The decluttering, cleaning, vacating, pandering, nailbiting antics of the stressed out house sellers

[Spirael]

Starting a new thread, since our old one was almost full!

Anyone suffering the stresses of trying to sell a house is welcome to join us; anyone here to tell us our houses are crap and/or overpriced is not.

I know, I keep saying that it wasn't meant to be! I'm glad he backed out now than on the day of exchange.

Feeling a bit better this morning.

I know now that I won't settle for just okay when I see a house. It has to provoke the same feeling I had when I walked in the other one.

Hi Augusta. It's gutting when a competition house sells, especially when you compare it to your own. As for asking lots of questions - I don't know if it's a good sign or not as I've had overly keen viewers who just fizzle away.

Augusta, is there anything you can do to make the place appear more roomy, like move or get rid of excess furniture? We saw a house the other day that felt really small upstairs but DH just says that there was a lot of furniture in it, like a double bed and wardrobe in a box room. I am going to see it again to see if I like it any better but my first impressions weren't good. We moved quite a bit of furniture around and it does feel more spacious for it.

Just turned up for a viewing and nobody home! It has tenants so I guess they will be a bit awkward. I wouldn't like people looking around a house I was renting.

That doesn't sound good! What has the agent said?

The agent didn't really say anything. I got the feeling that there is more to it than they are letting on. She is trying to book the viewings in a block so that they aren't too inconvenienced.

It is a Semi which I didn't really want and it will still need an extension. In a lovely setting though. Next door is up for sale for over £200,000 more but has an acre and a pool. I wish

At least you know now Toomuchtea. I've just filled another 3 bin bags from the sideboard in the dining room - for therapeutic purposes!

No. Rang the doorbell twice!! Maybe they were hiding.

Its in Stinsford, Dorset if you want to look. Both next doors have added extensions so maybe not a problem getting planning.

That is annoying sailorsgal, but there may be potential there to add a lot of value.
So after the famine, I now have 3 viewings booked. One at 6.30 tonight, worst possible time but beggars can't be choosers. MIL arriving any moment to stay overnight (but I'm going to say she can't unpack until viewers have gone), one of the dogs is scared of the dark (but will just have to go out in it although she'll yap) and one of the bulbs in the kitchen has gone and it's an hour's trip to a specialist shop to replace it so it will just have to look odd for this viewing. As I cannot go and buy one due to having to collect dd from orchestra at 4pm and try to get rid of the doggy smell.
I'm sure it would be easier to just stay put, living like the Dingles of Emmerdale!

Good luck with your viewing springlamb. At least the evenings hide a multitude of sins :)

FFS 2 bulbs in the kitchen have gone.
How d'you think a candlelit kitchen would come across? I could say we have Valentines week in this house instead of day.

That's the law of sod kicking in! Have the bulbs blown? Occasionally when our spotlights go out sometime I tap them and they come back on.

Good idea springlamb!

springlamb good luck with the viewings.

springlamb- we had one in the evening not long ago and was so difficult with DCs and tidying and dinner etc. Viewers came back to look again in the daylight so not sure why they didnt do this in first place??
Mrs Jamin- we can't de clutter any more than we have, we are quite minimalist and surfaces are clean etc.
Our potential buyers are coming back again (3rd time) but I'm not convinced they will go any further. They have asked loads about utilities and fixtures etc but no offer yet..
The 'competition' house really really annoyed me as it needs a lot of updating and was loads more but was essentially 3 bed detatched like ours. Gutting really but have to keep optimistic. It only takes one good buyer...

oh sorry0 good luck spring lamb- call it 'atmospheric lighting'!

Augusta - how's this for a competition house? there is a house just 6 houses and one corner away from me. It happens to be in a certain 'set' of roads with similar names, so the area has a nickname and commands a premium. Think 'The Orkneys' but a bit grander. That house has exactly the same layout as mine but the rooms are smaller and as dd's friend lives there I've been inside so I know that. It's on at £110,000 more than mine. FGS, 6 houses and one corner!
The viewing went OK, another early 30s couple with just one baby. I wonder why they need 4/5 bedrooms. They said they entertained a lot, so I brought out my best chestnut about having Xmas dinner for 26 in the thru lounge.
One of Friday's viewinsg is an old lady called Miss X who is buying on her own. She had a viewing booked before but fell asleep and missed it. The estate agent is collecting her this time. Again, why does one old lady want 4/5 bedrooms? Not holding my breath, and I don't know if I shall bother putting the good towels out!

I sold our last large 6 bed house to a spinster in her sixties so you never know!

Blimey you lot have huge houses! We just want a 3 bed semi!

Cuddy really? Blimey, when I am old I want the smallest possible house with the largest possible sofa for me and lots of lovely cuddly dogs to snuggle on. I am hoping it will be small enough for me to reach the fridge from the sofa.
Right, I'm now going to wander round the house with a small glass of wine in hand, carelessly making mess wherever I want, just for hell of it!

Really! When I'm old I'd love a cottage with a pretty cottage garden and a pack of pugs. :)

I have had quite a few viewings from couples in their seventies. I have 3 flights of stairs.

There is a row of houses around the corner that go for a premium too. One similiar to ours is up for £35,000 more. They are dark inside and have smaller kitchens.

We've had a few sets of pensioners who have all said that the house is too big. Why bother coming?