How to sell a house with good size of land, but....

[NearlyCondemned]

So - what is the best way to sell a house with a good piece of land, but no maintenance for MANY years... add to this external flooding, internal flooding, hoarding, no heating, no boiler, no hot water, needs new kitchen, new bathroom x 3 .....

any thoughts?

Well obviously you have to say no. And professional services have no business asking 'why family let them live like this', presumably the person has capacity, they have the right to make poor choices

Unless they dont have capacity in which case some action needs to be taken and perhaps the choices can be taken for them.

If it’s anywhere like where we live then sadly yes, which makes flooding worse for the whole area as the flood water is forced elsewhere as the plains are built on.

I don’t envy you OP, I find the older my grandparents/parents get the more stubborn and unable to look past their own ideas they are. I think perhaps forcing a situation where an estate agent or developer just happens to be passing by will be your best bet. I’ve found my grandmother in particular is more willing to listen to “experts” (only the men though 🙄) than her own family, which obviously has its own issues.

Ask them kindly what their plans for laying the lino are ?

Ask them how they are going to clear the room where to lino is to be laid ? (No where else to put things.)

What tools do they have/are going to use ? How will they remove the existing lino (I've seen professionals do this and it's fairly hard to scrape the old glue off the floor) ? Or just put the new lino over the old lino.

Ask if they want any help from you to do it. Or just visit them and say casually, do you want any help moving the furniture prior to you laying the lino ?

Basically, let them see for themselves what a huge job it is, not least the initial task of clearing the room first. They may only do a little bit because they will soon be daunted by the task. Hopefully....

Let them do 'just enough' to feel comfortable with letting an estate agent in to do the valuation.

This is more what I think we are looking at, an expert who can tell them, don't waste time doing it up, this is how much the land is worth...

I just don't know how or where to find this person

I've seen something like this listed - it's a 1960s chalet with no heating and not changed since built but it will sell as it's on a good plot. just list on rightmove and see what happened?

Also, would relative entertain the idea of meeting an estate agent who can tell them it's not worth doing any minor cosmetic work

@NearlyCondemned - I would start by going into a couple of local estate agents (avoid big chains if possible) and explain the situation. I’ve found estate agents tend to have the young just out of school flash types and the more seasoned experienced agents, the latter tend to be better. Another option is to contact a surveyor for a valuation, they tend to have developer contacts. If you could give an idea of area people may be able to suggest some agents/surveyors.

Speak to someone that will do a JV or joint venture ..they (solicitors drawn up 1st) pay for any or all development and or planning or even build etc and profits after builder costs and an agreed purchase price as It is so to speak(relative gets a set amount regardless) then deduct builder costs and split... Hands off and no capital outlay ..

I do sympathise OP, I had an elderly relative in a similar position,well aware that the house ( in a small village where every other house had been grand designed to its back teeth) really was in a state, huge garden, big house that needed complete overhaul, relative didn’t want estate agents, or potential buyers to view it. Ended up selling to wealthy next door who had coveted the house for years . Buyer offered well below value, relative accepted because it was the easy way out. It was plenty enough to downsize to a smaller more manageable property, it was frustrating , but in the end the right thing for the relative to do.

Around here, places like this are often sold at auction. I believe someone like Kivells www.kivells.com (I'm not affliated with them in any way) would be happy to come in and do a valuation for them. If it was auction, with a reserve price and potential for a quick sale, would that help at all?

If it's a different area of the country, I'm sure you can find someone similar.

Otherwise, I think it is time to have a full and frank discussion about who (i.e. not you) is going to "do up" the property and how it is going to be paid for.

If the property is structurally sound, you will find it relatively easy to get a buyer, especially if the land involved is significant.

Honestly, I know people who have bought houses that are barely mortgageable (i.e. significant structural/electrical issues) because of the land they came with- not for development but for agricultural purposes.

If you can get planning permission, it will put the price up massively, but you will likely find a buyer without- and for enough to buy a nice bungalow/retirement apartment in a town, if that is what your relative would want.

But planning permission on these sites is not always so easy to get.

Get some valuers, estate agents and, maybe, some developers to give some advice without seeing the property and land in person. If the house is so dilapidated it's not going to make that much difference if they give the advice unseen.

Does your relative actually want to sell & move, or are they wanting to maximise what they leave for children? Or are they really just looking to make it more comfortable for themselves? Or bored and wanting a creative outlet...?

Is it an option to do up a bedroom, kitchen/living and bathroom only. By that, I mean sort out damp, provide adequate heating etc and shut the doors to the rest of the house?

Or is it that they want out but just cannot pull it together to sell - do they have the energy to know where to start?

If they have the materials they want to use, ie are not spending on it, then can you just go with it, slap some white paint on the walls, convince them it looks amazing and get ea in?

Could you arrange a builder to come round and estimate how much 'doing it up to sell' would actually cost? Maybe explain the situation and pay them for their time rather than them treating as a potential job.

Does your relative actually want to sell & move, or are they wanting to maximise what they leave for children.

They are not happy there, but a little obsessed with making as much money as they can (and to leave to DC, who have constantly told them they don't need it and all they really want is for relative to be safe warm and happy)

I'll have a look at some of the suggestions, I think I need to find someone who wants the land

I know relative will never get the property up to sell as a house that someone can live in, I just need to find a developer to offer to buy it as is

I spent way too much time on mat leave watching homes under the hammer, so would have thought auction would be a good bet. That's where you get plenty of buyers wanting to do places up and have finance to buy fast. Getting planning permission would increase the price, but would take money, time and effort

In our area, when the independent builders are building an estate, they will often display signs “land wanted”. Could you take a drive around and see if there’s any new developments advertising for land?

Failing that try doing an internet search for local builders and check out their websites, maybe even make a few enquiries.

Find a local estate agent who works with developers. They will be able to advise your relative. Look on Rightmove and see who sells similar properties.

Or who sells new developments on behalf of developers.

OP, it sounds like a distressing situation, I can understand why you might be at your wits' end.

I'm hopeful that you might find an agent fairly easily though. Simply google the location and check google maps reviews for the first 5-10 results, pick a few to call and see who you get a good feeling from.

Almost all EAs I have dealt with have had strong individuals (often the older ones, as PP has said) on staff who were good to deal with, knowledgeable and reasonably expert in the local properties and their potential.

It's just a residential house with land, neglected, with an elderly eccentric owner, and you want their advice on what can be achieved without any renovations and in a fairly quick timeframe.

You could take photos of the current situation and share those as the basis of discussions before choosing on an agent to meet the relative in person and discuss how to get the house on the market.

They'll most likely have sold 10-20 comparable properties in the past year - I understand you are dealing with an extreme, but in essence it's not an unusual situation. The EA will have a clear professional incentive to give you and your relative all the support they can.

Side note: if things progress, you may want to discuss with your relative if they are happy to authorise you or another trusted person to be their representative for the sale. We did this for my MIL when she down-sized. She did put in a fair few calls to the EA and solicitor but because we were the 'point of contact' she was largely protected from the drama and angst...

@WoolyMammoth55
Thanks - they will not downsize..... (Crazy!)

Thanks everyone, really helpful and things to think on

I wish you luck @NearlyCondemned. One of my relatives recently announced they were ready to downsize, but they don’t want to lose any living space, ceiling height or live in a flat. They live in a large period house with 15ft high ceilings 🤦‍♀️. There is no reasoning with some people.

Put to auction