Feedback from house viewing - AIBU?

[Pointypointything]

Recently put our house on the market and not had a huge amount of interest - in fact had only our second viewing this morning. We knew they weren't keen as they were here less than 5 minutes. But I'm a bit bemused by the feedback. Which was that location, price and condition were poor. We asked for specifics and were told that it needs a new kitchen and driveway and that they didn't like the position on the street.

First off, the position is clear from the advert and street view. Secondly, the kitchen is 5 years old, and I was under the impression that most people look to change the kitchen in a new house at some point anyway. It's in good condition, estate agent described it as modern (although I guess they are only ever going to be positive to get you on their books?) It's in full working order, no cupboard doors hanging off or scuffed or anything like that. No-one selling a house is going to put a new kitchen in are they? Same for driveway really?

I obviously need to toughen up a bit, as everyone has their own ideas of what they want, particularly in a kitchen I guess. And the driveway could do with being re tarmacked but it's not got big holes or anything, and again I thought the general wisdom was not to spend money on things like that when you're selling?

It just stung a bit to hear they felt the condition of the house was poor, and the examples they gave I'm just like . I feel like they maybe have massively unrealistic expectations if they are expecting everything to be immaculately finished to their taste already, but then I'm doubting myself and wondering if actually no, we should make our house like a new build show home?

As I've said, it's in line with similar properties in the same area - some are on at a higher price, some at the same price and a couple lower. It has been extended and redecorated throughout in the past 2 years, front and back garden are landscaped, it's literally one part of the driveway that could in all honesty be improved. If we were the highest priced in the area I would agree with you but we're not. And there are no completely immaculate properties on in our price range - every one needs something doing, whether that be windows, driveway or just general redecorating.

I don't know, while weve been searching I've accepted that any house would need something doing, even if it's just to bring it to our taste. Whereas it would appear that some people, like yourself, expect new build freshly decorated standard 🤷‍♀️. Horses for courses I guess.

If those other properties are not selling, that’s your answer. You will struggle to find someone who’s willing to finance your move with their cash.

If you are in two minds about selling, then I would take it off the market into look into extending instead. That would be a more sensible option surely.

You'll have to develop a thick skin for house selling I'm afraid, particularly if you are showing the house yourself. When we sold (via a traditional estate agency) we had some insane feedback. In the end we told the EA not to bother sharing the feedback with us unless it was actually meaningful.

My favourite two bits of feedback were that the house was in the wrong town (huh?) and the one that still makes me laugh years later - the house wasn't big enough to fit a grand piano in the hallway.

Honestly, just smile and wave. Good luck with your house sale

We once got told that our garden was too big. I’d understand it if it were acres of land to keep but it was a London flat with a garden about 30ft square. You really can’t second guess a lot of this stuff.

Sometimes you go and see a house knowing the location isn't perfect but you wonder if other factors you're not aware of will outweigh the niggle you walk in with. So really, people are verbalising their thought processes to you. It's meaningless as feedback though!

I avoided properties with an online agent, P Bricks and the like.

No assistance from agents if there are issues (a good EA can sort various chain issues, talk to other party solicitor etc) , and also a chance they are using inline agents ‘conveyancing service’.

Go wit a proper agent who will have live contact with house buyers and be able t say ‘what about this?’.

But doesn't everyone need space for a grand piano in the hallway??

We got some annoying feedback over the years. The last house we sold we got told by multiple potential buyers that they liked the downstairs but the upstairs seemed less spacious somehow?

Er...that would be because the house was extended downstairs but not upstairs. Written on the blurb and clearly visible on the floorplan.

Purple Bricks have just been bought, lock stock and barrel by Strike for £1. The counter bidders dropped out, saying that the company was in worse shape than they had originally been led to believe. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the success of their business model.

Strike have some ‘interesting’ ideas about the future of the business. If you are really interested in Selling your house, I would consult an established agent.

