Is it worth tarting up my house before putting it on the market?

[MissTea4Me]

I've just had an estate agent around to value my house, which I've been renting out since I got married. I was hoping to show it with the tenants still in (so I don't lose rental income) and not do any work on it before selling. However the agent says that I really should get the tenants out and fix the place up (it's not a total midden, but a bit shabby after a few years of being rented), as it will make a huge difference in the selling price. My question is, with all these property shows on TV, is anyone still fooled into parting with lots of extra £££ for a lick of paint and some new carpets? I sort of think anyone buying will want to redo it all to their own spec anyway.

I'm torn between grumbling, "OK for you to say mate, you don't have to pay for the improvements and will get a slice of a bigger pie when it sells," and "Well, you are a property selling professional and maybe if I do what you say I will reap untold buckets of lucre."

Having looked round numerous houses with a friend recently, I'd say yes. It makes the difference between "Oh it needs a lot of work..." and "Ooooh, I could just move right in!"

I would say that this depends on how quickly property is moving in your area. If you can sell in a few months it will probably be worth it as the tennants are not going to be bothered about it being clean for prospective buyers or be nice about last minute viewings. Also as a buyer knowing that there wouldn't be a problem evicting existing tennants or a long chain would make the property more attractive - as well as a new coat of paint & a pot plant or two.

However if it going to take a year you will lose more on rental income than anything you may gain on the selling price.

Makes a huge difference to saleability , less so price I think, although you should find viewers offering nearer the asking price as they will perceive less to do and cash to spend .

The agent claims it should shift pretty quickly, as it's a size of house that's very in demand in my area. I guess even a couple months lost rent would be less than the wild price difference he's claiming; I just don't know if he's being overly optimistic.

my sister is an estate agent and you would be surprised by what a difference a lick of paint would make to the property's value. So many people cannot visualise at all what a property would look like if they decorated themselves and also are put off by the fact that they might have to do something!

Pretty unanimous then. Better get down to B&Q.

midden - what a great word

Yes, frequently used to describe the house I live in

Yes I would tart it up, you will get more people interested if it looks in good nick, and the more people interested the higher the price goes. Its not that it is worth more by giving it a lick of paint it is just more saleble IYKWIM.

People are put off by shoddy bathrooms and kitchens, they think they will have to spend laods to refit them, they don't look and think ach a couple of new doors and some funky handles is all it needs they just think new new new = £ £ £ in their eyes.

People are fairly stupid when they veiw houses, they comment on the colour of the duvets etc and the contents of the shelfs duh it all goes, some won't even bother veiwing if the front garden is messy, its all about first impressions and the lifestyle they imagine the occupants have. Ok some will see through it all and imagine empty rooms but not many.

Hmm, good point about aspirational living, Skribble. I thought people would be able to visualise living in the house better if it were occupied but I don't think many folk would aspire to my tenants' lifestyle!

I think so - today's papers are saying it's starting to be a buyer's market so if yours looks nicer than everything else on the market I think it would give you a head start.

I wouldn't spend a vast amount of money, and I would keep it very, very neutral. Magnolia walls, plain oatmeal carpets, minimal furniture and no knick-knacks. If you walk into a house and there's a mountain bike, five pairs of wellies and 20 coats piled up in the hall it is impossible to think anything other than "this house is small, cramped and has no storage space".

Eccentric decorating choices such as orange or purple walls are really distracting. My husband and I viewed a house once where someone had gone to the trouble of painting (very badly) a tartan pattern on the master bedroom wall. We were sniggering at their ghastly taste so much that I think we couldn't have told you a single other thing about the house an hour after we viewed it.

Do all the little repairs because from my experience, I tend to think that if someone hasn't bothered to fix a dripping shower head, they certainly haven't had the boiler serviced regularly or the loft insulation repaired.