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Original poster

Selling my house... finding the feedback difficult to cope with!!

100 replies

af2000 · 07/04/2016 09:59

We are selling our 2 bed terraced house in London. It is a fairly standard 2 bed cottage - 2 reception rooms, 2 double bedrooms though we have a large kitchen which many don't. We also have a lovely 115ft garden, unusual for London. We have completely renovated the house and of course we think it is lovely.

Had our first viewing yesterday. The feedback was that they liked the area/ garden etc but found the house to be small Hmm. It is a 2 bed cottage and we have advertised it as such (and the photos dont make it look anormous or anything). I think the price is in line with the area.

Just found it really hard not to get all defensive with the estate agent.. I think I am going to find the process of selling our lovely house stressful!

We have a load of viewings booked in for tomorrow and Saturday. Does anyone have any tips on how to sell your house without taking all the feedback too personally?!

OP posts:
Original poster
af2000 · 07/04/2016 11:19

Here is the floor plan

Selling my house... finding the feedback difficult to cope with!!
OP posts:
EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 07/04/2016 11:27

Yes to remembering you're not selling your home, you're marketing a property to be someone else's home.

Secondly think of when you got out for a meal with a group of friends, you don't all choose the same food do you. Your friends' meals might sound and then look very nice, but just not be what you want to eat. That makes it less personal.

SquareDolphin · 07/04/2016 11:28

I was just going to ask if your listing include floor plan and square meterage. Shocks me when people don't bother with those!

Your layout looks really good by the way...will like make it look as big as it can IYSWIM.

AgathaF · 07/04/2016 11:28

I'm sure you'll be back after all the viewings at the weekend to update this thread on the offers you've had. Don't worry about one negative feedback that you can do nothing about.

StuRedman · 07/04/2016 11:33

I bet the EA is marketing it to people wanting a cheaper 3 bed.

Those sorts of houses are common round here and I often see them marketed as three beds with that through the bedroom to the bathroom layout.

Au79 · 07/04/2016 12:22

I find it annoying too, our house price is in line with others if not below in the area, it's obvious what the room number and sizes are, it's a 4 bed detached - but they all say they would need to extend before moving in. Couples with one v small child.

The area is full of bigger and extended houses- buy one of those then! Yes they cost a lot more- that's why our price is not as high as the others.

Au79 · 07/04/2016 12:24

I got an alert the other day for a slightly underpriced 4 bed in a street I know is very expensive- I looked and it's for a 2 bed with pp to make knock down and make a 4 bed.

False advertising, no?!?

Jeremysfavouriteaunt · 07/04/2016 12:29

Yes, a few coming up as four bed in my search which are three bed with two reception rooms downstairs Hmm

JT05 · 07/04/2016 12:39

I feel your pain. We have now sold, but one viewer said the bedrooms faced the wrong way! Yes, outwards!

We called them 'toilet flushers' the house equivalent of car tyre kickers!

It is difficult when people criticise your home. I hope I'm more sensitive when viewing.

Original poster
af2000 · 07/04/2016 12:42

That does sound like some very dodgy advertising. I am surprised as the EAs seem to be under some very strict rules now about the language they use and misrepresentation etc. We certainly found that our EAs were meticulous in making sure the floor plan measurements and descriltions were accurate. I feel that the particulars and photos are completely accurate (i.e describing it as 2 beds rather than 3 as the 3rd room is not really a permanent bedroom right now). Either people have unrealistic expectations or the EAs are targeting the wrong people.

We now have 19 viewings booked for the weekend so fingers crossed one of those people will want to offer!

OP posts:
KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 07/04/2016 12:55

When we were looking to buy the estate agents kept nagging us for feedback.

Sometimes they were quite aggressive and seemed to take it quite personally if we didn't like it.

I started running out of polite/sensible answers and ended up saying mad shit just to give them an answer.

TroubleinDaFamily · 07/04/2016 13:01

When we were selling, I came out of my kitchen to find an elderly gentleman on a stick,with his able bodied wife coming down the stairs backwards.

