A bathroom and a kitchen can sell a property. Discuss

[concertplayer]

Obviously the rest of the place needs to be in decent condition.
An EA once told me this.

I'd disagree. I never look at the kitchen or bathroom - it's location and garden for me. Anyone can put in a kitchen or bathroom (with funds of course).

They would definitely tip the balance between two similar properties, priced at very at similar amounts. Not sure they'd add any actual value, though.
Don't most people factor an amount to upgrade both kitchen and bathroom into their offer price? I certainly do.

Yes. Not nessecarily the decor, but the size and location of kitchen and bathrooms. Bathrooms def need to be big and large window, kitchen big enough for table and not at front of the house, need sto open out onto garden or balcony

They would tip the balance around here in an area full of two bedroom terraces. I suspect it would be the same in any area with a lot of similar properties.

They're both "big" jobs compared to decorating other rooms.

Weirdly I think they sell a property but many buyers if they are that fussed will want to put one in to their own taste. I look at my lovely 3 year old handpainted kitchen and I know that if we sold house someone would be ripping it out in 6 months to put in high gloss.

Absolutely. I think in this day and age, with prices so high compared to earnings, people looking to get on the property ladder are not hanging on to the best part of £20k (and more) to redo a kitchen and bathroom.

I also think there are lots of people (me included) who weigh up the cost and disruption of being without a kitchen / bathroom for any period of time with 3 small children and think, you know what, I'll pay an extra £10k (or whatever it might be) for the similar house down the road where its done and I can live with it.

Maybe.

We turned down several properties because they had no space in the kitchen for a fridge.

We saw quite a few with fridges in consevatorys or garages.

We are house hunting at the moment and yes the kitchen and bathroom need to be of a good standard. They are expensive to replace and we will be skint from paying for a move! We lived with an awful kitchen for four years when we moved into this house, and I've vowed never again!!

I think so - odd kitchen layout in our new place was one of the reasons they'd had no other offers. Also people know they will want to decorate, etc but may not be able to afford new a kitchen and bathroom straightaway. Also the upheaval of doing either or both is off putting.

It can. In our case they were both awful so we offered low and got a bargain and we've been working to replace them.

If there was a really bad kitchen or bathroom that I couldn't live with for e.g. 5 years it would defo put me off the property if the price of re doing those wasn't factored into the ask price.

I would say 'no' to a house with a bad layout e.g. no space for fridge, no space for dish washer. In fact I discounted several houses oooop north where the only space in for the fridge was in the celler.

The (lovely) kitchen and bathroom in our old house really helped to sell it. All the people who offered were looking for something that was nice so they didn't have to rip out and replace (because buying houses doesn't generally leave you with savings to replace such things).

We hate the kitchen in our new house so we'll be replacing it within the next year. Tbh, I'd much rather have found a house with a kitchen I didn't hate but finding something was a nightmare and we had to prioritise space and layout.

Dd2 bought her house because the bathroom and kitchen were lovely.
She said the rest really didn't matter.

I'm obviously in the minority ! This probably explains why EA thought I'd be interested in housed with north facing gardens 5m by 5m but with a naice marble worktop in the kitchen. Tonight I'd be lying on that marble, but instead I'm lying on the grass watching bats catching flies.

For me they do definitely make the difference, my dad has a decorating company so I can look past acres of bad wallpaper as I know it's easy to fix and costs next to nothing, bathroom & kithen fitting are much bigger, more expensive, messier jobs.

Amount of rooms and sizes plus location and parking were our top priorities.
We wanted a huge kitchen diner family room and at least two proper bathrooms. Was quite happy with the kitchen as it was but one bathroom was ripped out and redone as soon as we moved in.

It can , yes. However, if you invest £20k (for example) on a new bathroom and kitchen before you sell, don't expect it to add £20k to the value of your property.

To an extent it, there are probably more people who just want to move into a house and not immediately put in a new kitchen and bathroom than who do. So it can provide a wider pool of potential buyers.

In my property searches it seems to be the very 'done' houses and total wrecks that sell faster.

No.
I can't bear the thoughts of someone else's old bathrooms or kitchen. Prefer if they rip them out leaving pipes. Hate carpets too.

I like to put my stamp on things, and have things ergonomically designed for me. Loath the idea of avocado suites and badly pressured / dripping showers/ old grouting/ inefficient heating systems, and old appliances, and too high counters / cupboards made from that disgusting brown country pine.... And funny smells.

Much prefer a wreck / shell I can extend. Preferably with a garden facing the sun.
Hate low maintenance bushes / grass also.

I think for starter homes a good bathroom/ kitchen you just move into is a plus as money is tight.

location and price are the only two things that matter in my eye. everything else is based on time and money.
when I toured houses I found newly redone rooms (including fresh paint) worrisome wondering what the owners were hiding.

I'd say location (I like the sun in the mornings), parking, room size and ceiling height.

And I agree with everyone else who says when it's just about tolerable you just let the project slip past for another year or three.