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Property/DIY

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Original poster

What would you do?

24 replies

CMOTDibbler · 28/04/2020 10:46

Both my parents have died in the last month, and now I have to deal with selling their house. Its a lovely house, built in 1910, but - the interior is very dated (but livable in after some industrial cleaning). Someone would want to put in new central heating, new bathroom etc. Theres also a lot of potential to extend.

The big issue is the garden. Its mahoosive, and very overgrown (not weeds, just massively overplanted and uncontrolled) with various sheds and a garage that no one has been in in 15 years.
Do I get someone to raze the garden and demolish the sheds etc, or is it better to just hack a path to the end and let buyers decide for themselves?

Any other advice on selling a probate house in a desirable area very gratefully received. Its a couple of hours away from me, so I can't be there a lot

OP posts:

AGreatUsername · 28/04/2020 11:08

I’m very sorry for your loss. I’d let buyers decide themselves, if it’s a renovation anyway then the garden may as well be too! Hack a path so they can see the size.

Big fan of your username.

Loofah01 · 28/04/2020 14:27

If you're not too attached to the property I'd also send out some messages to developers to see if they want to make an offer. Big plots in desirable areas are gold dust.

bettybattenburg · 28/04/2020 14:38

Sorry to hear about your loss

I would get somebody in to work on the garden and thin out the plants so it looks attractive to viewers (especially as viewings will be online) and to leave one of the sheds/the garage depending on which is the most useful or in the best place.

As the house is empty then getting somebody in to do the work should be easier than occupied houses at the moment, perhaps you could also get somebody to go in and redecorate with magnolia all through so it's looking fresher and ready for the market when all this is over?

notangelinajolie · 28/04/2020 14:56

Sorry for your loss
Because you live far away, I think I would be inclined to put it up for sale as it is.
I cleaned, painted and carpeted my mum's house and it is a lot of hard work. We were rewarded for it and it cost very little apart from our time and we sold it for much more than we would have got if we'd left it but it was seriously hard graft and lots of long weekends and late nights
I think unless you have the manpower and can spend time there it would be easier to sell on for somebody else to do.

Hiddentree122 · 28/04/2020 15:45

Put it up as is and maybe consider putting to auction. As someone else said, a developer may want to bulldoze and start from scratch so would be a waste of your effort to bring up to any standard.

Loofah01 · 28/04/2020 15:55

In case it helps - www.google.com/search?q=developer+wanting+land&rlz=1C1CHBD_en-GBGB756GB756&oq=developer+wanting+land&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l2.7468j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Lots of links to read around the topic but Millbank give 25k for off-market intros so I guess you'd get that on top of any deal? Worth sounding out in the first instance to compare with any estate agent parasites. Developer potentially an easier selling route if market downturn happens.

By the way, selling a probate house is basically the same as selling any other - you just need probate completed first which is likely to take a while even in perfect circumstances.

Pipandmum · 28/04/2020 16:01

Seems likely the house will appeal to a developer or someone keen to buy a house cheaply they can improve themselves to live in or sell on. I flip houses and have viewed a number of probate sales. Do not bother doing any work to the house - unless you are willing to do serious (and costly) work such as rewiring and replumbing. A quick paint job will not fool anyone. I would prefer a raw house as otherwise I'd be ripping everything out anyway. But please please please remove all belongings and at the very least get it cleaned. I have been to houses where the deceased's glasses are on the bedside table as if they'd just popped to the loo. I never understand how families can not be bothered to remove personal possessions.
The garden however could be cut back so people can see it's true size and potential. You don't have to do any landscaping, just hack it down so the boundaries are visible. It might be worth a visit to planning to see of it's likely you'd get permission to build another house in the garden. Selling with planning in place (just outline planning) will increase the value depending where the property is.

Original poster

CMOTDibbler · 28/04/2020 20:06

Thanks all. It wouldn't sell to developers as its a massively long garden with permissive access to the rear (and the owner of the road up the back lives at the access point so is very on it), but several houses have converted their garages to be work from home/ small business offices with space above.

It will be cleared and cleaned, but its a bit all or nothing I think. You couldn't go through and paint it magnolia. Not least because it has the original horsehair and lime plaster, so only one room has ever been able to be painted as you'd need to line it all.

OP posts:

IncrediblySadToo · 28/04/2020 20:15

@cmot

I'm so sorry to hear about your parents 🌷

Don't clear the 'garden'. Some
people (like me) would far rather buy a house & garden 'as it is' and make it our own, choose which plants to keep or move etc

I love old houses that need a little love & care & the garden sounds fabulous!!! I wish I was in a position to buy a new house I'd love to come & have a look. Not so many fabulous long gardens around these days!

littlejalapeno · 28/04/2020 20:17

I’m so sorry for your loss

I think it would sound like a gem to the right buyer. Best to let people do their own renovation and not annoy the neighbours by doing it twice in a short amount of time. Good luck

Original poster

CMOTDibbler · 28/04/2020 21:28

It is a lovely house, and the garden used to be amazing. Lots of scope for the right person really, though it could be flipped pretty easily. I just don't have time to do so - or the inclination really.

