Selling family home, should we renovate first?

[Honestandraw]

We have our grandparents home up for sale, it’s been up a month or two and we’ve dropped the price 10k but there’s little interest.

We know it needs renovation but are now unsure whether to do some of the work ourselves to make it more appealing or try and sell as it is. It will make a beautiful family home once done.

We aren’t sure if the market is just flat / wrong time of year or it’s the need for modernisation that is off putting. We feel the price should be about right. Any thoughts?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86508258#/?channel=RES_BUY

Don't do anything, just make sure it's really clean and reasonably priced. Anything you do is just going to look a bit odd or cost ££££

If you replaced the carpets, or put in a new bathroom it wouldn't then be in keeping with the whole house, it's a house that needs everything done, or nothing done.

It's a lovely house with loads of potential, just price it well and wait for the right buyer,

I think that the carpets look busy and make the rooms look smaller.
Neutral carpet and a declutter of nick knacks, present it clean and tidy but I wouldn't do much to it.

@Honestandraw you need a picture of that! Sea views would appeal to buyers like me.

I think you need to clear out the walking frames etc, maybe empty the whole house?

I did look at a similar property when I was buying where they painted everything white and laid down nasty cheap grey carpet everywhere. That didn't change the fact that the place needed re-wiring, replastering and new plumbing, just meant I would have felt guilty for ripping out new carpets while sellers felt resentful that I didn't want to pay over the odds for their "renovations"

Edited to point out that you're trying to sell before Christmas! I don't know anyone who wants to move at this point in the year unless they absolutely must.

Hang on in there until the new year, maybe take this time to declutter.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138453791#/?channel=RES_BUY

This is the one I was referring to earlier, and it seems that this one also has the same views (looking at Streetview).

TBH if this can't sell at £300k for this condition or size, I think the asking price just needs to go down. Even if it was fully refurbed at £279k I think I would prefer buying this one for the better space.

Unless of course I have missed something and the town goes from great to shit in the space of a few roads.

Our last house was done by a renovator, it was done cheaply and we felt like we couldn't rip out the things that were hideous but new (lived with a horrible kitchen for years). When we bought this house we deliberately bought one that was a well loved family home. The decoration may not have been entirely to our taste but we knew the essentials had been done properly (good quality bathrooms etc).

Get a survey and if you are going to renovate do it properly and sort out the insulation, update the boiler, put in good quality double glazing etc. Don't piss about redecorating because that's just a waste of time and money. Drop the price significantly and you'll sell it.

Clean, clear out clutter but leave as it is.
The worst position as a buyer is when you know the seller has put in cheap new things but expecting to get top dollar (or has expensively renovated but not to your taste)
Either way you’re expected to pay for something you don’t want.

This, as previous poster said.
We've just put my mother in-laws house on the market and we spent a day totally decluttering. We removed sofas, furniture, rugs etc and 'staged' it. Also it makes me sad when you see the previous occupants life in what was their home so that's why I think it should be depersonalised.
Appreciate that it needs updating but a buyer will probably want to put their own stamp on it ( it's still liveable while doing so which is what we did when be bought a house from an elderly couple).
The markets not great at the mo, however the agent needs to show the view and remove the reference to artex and stippled ceilings!
Have a big declutter and get him back to do some new photos.
It looks like it would be a lovely family home.

If it has a good view get a photo of that on the details
sell as is or drop £25k on it with a refurb

I wouldn't do anything major as no matter what you spend your money on it will more than likely be ripped out. I would however remove all the "old people" items. Declutter to the bare minimum and scrub the place clean (am not saying its dirty but a good clean will freshen it up).
I think carpet in the bathrooms would be very off putting for most so I quite possibly would splurge on cheap but neutral lino. Nothing expensive. I'd remove some if the seating in the sitting room and remove all the ornaments. And if it was me selling I'd remake all the beds in just plain bedding. Other than that you'd be preempting what you thing a potential buyer would want and you'd be wasting your money. The biggest thing I would do is resist with better photos. If that means another EA than do it. The photos are not the best and that won't get buyers through the door. Best of luck OP.

When we were selling our mum's house, the EA said just to make sure it's clean and tidy as it would be very unlikely to recover the money if we spent lots on it. Also said the anyone buying it can see it needs work and will do it to their taste.

I would get a skip and completely empty it, that way potential buyers can see exactly what they have to work with.

It’s a funny time to sell at the moment. I’d take it off the market and put it back on February. Also consider the price and wether it reflects the amount of work which will need to be completed. Electrics, new heating, new water tank, damp proofing, updating windows, layout, bathroom, kitchen, plastering artex throughout, new flooring, time and energy.

