Best cheap way to make house more desirable to potential buyers?

[carriewintermeadow]

Our house is on the market, we need to sell for financial reasons.

unfortunately it's a bit tired, some cracks, grubby marks, dirty old carpet. However, the colours are neutral. We have no money at all, so can't decorate or put down new carpets.

What I can do is clean carpets, use polyfilla on cracks, touch up paint etc. What would you think?

We've had 4 viewings, the feedback was from one couple that it was too expensive (we were happy to accept lower offers, but council tax was too high for them), another two couples have said they would need to make changes but didn't state what or try to negotiate, the last viewers have no reason.

I will try and post a link to Rightmove.

In the meantime, would you be happy to take into account the fact it needs a coat of paint and new carpets if we said we were happy to look at offers below asking price? We have already reduced by £10k already.

We're in Yorkshire by the way.

[marmaladegranny]

Jaw drops at so much house for such a low price!!!! (recently bought in Surrey).
Seriously though it does look good - pp have made good suggestions about moving things around a bit.
Definitely flowers - don't have to spend a fortune but they do help a lot. And replace them regularly - market or supermarket are fine.
Give the house a real good airing before viewings - all doors and windows open to get rid of any lingering 'lived in' odours and spray around with a top end room freshener when you close them.
Have you pets? Cats seem to be acceptable (though mine was banished). Dogs need to be out of sight - in the car, maybe. Car parked down the road if they will bark at visitors. Dog beds can join the dog - there is nothing so off-putting than smelly dog bed!

[katienana]

It looks like a lovely house, I would just make a huge effort for the viewings, fresh flowers, really really sparkling clean and very tidy. I think the right buyers just haven't turned up yet. Have other similar properties taken long to sell? Sometimes you just have to be patient if the market is a bit slow.

[RiverTam]

don't use any kind of aroma thing, please, that would make me back out the door smartish, they give me thundering headaches.

I think it looks fine, you're just being impatient! Shower curtain would be the main thing for me.

[BaffledSomeMore]

Never underestimate the inability of some buyers to see through tired. They see tired carpets and assume they will have to spend thousands.
Could you get some quotes for recarpeting so that you can deal with queries?
We knew we had to fix damp problems when we bought but could see that it would be expensive but not new roof expensive iyswim.

[ChishandFips33]

This may be a bit drastic but could you take off the dining room double doors and keep them in the garage - then the chair wouldn't look as much an obstruction as there would be no doors to physically close (so aesthetically neater)

Is that only 4 viewings since spring? That is quite low - have you discussed with EA how they are promoting it?
Quotes are a good idea - they don't cost you anything but you are 'armed' to show it won't cost a fortune to replace carpets etc

[Ditzy71]

Lovely house. Really lovely.
Could you turn the chair more to face the room. That might help.
Could you remove the big old carpet in the lounge ? Then there will be a feeling of light and flow in the room but maybe get a cheap flokati wool rug to put in front of the fire to add luxurious look.
Cream church candles on top of fireplace
cream wooly type cushions
cream bowl on coffee table with a few books

white shower curtain
white toilet seat
bit white bath mat to put down only for viewings
nice fluffy towels just for viewings

But it really is lovely. You just have to sell a lifestyle to your prospective buyers.

[carriewintermeadow]

Thanks for all your replies

Yes, we've only had 4 viewings since spring, but we were marketing it low key, as we hoped we wouldn't have to move. Unfortunately due to our situation we now have to sell, so have instructed the estate agent to be more proactive. We had a viewing for the coming Saturday, but they have now cancelled

The market is slow around here, at least for houses of this size - it's not easy to get a mortgage, as the building societies are so strict. Houses with 3 beds up to £140K are still selling, above that it's only the good stuff that's going. And ours is nothing special. It's possible we'll have to reduce the price again.

Anyway, I've been out this afternoon and bought a plain white shower curtain, white hand towels and a white toilet seat, plus beige cushions for the sofa. I've cleaned the marks on the carpet and cleaned the skirting board in the bathroom as suggested. The bath mats were expensive and we really have no money and can't borrow any, so no new carpets, no decorating ..

I worked for an estate agent until very recently and really think it's a lot of house for the money, with 4 double bedrooms. But it's not perfect - little parking, no hallway through to the kitchen, awkward living room .. We just need the right person to come along.

Tomorrow I'll start on tidying the garden, as there are a lot of dead leaves around now.

