My DM selling her house - should anything be happening yet?

[SpidersAreShitheads]

My DM is selling her house and for various reasons is desperate to get things moving. Unfortunately for her, she also can't afford to take a massive drop in price - although there is a little bit of wiggle room.

Her property went on the market a couple of weeks ago - so obviously it's still incredibly early days.

However, I would have thought that there would have been more interest when the property first goes on the market, dropping off the longer it stays available?

She's not had a single viewing yet.

Two people expressed an interest - one person was a builder and I think the estate agent tipped him off before it went on the market, but he found somewhere else to buy the day before he'd asked to come round. The second viewing was cancelled as the woman drove around the area and didn't like the hilly roads on the way to the local shops.

Some of the photos were a bit crap, and there was virtually no description by the estate agent. He's been around today and taken better photos, and uploaded a description which explains that the upstairs floor could potentially be self-contained accommodation.

The problem is that her property is a bit weird in terms of layout - there's an absolutely huge second bedroom which takes up almost the whole of the converted loft space, and it's lovely. But the third "bedroom" is a tiny, tiny room which also houses the boiler. If I were looking for a three-bedroom house for me and my DC, the configuration wouldn't work - and I suspect that might be the same for a lot of buyers.

It's a nice property but I am a bit concerned there has been absolutely no interest. The photos weren't amazing before, but they were passable. Certainly not enough to make people skip past.

I'm a home owner but not sold on the open market before - do things normally take a while to get moving - or is this a concerning sign? I know it's only been two weeks....but no interest in even looking?

Does anyone have any killer tips to get people in to look at the property?

One of the reasons she's so desperate is that she needs something very specific in the next house she buys which is quite rare - and there's one on the market now which fits the bill. If she doesn't get her house under offer soon, this other property will inevitably be bought by someone else, and I don't know how easily we'll find what she needs again....

Just a thought if the space is big enough upstairs to be pretty much self contained but what about marketing as having potential for Airbnb?

Oh. Well that was a ridiculously long reply from me.

Sorry about that.

@LittleOwl153

'Photo 19' makes me think the neighbours would be a nightmare with all those vans etc...

But yes in reality it is just to 'busy' the photos don't really show what the house is I suspect.

I would also question whether it is a price issue as barging hunters will usually see though the clutter but no viewers would perhaps suggest it is overpriced for the area/property type...

Have you tried getting a mate to ring the estate agent and get a viewing. My mum had this with her house and her new neighbours from 2 doors down wanted to look at both houses before buying but the estate agent could 'never reach' my mum so they gave up... might be worth checking up?

"barging hunters" yes I have dealt with housebuyers like that

The external shot towards the end- is your mum’s house next to the one with all the cars parked outside? I’d find that very off-putting.

Actually yes torching it might be the best option 🤣

I think this is a tricky house unfortunately, it’s got quite a lot of what would be cons for a lot of people, so its either a case of taking a big drop in price for a quick sale or waiting it out for the right person. You can of course declutter but I’m not sure it will be a game changer.

It’s a weird layout. It’s almost like the downstairs is a bungalow, and the upstairs has been added as an extension at some point. It might suit someone who needs ground floor accommodation but doesn’t want to downsize to a flat. The top floor could be made into a studio for a live in carer or family member. So there is a specific market for it. I think you’d need to get an agent who has good contacts and could potentially sell the place to investors.

I would market it as a 2 bed with an office, realistically you can’t use the 3rd room as a bedroom and many people don’t want a noisy boiler in their or their kids bedroom.

@Didiusfalco

I think this is a tricky house unfortunately, it’s got quite a lot of what would be cons for a lot of people, so its either a case of taking a big drop in price for a quick sale or waiting it out for the right person. You can of course declutter but I’m not sure it will be a game changer.

I think at least it would get people through the door

if there is no bed to stage the craft room, I have seen boxes stacked into a bed shape and then dressed as if its a bed?

