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.

Cuddymum Sorry to hear about your sale, it really is a horrible feeling. Still I am sure we will look back on this one day and laugh (or at least not feel quite so bitter as we do now!) Have you had much interest since your original buyer pulled out?

Good luck to everyone else buying and selling - hope that you all have as smoother ride as possible

I've been on the market since October, had plenty of viewings and two offers - one too low, the other fell through as our 'in a hurry, cash buyers' turned out to have something to sell after all. It went dead through December and Jan, and I haven't been impressed with the agent at all, so we've decided to have a fresh start with another agent for spring.

This is the listing with the old agent - I think that the pictures with the new one will be better as they put a lot more time into them and seemed more professional. I would still appreciate any feedback about how to make it more saleable though!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-36039952.html?premiumA=true

I really hate the whole process - I'm very private and very slovenly so having to keep my house immaculate and ready for strangers to traipse through is just so horrid! It's not helping that I'm almost 9 months pregnant and have a messy 19 month old either, but fingers crossed that this new agent is as good as she seems and gets us sold ASAP!

SadPander - all is very dead here with regard to viewings. In fact, the market here is very slow, despite being a very desirable area with outstanding schools etc. I have another couple who said they are interested in our house but have a house to sell. Our EA has persuaded them to sell their house with them too. The house I'm interested in is also with the same company - so ideally we'd all be dealing with one agent. Of course, once they sell, they might decide on something else. My house really isn't that unsaleable (or so I thought). I've never had any negative feedback and the photos/brochure are all excellent. I can't drop the price any more. Someone will be getting a bargain! I think that the fact that we've been for sale for so many months may also put people off. I mean, I know the houses on Rightmove like the back of my hand (sad but true) and so must others. I need some rich London people who have lived in a shoebox to come along and grab a bargain and a new lifestyle.

Welcome Chelvis - I think your house looks well presented. Yes, it's small but ideal for a FTB. I'm guessing you're upsizing. Good luck with your new baby! I had an 18 month gap - it was fine. Although, I wish they were small again!

Lovely looking house but when will agents learn that photos have to be fantastic to draw people in. It shouldn't matter, but it does. Your house looks fine to me, tidy but not clinical and the actual brochure is fine - floor plans are a must too. Are similar houses on at the same price and are they selling, or is it quiet for all of them do you know? It may be price is the issue, I know nothing about the area so can't help but if you really want/have to sell then dropping it might be the only way to entice people in.

The guy who did my photos took nearly a hour and that we only have six rooms! Wide angled lenses helped, but also every estate anebt I talked to at the start advised getting in professonal cleaners which alarmed me somewhat, so instead I got the carpets and windows cleaned and did the rest myself. They all said about standing at the door and taking the photo towards the window. I did practise shots using my camera and decluttered accordingly within the resulting frame. Im very happy with the photos but if course not actually on the market yet aw awaiting home report to be completed. Hopefully it will be up this week at some point.

Might it help if we could critique eachothers´s schedules? Lets face it, we all need every advantage in this market!

RE Kids, Im planning to arrange viewings over saturdays and will disptach husband and kids in advance for the day. Who are you using, little crystal? Ive gone online too, so far v pleased with service Ive received although of course it is very early days

chelvis your photos really couldnt be improved - your house looks great.

Chelvis your house looks lovely; are other houses in the area priced similarly?
littlecrystal I've viewed a few houses where kids have been home and it doesn't bother me, I've also had to take my young children to a few viewings... My 3 year old DS walks into total strangers houses, takes his shoes off & makes himself at home
I wish I'd used an online estate agent... We will pay a small fortune in fees for a high street agent when it looks like the first person to view after seeing it on rightmove is going to buy it.
Our prospective buyer has offered the amount we agreed; I'm hoping it all runs smoothly, but I've heard so many horror stories that I don't dare get too excited!

OK - anyone else willing to give a link to their house details? :)

I do think some of the photos could be improved - there are a couple out of focus, and the garden would look better if the sun wasn't wiping out the left hand side, also (really small, picky thing,) could he photoshop out the car in the bedroom photo? I don't think the actual choice of photos is wrong - they show the important things, just the quality isn't as sharp as it could be.....

Otherwise I really can't see anything wrong with how it looks.....I'd go and see it!