They really wanted a bungalow but the EA had bullied them into viewing it anyway. Angry

Original poster
af2000 · 07/04/2016 13:17

Shock trouble that is awful.

Kingjoffrey I totally understand that, they are like hyenas going in for the kill. I feel quite guilty about the whole thing, about the ridiculous price and the manipulative way they want to market our house (open days, overlapping viewings etc). I am counting my lucky stars that it is not like that where we are moving to my gin habit wouldn't take it

OP posts:
FishWithABicycle · 07/04/2016 17:07

coming up as four bed in my search which are three bed with two reception rooms downstairs Hmm

This infuriates me too. I've even seen a 2-bed described as 3-bed because they had squeezed a sofa into the kitchen-diner and then put a bed into the front room (with window straight out to the pavement, not even a front garden to shield the view)

goldenlilliesdaffodillies · 07/04/2016 18:28

AF2000- we had 75 viewings. Our house is a very old period house visible from the road. We had so many timewasters just being nosey with no intentions at all of buying. One lady came to look as her midwife used to live here!

Also people were very, very picky and complained about silly things which were obvious from the details. We had a number of people who said the doorways were too low, they didn't like beams, it was too dark or there was "too much character" or the cottage garden was too small. It's a Tudor cottage! All these things were clearly on the brochure- so why did they bother looking? The amount of people who were extremely tall (well over 6 foot) and then complained that the doorways were too low was ridiculous.

We even had one couple who flew in from Hong Kong, viewed our house twice, were going to make an offer. The Estate Agent never heard from them again! There was a lady who viewed our house 3 times and was also going to make an offer. After the 3rd viewing she decided she didn't like old houses!! It was utterly soul destroying.
The whole process is truly awful. However someone will fall in love with your house and want it. You loved it enough to buy it. It is a case of finding the right people who match your house. To give you some hope- we had 2 families wanting our house who would be great for our house. One of them is moving in very soon.

DustOffYourHighestHopes · 07/04/2016 18:36

It's a stressful process so don't overthink it.

People often view when there's a reason they might not buy it, just in case they fall in love with it. They might not be lying when they say it's too small etc. Just shrug and move on!

united4ever · 07/04/2016 20:29

I would tune out when you hear any negative feedback. As long as the house is tidy and you are not going to redecorate or make any changes anyway then all you need to listen to is whether it was a yay or ne. If its a no forget about it and wait for the next one. If its been on the market for several months then you may need to listen and probably consider dropping the price.

antimatter · 07/04/2016 20:32

people have no idea whet 2 bd cottages are like
it may be possible that photos are misleading but just wait and see, if the price is right you are going to sell it

museumum · 07/04/2016 20:41

I honestly don't know why you'd be in the least bit bothered about somebody saying it's too small for them.
If you have £x00k to spend you look at houses that cost that. Unless you're rich you will need to consider houses too far away, too small or needing work.... And decide where you're willing to compromise and where you're not.
One of those people will decide yours is so nice that they want it despite it not being three story or having an extra bedroom or whatever.

I could understand you being hurt if they said the house was horribly done up but not if they say something impersonal like it's too small for them.

antimatter · 07/04/2016 20:45

house too small is the usual response to fobb the agent off Smile

Moving15 · 07/04/2016 20:47

You are in London and your place is lovely and renovated. The only feedback you need to react to is no offers. Good luck with your move x

Original poster
af2000 · 07/04/2016 21:09

Ah thank you everyone for your very sound advice and for giving me the kick up the bum I needed Grin

I have put on my rhino skin ready for the first proper day of viewings to begin tomorrow. I will update this thread on how it goes for those who are interested if I am not a quivering wreck by the end

OP posts:
annandale · 07/04/2016 21:18

We had that feedback in the Jurassic era when we put our house on the market. Fair point, it is bloody small, that's why we were trying to sell it.

Feedback is not compulsory, tell your EA to keep schtum.

WonderingAspie · 07/04/2016 21:22

I agree with pp, sometimes you just say something as EAs do push for feedback. Good luck.

Justputyourshoesonnow · 07/04/2016 21:25

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