I don't think it's that strange too give feedback that seems obvious. When buying a house you know you're going to have to compromise on something. Part of viewing properties is to work out whether everything else is good enough to make you overlook the fact it's on a busy road / doesn't have a downstairs bathroom etc etc. But if everything else isn't right then that sticking point probably does become your main piece of feedback if asked. I don't think that's odd.

It’s generally not about whether the feedback makes sense but whether there’s any point in passing it back to the owner, who usually can’t do anything about it. Agents seem obsessed with this process (maybe as proof of activity) but most of the time it just feels silly. Especially when viewings have happened because agents have pressured people into looking at places they were never going to buy just to get viewing numbers up.

@Pointypointything I think you are not a serious vendor. You are not yet in that frame of mind! If you were you would refund the price and do the important improvements to attract buyers.

So would you put in a new kitchen despite there being nothing wrong with the existing one? And have the driveway done? Genuinely asking as all the advice I have read is not to do these things when you are selling? In the main I suspect because any buyer may not like what you have done! Also, if we did do those things then we wouldn't be dropping the price?

Take feedback with a pinch of salt!

Everyone is so different, you'll get different feedback that mostly is useless.

I had feedback like "It's nice but I need four bedrooms and a study"

Mine was obviously three bedrooms on the listing, why view??! 🙄

"The downstairs is too small"
Also "the downstairs is too big".

It's always the price, though. Mine was on for £280k, 3 months, no offers, lots of nit picking. I reduced to £260k and it was by far the best option around the area for that price and sold within days for asking.

I, too, felt the EA had over priced but he was convincing and really didn't want to reduce. Weird!!

When we were selling our last house we had 1 person who said the property wasn't suitable for her dog grooming business - it was a 4 bed detached in the middle of a 1980s estate so bit odd to view and one who said they didn't like the blackbird singing in the garden 🤷‍♀️

When I sold my home in 2009 - we had carried out a lot of updating , brand new kitchen etc , it had an extension, conservatory , garage .. it was a huge house for the price (sold due to marriage breakdown ) it was in a lovely semi rural location and the first people that viewed .. looked out if the bedroom window window and spotted an electricity pylon which was a few miles away and literally a speck on the landscape and said “ oh I couldn’t live here with that pylon by the house “ 🙈🤣 subsequently I ignored that particular feedback .. the agent couldn’t keep a straight face !

@Rockschooldropout you've reminded me about the one who worried about getting flooded. We were on the side of a hill and not only was the bottom of our house was above the top of the roof of those at the bottom, we were nearly half a mile from the river. Any flood affecting the house would have been in ark needed territory.

Are you should it really is the kitchen? We saw a house and told the EA that we weren’t offering because of the cost of a new kitchen. But actually it was because the house was just really grotty and a bit dirty. We said it was the kitchen to spare the vendors feelings.

Btw I’m not saying that that’s the case with your house, just that sometimes buyers aren’t honest because they’re being polite

Possibly. They said it needed a lot of work which we were bemused by. I think pp are right and it's too expensive. I would definitely be willing to reduce the price but not until we've found somewhere to move to. We are contacting builders again now so will see what prices are re extending Vs available properties and go from there.

After quite a lot of confusing feedback when selling my last house I realised that when people give feedback to the EA most answer the question 'Why was this not the house for you?' rather than the question I was interested which was 'Was there something that was not clear from the rightmove posting that put you off this house'.

I think a lot of people will look at houses that don't tick all the boxes for them, especially of the house has a particular difficult to find selling point.

@countrygirl99 The excuses some people come up with 🤣

We've once got someone put off by "kitchen and living room not being open plan". Well, it's 1930 semi?.... What did you expect? Some people are just oblivious.

I think people just say any old waffle to the agent tbh - I'd rather hear that they felt the house wasn't for them than make up some rubbish, but you get outrageous excuses! I once sold a town centre house which was apparently too far from town...