[Ditzy71]

sorry I know I just mentioned it but could you not take the carpet in the sitting room up? This would create the illusion of even more space and light.

[FamiliesShareGerms]

Is there a "going rate" for this sort of house round your way? If so, if you really need to sell and can afford to do so, put it on a £5k under that but be really clear with the EA what offer you can accept and that they need to push the fact that the buyers are getting a bargain

[carriewintermeadow]

Yes I can take up the rug

There are no identical houses on the market at the moment. There is a 4 bed house in the village on the market for £30k less than ours but it has no garage and the 4th bedroom is tiny. The 4 beds with garage are all more expensive than ours.

At the price it's on for I would expect people to at least come and look and offer lower, but that's not happening, which makes me think the house is putting them off. As stated above, two of the viewers said they would want to do work to it - but the house is only 9 years old!

[whataboutbob]

Is this a stealth boast? It s lovely.

[Mostlyjustaluker]

Yy to taking up rug even if just for photos.

[LaurieFairyCake]

There's nothing wrong with your house or the price, you've just missed the boat for this year.

It's very cheap and as you say there's nothing else on that's comparable

Can you renegotiate your mortgage or go interest only and stay? Can you afford to stay til next Spring and then put it back on?

Do you have to sell? I just can't imagine not being able to afford somewhere so cheap - if you've lost your job benefits will cover the interest after 6 months I think

What about renting out a room or 2?

[carriewintermeadow]

No, sadly not a stealth boast No one wants our house

Unfortunately we do have to sell. Building society won't change to interest only and benefits payment doesn't even cover the whole interest, let alone the repayment part.

[LaurieFairyCake]

Will they change to interest only rather than force a sale? I know someone who did that and got their MP involved.

Could you rent it out? We're thinking about doing that with ours next year.

Would it be possible for you to rent somewhere cheaper than your mortgage?

[TranquilityofSolitude]

Do you think the problem might be the agent? We moved from Selby earlier this year and used Preston Baker. I wouldn't have chosen Stephensons to be honest.

[Bragadocia]

So it looks like no. 22 sold for 183k last December, marketed at offers over 190k, and it seems to be a similar layout to yours. It looks about the same state of repair, though pictures can be deceiving!

Zoopla says house prices in your postcode are 5.51% up on a year ago, so that would make about 190k seem likely. A year ago, however, the mortgage lending criteria wasn't so strict, so there may be fewer buyers at your level.

I think it might be priced too high. Did the EA suggest this value, or is it what you wanted to achieve?

[carriewintermeadow]

Tranquillity, I'm using Stephensons as they gave me a very good rate, much much cheaper than the other agents. The price we originally marketed at was what was quoted by several agents. We have since reduced by £10k. Yes I know the house over the road sold for £183k, it was on the market for years. Next door to us - also 4 bed - sold for a lot more over a year ago (£210k or similar).

I guess we will have to reduce again, but are able to wait a few weeks and hope for more viewings.

[TranquilityofSolitude]

I know they're cheaper, but I think it might be for a reason! We had a lot of viewings. Our first sale fell through and Preston Baker managed to sell it again within a week. I'm not saying they're perfect but they were proactive.

I do think it's hard to sell a house of that type there. We had the same problem. There are loads of new houses for people who want them, which makes the 'nearly new' less desirable. Also, there's little employment locally to support the middle market houses. I hope your luck turns soon :)

[rockpinkpumpkin]

I'm assuming your financial situation has taken a bad turn? ( hope you don't mind me asking)
Happened to me...basically dh walked out & refused to pay mortage.
What I wish I'd known was that I could have sold the house to the local housing authority and stayed there.
(Don't know if that helps at all.)
I like your house a lot. I agree with the changing of the pink bedspread to blue, and removing the empty pots, but I'd be overjoyed to live there!!!!

[joanofarchitrave]

I think your house looks lovely. I'm not sure where it sits with the rest of the housing stock locally to you - it would be amazing to have a detached house round here, but having said that the houses are fairly snugly arranged. TBH it sounds like the buyers were giving you fairly vague reasons and I'm sure the cleanup will help.

I do wonder if the 'would have to do work' comments meant they were looking for more than one bathroom? I certainly wouldn't expect anything of the sort at that price but don't know what other houses locally have.

[carriewintermeadow]

rockpinkpumpkin, I've never heard of the local housing authority buying houses? I'll look into it

We are selling as dh had been out of work for a long time and I don't earn enough to cover the bills. We are in arrears and we need to sell before the building society decide to repossess