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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 . 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:

TK1930 · 08/04/2016 14:47

Someone said our road was too busy (it was on a main road)

Another said 'oh I wouldn't pay £X for a 2 bed'

Why do they bother viewing??
So irritating!
Good luck OP!

NewLife4Me · 08/04/2016 14:52

We have bought and sold lots of houses and the best advice I could give would be stop considering it as your home.
Once it's up for sale it's a unit to be marketed and sold.
This helped us enormously and any negative comments were about the unit, not our home.

Au79 · 08/04/2016 17:28

Todays feedback was, that garden is too overlooked. At least it is different from the others.

There is only one window, which is on the back of a house the next street, that I can see. To be fair, the ones behind us recently cut down their nice trees to my annoyance that screened us more and attracted songbirds.

Maybe they are nudist!?

Another one tomorrow - action stations!! To get our living here done - laundry, feeding time, tomorrow to tip,again , and go out for the duration!

southwest1 · 08/04/2016 18:22

Have any of the houses nearby added in a corridor in that third room so you can access the bathroom without going through the room? I did that as my bathroom was off the second bedroom, there had been a cupboard between bedrooms where the hot water tank would have been, so it was quite easy to add a corridor. It was the Estate Agent that suggested it, he'd seen it in other houses round here, and our neighbour let us see what they'd done as well.

I get you on the prices, I'm selling a two bed terrace for £325k in a less than desirable part of SE London, and it's only that 'cheap' because I'm not using an agent, with an agent it could probably have got another £15k.

Savagebeauty · 08/04/2016 18:52

The viewing I had today are coming back tomorrow!! Fingers crossed.

Original poster

af2000 · 08/04/2016 19:29

Southwest - I think that is definitely an option, there is the space there to do it but it would involve re-siting the staircase and knocking through a very thick bit of wall (I think it was previously exterior wall). I don't know know why our house has been laid out like this (our 2 neighbours are the same) when other houses in the area have the corridor/3rd bedroom option.

The estate agent today said that for the hassle and cost of doing it we would be better to just convert the loft. Obv we are not going to do it, but a future owner could.

So viewings today went well, one coming back tomorrow with her husband for a second look. In addition to about 10 viewings tomorrow. So feeling hopeful.

Savagebeauty and Au79 - good luck for your viewings tomorrow. Actually, while I am at it, quick question, do you ask for viewers to take their shoes off or is that a bit uptight and alienating?

OP posts:

StepAwayFromTheThesaurus · 08/04/2016 19:51

I didn't ask viewers to take their shoes off, but I did offer to take my shoes off in every house we viewed (the sellers all declined). Actually, one EA did ask us to take our shoes off (in the house that had the rattiest carpets of all the houses we viewed this time around).

Good luck with the viewings this weekend everyone. Block viewing are exhausting but hopefully some offers will come from it.

museumum · 08/04/2016 20:30

Shoes off is awkward as you then need to carry them through the house and put them back on so you can go out the back to see the garden, then off again to come back through to the front.

Jeremysfavouriteaunt · 08/04/2016 20:32

We have brand new carpets fitted last week in the house we are selling. I decided not to ask the estate agents to request this, I worry it will annoy people.
I have been asked to in a couple of houses and it irked me a bit as the carpets were a bit grotty.

Quodlibet · 08/04/2016 20:36

Converting the loft would be cheaper than moving (and you'd probably add significantly more value than you'd spend).

Otherwise, flag in particulars that loft conversion is possible.

Original poster

af2000 · 08/04/2016 21:11

I hear you Quod, but we are moving to get out of London and be nearer family. Otherwise would totally be doing the loft/side return.

I will tell the EA tomorrow to let viewers keep their shoes on.. don't want to piss people off, though we do have relatively new and lovely cream carpets bought them in a state of madness whilst pregnant

OP posts:

Jeremysfavouriteaunt · 08/04/2016 21:26

If cream and fairly new I would be desperately hoping that they would offer.

StepAwayFromTheThesaurus · 09/04/2016 10:10

They may well offer. I always do.

I had people who insisted on taking theirs off because of the carpets, even though I said it was ok to keep them on.

AgathaF · 09/04/2016 20:20

We sold recently and everyone took their shoes off before walking up on the stairs carpet (hard floors downstairs). One family clearly weren't going to until shamed by a family coming downstairs that were obviously putting their shoes back on. I was much relieved.

Au79 · 09/04/2016 23:00

I wish I had trained my kids/DH/selfto take off shoes when entering the house. Most kids seem to do it automatically, and I do now when I visit someone. I think it's a good habit but we weren't brought up that way, is all.

The viewers I have told not to worry about it, especially those with babies strapped to their fronts! Afraid they will fall over! But we have hard floors, and the carpeted bedrooms bar mine are all marked and stained by age or my horrible kids. But I appreciate them asking.

Mynxie · 10/04/2016 14:24

The people who ended up buying our house actually brought shoe protectors with them! I was very impressed with their thoughtfulness and it seemed like an excellent idea that I will copy myself in future if I ever go through the hell of buying and selling again

likeaboss · 10/04/2016 15:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ToDuk · 12/04/2016 20:03

Any sale news yet?

purpleporpoise · 12/04/2016 20:59

I had people not like the area (wouldn't you do a drive by first?); someone wanted a garden when I had none, so many no shows it was untrue. Every viewing I cleaned and tidied, made sure I was in, rearranged work etc. It was sooo stressful! I really don't envy you

JeffreySadsacIsUnwell · 13/04/2016 07:41

We bought a box of plastic shoe covers and left them on the stairs. I know plenty of other people who did this too. Every house bar one that we viewed had a no-shoes policy, the one that didn't had holes in the carpet and also a freezing cold floor in the sitting room - which confirmed to me that it had once been the garage and had crap insulation! That's one of the reasons I would always take my shoes off, literally to get a feel for the house.

Think about it another way - the people who eventually buy your house will want to buy clean carpets. Most purchasers value a house that has been cared for...

Original poster

af2000 · 14/04/2016 20:49

Hi everyone, sorry for my lack of update..I couldn't find this thread!

So we had 5 offers on our house after the open day and have accepted one. Totally delighted and slightly shocked by the whole thing. So now we are getting into the fun and games of selling/buying at the same time.. I'm sure there will be many more threads to come from me!

Thanks so much for all your input/advice/opinions, it really did help

OP posts:

leoniethelioness · 14/04/2016 20:55

Congratulations!

SquinkiesRule · 14/04/2016 21:20

Congratulations.

StepAwayFromTheThesaurus · 15/04/2016 16:35

That's great. Good luck with the conveyancing!

SquidgeyMidgey · 15/04/2016 17:37

When a friend of mine was selling her house one viewer commented it was a shame there wasn't a local Costa. It's a village of a handful of houses ffs...

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