This is a brilliant idea

Picture 15 is awful. It is centred on the house with umpteen vans and doesn't help sell the house at all. It's the shame they had both bathrooms converted in the same unconventional way. Having 1 a wet room would have been better. I would look at it and think I'd need to spend a lot of money on it and wonder about the family of 15 next door with all the vans.

@AwkwardPaws27

if there is no bed to stage the craft room, I have seen boxes stacked into a bed shape and then dressed as if its a bed?

This is a brilliant idea

yes, its one I ticketed as i have got no bed to stage mtycraft room when I sell but loads of fabric in storage boxes and plenty of spare bedding!

I feel for you OP. You've had some good advice the only couple of things I would mention are that it would be helpful to label the rooms in each photo- I think that can be done - as I wasn't entirely clear what was upstairs and what was downstairs.
The other thing is to try to make it as bare as possible- move bins etc out of the way before the photos, completely clear bedside tables, laundry baskets removed, towels of radiators etc. Some of these things you can put back but for the photos people want to see space and function of rooms to get them through the door.

Try advertising it on the accessible property register, you might find someone looking for a house with walk in shower, downstairs bedroom and loads of handrails. Specialist estate agent

@missymayhemsmum

Try advertising it on the accessible property register, you might find someone looking for a house with walk in shower, downstairs bedroom and loads of handrails. Specialist estate agent

oh good idea

Hi OP, gah I'm so sorry that you're having to deal with all this - tough!

You're a good daughter to be helping but definitely time to get a decent pro-active agent and some targeted help to get this sorted...

In terms of e.g. staging upstairs with a bed - you can pick one up on FB marketplace for £40, and I'd be doing that if I were you.

It's a tragedy that she's spent a lot of money (recently!) on new bathrooms without baths, that the new buyer will have to rip out to put a bath in. But this is where being realistic about price comes into it. She can't recoup her spend on new bathrooms because she hasn't saved the buyer any money IYSWIM? It's done up but still a doer-upper.

If I were you I'd be talking to a (new and better) estate agent about a strategy whereby you (potentially, given all you've got on your plate, pay someone else to) hire a storage unit, declutter everything into it, move DM and stepdad elsewhere for a couple of weeks, market the hell out of a couple of open house events with the staged house absolutely best foot forward, and see what transpires...

Then hopefully get an offer accepted and move them back in so they can be comfy with all their clutter again while the paperwork goes through?

It's just a thought but it's the most likely way I can see it moving quickly for you all. Best of luck!

That sounds very challenging for you OP. I’ve just moved my mum, and it’s not for the faint hearted…and to be fair to my mum she did do a great job at de cluttering first.

I disagree with a pp though who said it must be the price if you don’t get loads of viewings on the first day - some houses have a more limited market but will absolutely appeal to the right person, so for some houses you have to wait a bit longer. I’m not sure whether this house falls into that category yet though.

OP you can’t do this. Your parents need to pay someone- a friend? A mumsnetter?? - to do it for them. Or just put it on at a lower price.

"how soon do we go cap in hand to the Property Centre and get them to try and sell it??"

I don't know - it'll depend on what sort of marketing contract your DM has got with them. Often the agent has the right to market the property exclusively for several weeks. Go and tell them you're thinking of moving agents, that should get a rocket under them 😁

All the best to your DM and stepdad, I hope they get a good sale soon.

I think it’s either heavily discount or prepare to do a lot of cosmetic work. Remember that ANY clutter in real life looks 100 times worse condensed into a small screen. The pictures are not at all good but I don’t think you can really blame the EA, it’s not their job to declutter and stage. I’d look to hire someone, maybe some workmen for a weekend, with a van and a storage unit?

