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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I’m starting to think I’ll never be able to move house.

51 replies

Tworoads · 21/09/2023 16:19

I’m trying to sell my house and it’s been on the market for over a year. Selling it will mean that I can start a new phase of my life and I’m starting to think it’ll never happen 😢. The last straw was that yesterday the estate agent told ME I should get someone else to sell it!
I just wonder if you lovely ladies have any ideas.
My house is a semi detached on the best road in my town. It’s not overlooked in the back garden. I’ve decorated top to bottom, decluttered and depersonalised it. I can’t make it any neater.
The problem is that it’s attached to a decrepit house, unoccupied since the old owner died 3 years ago. His family pop in (why?) but don’t seem to want to live in it or sell it.
My house has my little shop to the front so my property is, strictly speaking, semi-commercial.
A big advantage is that the two houses are on a very big plot. A speculator could have a valuable building plot capable of being used for multiple houses (someone did this further up the same road).
But how do I find a buyer? I can’t afford to auction it for a pittance.
I am in the north west of England.

OP posts:
IHateCornerBaths · 21/09/2023 17:43

Maybe invite a couple of other local agents round for a valuation and see how it compares to the current price you have listed.
Would you consider going through the planning for change of use and changing the shop so it’s fully incorporated as part of the house?
It’s likely a combination of the attached house and the shop that is an issue. There likely aren’t that many people looking for a home that also has a shop at the front.
Commercial listing with attached home might have more success maybe?

OhComeOnFFS · 21/09/2023 18:09

I wonder whether there's a problem with probate with the other house? There's a house in my street that couldn't sell because their neighbour had bushes growing up over the windows. I don't know how they arranged it but one day the bushes had gone and the house sold shortly afterwards.

User183642 · 21/09/2023 18:17

Speculators aren’t likely to be interested unless they can also obtain the attached property and it’s unlikely that anyone would be able to get a standard mortgage due to the commercial use.
Is the commercial part of the property currently in use and if it is would it be vacated upon sale or would the buyers have to potentially deal with evicting someone?

Original poster
Tworoads · 21/09/2023 18:36

@User183642 no I don’t have a tenant. I have been using it for my own business and can’t really stop until I have sold and released my collateral.
I don’t know for sure but I don’t think there’s a problem with probate (although it would be interesting to find out). But the property is becoming more and more derelict as most empty houses do.

OP posts:
Original poster
Tworoads · 21/09/2023 18:37

Has anyone tried Dalton’s advertising with any success?

OP posts:
lanthanum · 21/09/2023 19:12

Have you tried making contact with the owner's family? They might feel it's not worth putting the house on the market in its current state, but marketing the two together might have its advantages. It would obviously be complicated as the two sales would have to happen together, but if you put them on with the same estate agent then it ought to be possible. You approaching them might be the kick-start they need.

There's a pair of houses near us where one used to be very decrepit. It got done up, new roof and everything, and I suspect it did wonders for the market value of the other one.

Sprig1 · 21/09/2023 19:14

Unfortunately, if it hasn't sold it will be the price. Changing agent isn't likely to make much difference.

Original poster
Tworoads · 23/09/2023 17:46

I’m cheaper than any other property on my road.

feeling quite despondent about it all.

OP posts:
Ihateslugs · 23/09/2023 17:54

Could you try an auction?

EmmaEmerald · 23/09/2023 17:56

How decrepit is the other house?

I feel as if the problem might be something else, what feedback have you had?

SquishyGloopyBum · 23/09/2023 17:57

You can still get planning to change the use, it doesn't matter if you are using it at present. You get 3 years on an approval to implement a permission. It's one less thing fir a buyer to do.

Pumpkinpie1 · 23/09/2023 18:45

So your house is really a shop with living accommodation. That narrows buyers , coupled with a poorly maintained neighbouring house, it’s not attractive to buyers just wanting a home. What’s the rest of the street like? Is that commercial or semis

Doggymummar · 23/09/2023 18:48

Could you sell the business instead, ? Might be worth more than the house and will attract a different market. Your accountant should be able to value it for you .