Ive done up numerous houses and dislike it when there’s a new kitchen or bathroom as I can guarantee it’s never to my taste and I would have much rather paid less for the property and put my own stamp on the place.

I think the market is the problem right now. It should pick up in January. I sold my mum's house and it went in the January after she died.

Make sure the house is spotlessly clean and aired, ensure the windows are clean so you have maximum light. Freshen up any white paint that's looking a bit yellow or tired. Give the garden a thorough pruning and tidy-up. Make sure the gutters and drains are clear.

And wait for the new year.

At a push I’d put all the carpets in a skip and white wash throughout so people can see the blank canvas.

Would be good to have a picture of the view and some better pictures of the garden, it looks like the outside space is non-existent.

Honestly I would relist in the spring but I would think carefully about price. That house looks perfectly liveable but the renovation to a contemporary standard look like 50k. That will put people off.

In a house like that your buyer may well come with a builder to see the costs of refurbishing and just from your pictures it looks extensive.

As a buyer I wouldn't be put off a house if it's livable-with (as opposed to urgent work for safety/structural reasons). I'd rather pay less and do the work over time myself than pay a premium for someone else to have done it iyswim.

But I am pretty unfussy about living environment. Am currently sitting in a room which has needed some plastering/work doing since bought 10+ years ago! Only carpeted over wooden boards upstairs after 5+ years 🤣.

There are some simple things which would cost no money at all which you could do. De-clutter by for instance by taking down the dated shower curtain, pictures and ornaments. Speak to the EA about taking new photos which include the view from upstairs and take off the artexing comment. Personally, I would think about re-listing it with these changes in February/March when the market is starting to pick up. As others have said don't spend on new bathroom/carpets because this would make it more saleable but the property is much more 'it is what it is- in need of refurbishment' which a buyer would need to understand.

I think the best strategy is to spend absolutely no money on it, and just sell it for the price you can get for it. I mean, you could spend £20K, even £40K on updates (none of which are guaranteed to match a buyer's taste) and you could still end up selling it for no more money than if you'd spent £0. The days of cheap updates adding £10Ks to value are well and truly over.

It is very obviously what it is - the home of older people who have passed away. Spending money on new carpets (or whatever) doesn't alter that. It's a really nice house with good features albeit cosmetically dated.

If a buyer wants to spend six figures knocking it back to the bricks and rebuilding it they can. (Don't be that person unless you love flushing money and time down the drain!) Or they can live in it as is, or anything in between.

If you've literally had no interest whatsoever, you seriously need to start reducing the asking price and find a better agent if the existing one isn't helping you.

At a push I’d put all the carpets in a skip and white wash throughout so people can see the blank canvas.

Don't do this. The house is liveable albeit very dated as it is. A house with bare unfinished floorboards/concrete in every room absolutely is not.

It screams "aborted renovation project" to me which maybe isn't the best approach to selling.

You'd be putting off buyers like me or @NeedANewPhone1 who would be happy to move in and update it piecemeal.

Probably the most unattractive features are the artex ceilings and yet the EA has listed them first! I'd rip up the carpets and leave whatever is underneath them. Clear all disability aids. Remove dated bedding and buy some cheap, but tasteful duvet sets.

Don't waste money doing it up only for someone to rip it all out! Drop the price and heavily market it as a great house, location, play on the views with more photos but make it cheaper it's PRICED TO SELL / REALISTICALLY PRICED TO REFLECT CONDITION

Anything like this makes people think they are getting a bargain and can make money out of it (whether they can or not is often another matter,!) and often results in budding wars. It does need to be below market valuation but not significantly so just enough to pique interest amongst buyers and wannabe developers. Serious & experienced developers will offer you silly money but cash & a quick sale may be more appealing if you have care home fees or similar to pay.

It looks like a good solid house but the reality is it needs new kitchen and bathroom, we have no idea how old the boiler is, wiring etc. Looking at similar houses there is one ready to move in, in the same area for £300k. Thats only £20k more than this one and it would cost more than that to do everything thats needed. I think it is priced wrong personally. I wouldnt do anything to it, I would just price it to sell

That first picture is awful by the way, so grey. They need one which includes a bit of the lawn and bush in front.

Bear in mind that an unsold empty house is costing you £830 pcm in lost interest… if you base that on £200k in a savings account at £5%. £1k pcm if you came away with £240k net.

And the cost of insurance, and council
tax once your free grace period expires.

Add this on to the time spent doing superficial (but expensive) facelifts…