on the market to downsize. They live in quite an old house but recently (about 5 years ago) added a large extension.

The "new" part of the house is gorgeous. Nicely decorated, great for family living, underfloor heating and modern decor including a lovely new kitchen. The issue is the rest of the house. The "old" part of the house (75% of the building) is single glazed, the carpets and threadbare, there are cracks in the walls and ceilings, ancient avocado bathroom suite, wallpaper hanging off. You get the idea. My parents just seem unable to see these issues.

My mum is convinced their house will sell in no time and for a high price because of the lovely extension. WIBU to try and explain that the rest of the house is letting it down and they need to address some of the issues before sale? Would this sort of thing put you off buying - it certainly doesnt make a good first impression.

OP posts:
alwaysmovingforwards · 31/12/2019 08:05

You can broach it but it's their house I guess.

vivacian · 31/12/2019 08:06

Why do you feel the need to say anything? You already know what her position is.

Selfsettling3 · 31/12/2019 08:08

Can you be round when the estate agent comes round? It would be worth asking for their opinion. If the house will sell or not will depend on your local market. They will also be able to advice your parents of the potential selling amount with and without the extra work.

shoebedobedobedobedoo · 31/12/2019 08:09

Depends where they are in the country and how many other houses are on the market. We’ve just bought, looked for months probably viewed well over 30 houses. Didn’t mind a bit of work, but almost every house we saw was a probate sale or a downsize that had had nothing done for 40 years and needed gutting. And most of them are still sitting on the market a year later. A lick of paint a new carpet could go a long way to securing a sale. Slowly learning how stubborn elderly parents can be, I’d probably let them try and sell it their way, and if it doesn’t work suggest plan B

BeyondMyWits · 31/12/2019 08:09

if it is priced right it will sell.

Some people still want a do-er-up-er. Wouldn't put me off, might make me offer low.

PooWillyBumBum · 31/12/2019 08:10

Just see how it goes when the market gets going in Spring. Personally I’d rather a house like that than to pay 20k+ more for one polished all the way through but to someone else’s taste. You may get someone falling in love with it.

Last year we offered over asking on a house with Bakelite light switches and 50s appliances which hadn’t been redecorated since 1954. We just fell in love with the bones of the house, garden and surrounding area! They may get lucky.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 31/12/2019 08:11

An estate agent will price accordingly I don’t think you need to get too involved. A house is worth what someone is willing to pay.

GertiMJN · 31/12/2019 08:12

Surely the estate agents' valuations will reflect the house as it is? If your parents query the valuation price they will be told what is affecting the price?

If they discuss it with you at this stage you can then add your thoughts. Doing so now seems unnecessarily interfering.

Lllot5 · 31/12/2019 08:12

Wait and see what happens.
If it’s priced accordingly then it will sell.
When and if it doesn’t, then maybe say something. The estate agent will probably say something anyway.

Sierra259 · 31/12/2019 08:12

You can mention it but I wouldn't push it. The estate agents will probably tell them the same thing, or they'll get feedback from viewings. Hearing it from several sources will likely be more effective.

Timmythatyou · 31/12/2019 08:13

Let the estate agents tell them. Then when they tell you what the EA has said suggest some quick fixes for the obvious stuff. If they don’t want to spend the money then they will take the lower asking price.

Saddler · 31/12/2019 08:17

It might well sell quickly it just needs to be priced correctly to reflect the money that needs to be spent on it

vivacian · 31/12/2019 08:19

Why are you interfering? Unless there's some pertinent information you've not included about your mum's situation, leave it to her and her estate agents Confused

Chocolate1984 · 31/12/2019 08:19

The old part of the house wouldn’t bother me as long as the price was right. I actually prefer replacing old carpets and bathrooms over paying a high price for a fancy bathroom, flooring and kitchen that isn’t to my taste.

Tonz · 31/12/2019 08:23

It wouldn’t put me off I would enjoy doing up each room with my own style anyway

foxatthewindow · 31/12/2019 08:23

Honestly, I’d consider your mum’s house! I say that as someone who is currently enduring a ‘wild rose’ bathroom suite and shag pile carpet in all rooms, including bathroom. I’d rather see the cracks and deal with them. I’d love this house to have a shiny new extension because we could retreat into it and do most of our day to day life in there whilst the rest was being sorted. Of course the condition of the house affects the price, but in my experience the amount it reduces by is comparable to the work needed so probably doesn’t matter to your parents that much. I would hate a house that had been spruced up for sale and then had a whole host of unwelcome surprises with the services

MonsteraCheeseplant · 31/12/2019 08:27

As a pp said, you can mention it but don't push it. They'll get feedback from the estate agents and prospective buyers. If you push it too much, you could just piss them off tbh and it's their money etc.

eddielizzard · 31/12/2019 08:29

Wouldn't put me off. I prefer doer uppers, because the decor is rarely to my taste and couldn't justify redoing something that I didn't like. As long as the price reflects the condition of the main house, I think it's fine.

Fairylea · 31/12/2019 08:34

I don’t think it will matter as much as you think it does actually. I’ve just sold my mums house (she died this year) and didn’t have time to do much to it and got a good price for it because of the location and people could see the potential. If the extension is done well it will enable people to see the possibilities. I’d leave them to it.

Original poster
RhymingRabbit3 · 31/12/2019 08:34

Why are you interfering?
I'm not, I haven't said anything at all. I'm just wondering whether I should bring it up so they're not surprised/upset if the house doesn't sell or has a lower valuation that they're expecting. Sounds like the consensus is to just leave it to the estate agent.

OP posts:
HRHPrincessMegan · 31/12/2019 08:34

It sounds perfect. Your folks have done all the heavy lifting with the extension and whoever buys it gets to put their own stamp on it by renovating the older part. Buyers of a family home are generally taking a long term view - they might be there for 30 plus years - so it’s not unusual to undertake some work.

MrOnionsBumperRoller · 31/12/2019 08:35

The cracks in the wall would be the problem. The rest is largely cosmetic. All that'll happen is they'll end up accepting a much lower amount or it will languish on the market until they do. Been there with my DP and first estate agent was no use sucking up to DP and agreeing no work needed doing, when A SHITLOAD needed doing and it only sold one done. Are similar properties in a similar condition or done up nicely?

DeathStare · 31/12/2019 08:35

As others have said, I think the house will sell if priced right or if they are prepared to accept a lower offer. But I think your issue really is that your parents seem to think it will sell for the same price as other - more modernised - houses.

Whether to broach it or not right now I think would depend on how urgent it is for them to sell. If their circumstances mean that it is really important they get a quick sale then yes it probably is worth broaching now. If it doesn't really matter how long its on the market then there is time for your parents to realise this themselves without you raising it.

If you do feel you need to raise it could you be there when the estate agent comes round then you could raise the right sort of questions - eg. "are buyers likely to expect double glazing?" "is the valuation going to impacted by the decor?" "Is there anything you would change to achieve a higher price?"

MrOnionsBumperRoller · 31/12/2019 08:35

*once

Soontobe60 · 31/12/2019 08:36

Leave them to it! As a pp said, they might spend £20k on doing up the rest of the house, but it wouldn't necessarily improve the chances of a sale.
We sold our last house at the price we wanted, but it needed lots doing to it. In fact the new owner put in a new kitchen, windows, replastered throughout, rewired it and ripped out some original features. All we did was reduce the price by £500 because of the rewire. I bet they spent at least £10k but it didn't instantly go up in value by that amount as a result.
Your parents will get what the house is worth in it's current state. If they believe it's worth much more, they can take a chance but may well end up reducing it a lot.