Original poster
Tworoads · 24/09/2023 08:26

@EmmaEmerald next door hasn’t been maintained since the old man died so the wooden windows are rotten, driveway is overgrown and broken etc.
Unfortunately I haven’t had any views get to get feedback.
I went with the estate agents valuation.
@Ihateslugs bit scared to try an auction. What if it doesn’t come close to what I need to start my new life? Has anyone sold via auction?

OP posts:
Loopytiles · 24/09/2023 08:31

There seem two many big negatives: your options seem to be eto resolve them, sell for a low price or stay put.

Totaly · 24/09/2023 08:36

Auction has a set selling price if it isn’t reached, it goes unsold but any buyer could then approach you with an alternative offer.

But read the clauses - if it doesn’t sell etc what the fees are and same for if it does sell.

Be warned though, you have 4 weeks to complete so you wed somewhere else to go quickly.

Downtherivers · 24/09/2023 08:36

The fact you haven't even had one viewing is telling. I assume your listing doesn't show the mess that is attached so that is unlikely to be the main issue. As others have said it's more likely to be the price and the business. I suspect you are going to have to drop the price significantly

littlemousebigcheese · 24/09/2023 08:39

Do you have a link?

NoSquirrels · 24/09/2023 08:40

Have you not talked to the family of the attached house? If not, why not?

The shop ‘attached’ to the property is a big issue - what can you do about that?

At the moment you’re looking for a unicorn buyer and that’s why you’ve had no viewings - you need to be proactive to resolve the barriers.

Drivingone · 24/09/2023 08:42

Tworoads · 24/09/2023 08:26

@EmmaEmerald next door hasn’t been maintained since the old man died so the wooden windows are rotten, driveway is overgrown and broken etc.
Unfortunately I haven’t had any views get to get feedback.
I went with the estate agents valuation.
@Ihateslugs bit scared to try an auction. What if it doesn’t come close to what I need to start my new life? Has anyone sold via auction?

I sold via a sealed bids auction.

The house was available to view for a month, then all bids had to be in by a certain time/day in writing to the EA.
List it at an absolutely bargain guide price to gain LOTS of interest.

You don't have to accept any of the bids, it's not binding, and it'll give you a good idea of what it's actually worth. If you did accept one of the bids, the process continues just like a normal house sale.

I tried to sell a property at £300k, no interest, so I took it off the market and put it on with another EA as a sealed bids auction. I listed it at £250k and had so much interest, at least 30 viewings - sold it for £324k. That wasn't the highest bid but they were a cash buyer, no chain.

Worth a try!

junbean · 24/09/2023 08:43

Tworoads · 23/09/2023 17:46

I’m cheaper than any other property on my road.

feeling quite despondent about it all.

You can't compare your property to nearby properties, you have to compare to comparable properties in the area, so properties that are very similar. The shop could be an issue as pp stated, and the abandoned house brings down property value. There could be legal remediation. I would research pricing better and look into legal action on the next door owners.

ButterMyParsnip · 24/09/2023 08:45

I'd be put off if the house was attached to a rundown house. I'd worry about problems with the shared walls affecting the property.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 24/09/2023 08:47

i wouldn’t buy next to a rundown house, I’d be worried that damp or other damage would affect mine. or with a shop as it eats up a lot of space. I think you’ll likely need to reduce the price a lot to make it appealing

ButterMyParsnip · 24/09/2023 08:48

Just had a thought, you could report the property to a company who find and contact the owners and make an offer. youspotproperty.com/how-it-works/

PictureFrameWindow · 24/09/2023 08:51

With WFH it may not be the commercial aspect of the premises. But being attached to a decaying property would be a huge headache. I'd definitely contact the owners.