Yeah, that was the only thing I would say is that the photos look a little out of focus - great decluttering though, you can really see what you would be buying.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. There were fewer cars outside when she took the new photos today Frosty, so hopefully no need for photoshopping these ones! I hadn't really realised how fuzzy some of the photos are until I was looking again today and they are terrible! The new agent took so much longer, but if I'm not happy, I think I'll try taking some myself.

I think we are quite reasonably priced - 2 bed terraces within a mile are £80-115k generally, but the lower end tend to be on the edge of a bit of a rough area, main road, very run down, yards instead of gardens etc. One has sold on a very busy road less than a fortnight ago for £115k, very similar except for location (ours is much quieter) and their garden looks more 'done'. We're in a great position for train/bus/motorway, but on a cul-de-sac, so it should be doing well ...

I have heard that the area is quiet for sales generally from a couple of estate agents, but then it's also meant to be one of the few areas that's going up in price (we're quite close to the new BBC studios in Salford). It has always been seen as one of the nicer streets in the area, although I don't know if non-locals know it's so nice - they probably just see other terraces a mile away for £15k less without realising that those houses are on busy roads, in a high crime area and with appallingly bad schools, whereas ours is a tree lined avenue, overlooking the church and close to a good school, with no anti-social behaviour/trouble to speak of. I'm hoping the new agent manages to get that accross to buyers better.

Hope everyone else had a positive day - good news with your buyer hotcupofteaplease!

The fixer upper I saw the other day has been come available again so I have booked to view again tomorrow with dh. Hope this link works. Try not to laugh.www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-406786.html?premiumA=true Thinking about 50-60 grand to do the work.

Not sure why the link is not working.

Post the reference or postcode maybe?

Well you can look at mine. Dt1 3sq make sure you tick the sold stc box. Then I will find the postcode of the other one I'm looking at.

The fixer upper DT1 2DY, its up for £325,000. Not much kerb appeal but the neighbours have done a great job with theirs. Fourth bedroom over garage and we would open up the kitchen and extend out the back.

Your current house is great - love the kitchen and dining space. I can see why you like the fixer upper. It's exactly the sort of house I'd choose. Like you said, extend over the garage and extend out the back. It's the garden that'd do it for me. It's showing as under offer - why is it available again?

Here's mine :)

cuddymum You have a WOW house.

You wouldn't believe it but the fixer upper is on a very desirable area in our town. I think its because the schools are all very good. I look at it and am not impressed but I do think there is profit in this house, not that we would be looking to move. I had a email from the EA saying it was reavailable, just said the buyer decided against it. There are a couple of other people interested aswell so we probably won't get it.

I don't really like those wide angle camera pictures TBH, I think it gives a false impression of size. If my house was detached and had a bigger garden we would probably stay where we are. A house around the corner is up for £400,000 and already under offer so there is definitely a demand here for houses.

Toomuchtea - I agree the rooms are a little inconsistent - probably because in reality we have no use for some of them (3 of them!). The "pug" room is set up as a gym at the moment (I did use it, prior to having the house on the market). In reality (not helped with the wide angled lens) the living room is a lot more cosy than it seems. I have had a little shift around with the furniture recently too. Part of me wants to completely redecorate the lounge (thinking accents of purple in the blinds, cushions and rug etc. but I think I've run out of steam and also I'm desperate for a new sofa but am worried that if I get a corner sofa type set up that it won't work in the new house (if I ever get one).

I think that mentally I've moved out and want to save my ideas for the next house. I'm going to ponder the idea of re-doing the lounge and chat with my husband. I really am relying on the other family selling their house and offering now.

Sailorsgal - I do quite like that house you're going to look at - you could really put your stamp on it. I know what you mean about having a larger garden and yes, the wide angle pics are misleading aren't they?

Cuddymum, the house is lovely although think id move that bed from under the eaves or take a different angled photo? I have a v tall husband and always notice roof pitch, although with six bedrooms, doubt that would have been a dealbreaker

It takes two of us to shift those beds - damned heavy :)

I think I'm going bonkers - I'm looking at dark pink sofas on DFS! I can't imagine having material with my two slovenly girls. I'd have to ban all eating and drinking in the lounge!

What a lovely house, Cuddymum, I can't imagine why you haven't sold yet - perhaps it being labelled as 6 bedrooms is a bit overwhelming?!

I said that to the agent Mrs Jamin and wanted to call it 4 or 5 beds but she strongly disagreed!