1: close all windows, open curtains, put some nice flowers along the front wall
2: complete redo of the chair museum—you need to visually divide the space with couch across end. EVERYTHING needs to go apparent from one cushion per chair, plant, table and elephant clock. Rug and coffee table needed. This needs to look like a seperate room from dining room. Pull chairs out from wall so they look less awkward, all of those animal prints and teddies gone.
3: basically everything here needs to go. If this is the big bedroom it needs a bed. Meerkats? Naked lady? Tiny storage? All gone. Literally everything but desk, chair, and one or two shelves done neatly. Zone into office, bedroom and sitting area. EVERYTHING into storage.
4: garden needs to be tidied and watered. I would trim plants and weed and put down bark chips. Need to do something to sort out the grass.
5: what is that weird blue thing behind the chair? What is that cleaning implement? What is the random cluster on top left?
6: lovely flowers, but then tricycles, you’d, teddies, fridge, something red on the floor?? And piles of books on chairs? And chairs not pushed in. And chaotic doors.
7: CHAOS can’t even see kitchen. All fridge clutter should be gone, all over fridge storage cleared, all microwave junk, move bin? Remove cloths. What on earth is happening with corner of cleaning dumping? Washing on radiator, stuff under table—should all be cleared out.
8: again I can’t see the kitchen because of the chaos, I don’t want to dwell on the picture but if I make myself it’s actually very nice. Sort it
9: wipes, smelliest, baskets, mobility aides, rugs, all need to go
10: declutter and remove mobility aides. All surfaces should be bare, just lamps. Make bed formally with plain, hotel looking linen.
11: EVERYTHING gone, apart from an empty desk with lamp and chair. I mean literally everything here, including under the stairs and the Christmas lights!
12: I don’t want to see anything that isn’t stuck to the wall here—mobility aides, rugs, toiletries all gone. When you look closely you can see it’s a much newer bathroom than it looks. No cleaning products!!
13: again, everything needs to go—bar desk, chair computer and like one or two shelves. All the rest straight into storage
14: as above, and as said with zoning into bed, study, sitting area
17: if you can power wash the garden, do it. Also the Ea has his thumb in the photo!
18: sort out the grass!!! And weed the bin areas, and hide the bins
21: stage clear seating areas, at the moment it looks like a bring and buy sale for garden furniture

If you've had no viewings, the price is too high.

Knowing the area and the fact the layout doesn't work for a family I'd say it is the price, sorry.

The clutter doesn't help but when I look at the for plan which is what I always go to first I can't see how it would work as a family home. The upstairs would need reconfiguring to make it work better but the cost of that isn't reflected in the price.

What you really need to do: hire a storage unit, buy a tonne of boxes, then hire some workmen for the weekend. Be creative director—everything that needs to go moved into boxes in one downstairs room—it should be about 2/3rds of the house and much of the garden. Hire a van for a few hours to move stuff to the unit. Hire a power wash for garden. Get a cheap bed or stage one.

Trip to the shops: colourful pots with flowers for front garden, roll out grass, new bed clothes, wood chips, a cheap rug or two.

It’s not really a family house—it seems likely to appeal to older people, people who need accessibility, maybe a couple with a grown child who also want their parents to live with them? A niche market but one who might struggle to find suitable places. Are there any specialist avenues to advertise? Is there anything about accessibility that can be added?

It’s got a lot of potential, but she’s asking for a lot for a property that I suspect as is will mostly attract builders/remodellers. Theres a really nice property in there but the layout needs a rethink.

But if she wants to take a punt on the residential market it’s being sold as a three bed house and only one bedroom is set up with a bed, two of the bedrooms look like they’re being used as offices/hobby rooms? They need to have a MASSIVE clear out and dress the house as a three bed. Even if the small room is set up as an office it needs a clear out so you can see it has the potential for a small bedroom/nursery.

The floor plan doesn’t show where the internal door to the kitchen is which is just annoying.

It’s very hard to figure out what rooms the photos show. Even if stuff goes back the photos need to look clearer so there’s some viewings.

The kitchen looks as though there isn’t enough storage and so do the bathrooms - move the extra table in the kitchen and the clothes airer.

The sitting room isn’t very comfy looking - a rug would help. There’s a lot of desk chairs everywhere. The picture of all the vans is terrible.