If I can find the number for the gardener/handyman who helped dad out for the last few years I'll get him to get a path clear and keep it like that

OP posts:

bettybattenburg · 28/04/2020 21:38

It does sound like a lovely house. Amazed about still having the original plaster!

Hannah021 · 28/04/2020 21:43

Dont under sell it, the comments suggesting to sell it cheap have no idea what they're talking about.

I would clean up the house, and the garden, make it look presentable, and sell it for what it is worth.

justdontatme · 28/04/2020 21:46

My grandparents house recently sold - it was built in the 1920s, and they lived in it from the 1950s till their deaths. It still had the kitchen my grandfather built in the 60s etc. We didn’t do anything to it, it was a large house on a large plot in a desirable area & sold for well over asking price in a bidding war.

mklanch · 28/04/2020 22:52

sorry for your loss.

dont sell to a developer if you can help it.
alot of families at the minute want large gardens.
i have been looking for a house ( currently on hold) and i want to start a smallholding. very little comes on the market with land, and when something does its snapped up really quick.
obviously it also depends on the location and availability.
roughly where is the property located?

Original poster

CMOTDibbler · 29/04/2020 08:05

@mklanch its in South Oxfordshire My parents actually had goats and chickens for many years as well as growing a lot of their own veg. Its not acres of land, but very much has room for 5 different zones - the patio area and pond, lawn, flowers, veg/greenhouses and the goat shed/ workshops is how they had it

OP posts:

DesperateElf · 29/04/2020 08:43

Difficult. I think the main thing is to price it correctly from the start, which of course is hard in these uncertain times.

I'd start with doing nothing as it will appeal to a certain buyer in the untouched state. It means that no money has been spent on things that the buyer doesn't like. However most people do need some help in visualising the potential so whether you find the buyer that can see through the overgrown garden and stuff like that depends on luck. I'd still try that first.

Loofah01 · 29/04/2020 09:06

I think more people will be seeking a 'deal' than a finished house in the next year or so. Yours would definitely fit that category as a fixer upper and by the time probate has completed your estate agents will have a better idea of the market in the area.

South Oxfordshire will hold up pretty well though with Didcot and Oxford nearby

Chillipeanuts · 29/04/2020 09:09

So sorry about your parents.
I would prefer to review the garden as it is now. It’s my main interest and I would relish the challenge of restoring it.
I could be wrong, but I imagine most people wanting to buy an Edwardian house won’t be looking for magnolia, either.

Chillipeanuts · 29/04/2020 09:09

View, not review!

mklanch · 29/04/2020 14:56

@CMOTDibbler
perfect area. trust me alot of people will want to buy it as is and put their own stamp on it.
its sounds perfect for a family.
im currently in bedfordshire and am having to look to relocate towards norfolk/linc area to get something for my budget £325k
even in those areas where large gardens/land are common its been difficult. everything sells so quickly.
i find that a lot of the older styles that need work sell for practically the same as the houses that need nothing doing .
x

SoupDragon · 29/04/2020 15:03

With respect to the house, I would just clean it. It's pointless to do anything more really.

With the garden, mow it and clear back to paths so it can be walked round easily but definitely don't raze it or knock anything down. You might want to look in the outbuildings to make sure there's nothing of interest in but I'm not sure how easy that would be right now.

mrsmartins85 · 29/04/2020 20:33

I am so sorry for your loss

My father died a year and a half ago and I had almost this exact issue. I wasn't in the county and I had to sell what had been my family home. I'd have loved to have been able to afford to keep it.

He'd been in care for a long time so it was in poor condition. I had a company clear and clean it, recycle or auction what wasn't wanted. It was expensive, even when taking money made back from the auction into account.

I also got someone to tidy the large garden (but this is something that needs keeping up, so I'd wait until ready to market if you plan on doing that).

In the end I showed it empty but without any repairs. It went for less than it's worth (the times we are in at the moment...) but it sold quickly and I don't think doing much more would have changed anything unless I'd modernized the heating system and invested a lot into a full redo.

Original poster

CMOTDibbler · 29/04/2020 20:54

Thanks everyone, I feel a bit calmer about it all now, and subject to the local estate agents opinion I think I have a plan now.
Their cleaner called me today to give her condolences, and when I asked if she knew the name of the handyman, she said she'd be happy to do a couple of hours a week to keep on top of things which will work out nicely

OP posts:

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