Feedback from viewers - I can't get my head around.

[Downsizingandmovingon]

Hello everyone. Please go easy with me on this, as it's all a bit overwhelming.

I am early 70s and my husband of more fifty-three years died almost five years ago. After a huge amount of thought, I have decided I need to sell my home, because even though it's a typical thirties-semi, it's just too big for me now. I want to move to either a bungalow or a flat (I am very much keeping my options open). It's a huge step, as this is the only house I have lived in since 1972.

My husband used to do all the repairs, and we have all the usual things like central heating, although a part from a lean-to extention to the kitchen, the house is the same size as it was when built. I won't be posting a link to it as I don't want to show the world, and I know it needs some updating, but the estate agent has assured me the asking price will reflect this.

The problem is this; it's been on two weeks and I've had three viewings. The feedback from all of them is that it needs TL and that it wasn't right for them, however, the agent asked one of them to go into more detail, and they said that it's not the work that puts them off, it's the fact that it 'obvious' a lot of it was done by a DIY person and that they are worried about what's going to turn up over time!

I'm horrified, and a bit offended too, as we never had any problems with anything my husband did or repaired, but they've mentioned really silly things, like in the kitchen (which my husband put in) the flexes to the appliances below go through a hole in the worktop and are plugged in above - I mean how else are they supposed to be plugged in? They also mentioned how some of the doors didn't look well fitted - there were several things, but I don't remember as I was too upset.

I feel thoroughly down about it, and I'm really worried that other people are going to pick up on it too, not that I can see a problem, but if this is going to be a thing then how do I make it better? I have three more viewings booked for tomorrow and it's making me sick with worry. I thought people bought houses knowing that problems might show up, but I didn't know some people think the previous owners could leave them a legacy of unknown issues. Please share you (kind) thoughts.

@Downsizingandmovingon I’m sorry for your loss. It must be pretty painful having to leave your home after all these years, especially one your DH made lovely for you both. I buy and sell houses and renovate. The last one I bought sounds similar to your own and the man of the house had clearly looked after it well. That said, there is no way that the house did not need a full rewire, new CH and plumbing to reflect what buyers nowadays want. My own late DP’s house is on sale and it is exactly the same scenario. Both houses were priced to reflect this. Personally I don’t think you need to get any work done or surveys etc, it’s a house in need of an update- you’re not selling a turnkey property. Please don’t let someone’s thoughtless comments ruin happy times.

Buyers nowadays (esp FTB) want all the location and space of a 20’s,30’s40’s,50’s house but don’t want to pay for it. Those in their budget tend to need work doing. Unlike when I bought my first property in the 90’s, I fully expected to have to do some major work and a lot of DIY if I wanted to stay in the area I grew up in. It’s just economics. I think a lot of the ‘feedback’ you are getting reflects someone else’s remorse/envy/economic circumstances rather than anything you should take to heart.

in the new year, move agents. Check that the new ones are happy with the price and that it reflects the likely works required. Spend time in the new year looking at the standard query forms conveyancers use to familiarise yourself with the information your buyer’s conveyancers will need (double glazing FENSA certs, electrical safety certs etc) so that the requests don’t overwhelm you. You will probably need to answer ‘not known’ or ‘I don’t have one’ for a lot of them but a good solicitor will help you answer honestly.

Good luck!!

FTBuyers want the moon on a stick.

Your house sounds like a more up to date version of my parents house. My DF is an excellent DIYer but standards and expectations have moved on.

I think it maybe needs to be sold to a developer, or at least clearly marketed as a 'project'. May be worth you paying up front for a full survey so buyers can be reassured the house is structurally sound.

A developer would probably rewire your house. They will knock my parent' house down when the time comes.

Yes, I think this would certainly be neutral to me. I would prefer the sockets to be under the worktop but I can live with them being above it, and certainly better that then dodgy DIY you can't see.

Our house had what could (generously) be described as DIY fixes.

That included a self built loft conversion, a network of car speakers rigged up around the house as a sound system and a cooker vented via a crown paint tin with the bottom sawn off.

It was absolutely charming to find these little fixes everywhere. It was clear it had been done with so much love for the house, and certainly never put us off buying.

We seem to have moved to a time where people no longer do these jobs themselves. They can't fathom how these repairs are done by someone who is not a trained professional and assume they are not done well. It is nothing to do with your husband and everything to do with them.

However, it could also be that they don't have the money to fix up what they see needs it - do the pictures clearly show what work will need doing?

Respectfully, Plugs through the work tops are fine but it's not cosmetically pleasing or how I've seen any other house be done. Your husband has probably done it as it suited you but it does seem a bit of an oddity and something so clearly that would need to be sorted. If there is obvious stuff, there will also be hidden stuff.

The estate agent needs to ask the next three people if they don't move to purchase so you know but it's a slow market round here so your time for sale and amount of viewers is not bad at all. You need to step away from seeing this as personal. To you it's where you spent your life with alll those memories. To them it's a shell that could be filled with theirs.

Re holes in counters. Perfectly normal in the past when plugs didn't come fully moulded on so everyone knew how to remove a plug, poke cable through and rewire it.

When I sold my first house, I had loads of viewings and lots of feedback that it had "not enough bedrooms" and "no parking"

People could have seen quite clearly the parking situation and floor plan on the advert, I'm not sure why they wasted my time if those were deal breakers.

Unfortunately that's part of selling a house. Many viewers will have an expectation of modern everything, can see clearly on the advert that your house doesn't meet their criteria yet still waste your time anyway.

"he flexes to the appliances below go through a hole in the worktop and are plugged in above - I mean how else are they supposed to be plugged in? "

To a plug socket under the counter!! I've never seen the situation you're describing (I work in a job where I've done lots of home visits) I think it's quite unusual and if you've not had an electrician in (they would have spotted that and suggested it needed sorting) it sounds like it's going to need a full rewire. That's no ding on your lovely husband it's just a fact given age of property and that you've not had bits of electrics updated as and when.

It's a huge messy expensive job that requires holes and mess all over the house so will put it off. Try not to take it personally it's just that the income to house price ration is so much higher it makes things a lot tighter ❤️

To prevent upsetting comments please make sure the description of the property accurately reflects its condition. To you it is your beloved home of many years but viewers need to know what they are getting ie that modernisation/work is required otherwise the wrong people will view it and will be disappointed/critical.

I wouldn't worry about it. The problem with first time buyers is they won't have a huge budget for improvements and often have no skills or experience in dealing with houses so will easily be spooked by issues. What they don't understand is that buying a house where the issues are visible (needs a new kitchen) etc is far better than buying a perfect looking newbuild which will be plagued with poor build quality. Someone will come along who will snap up your great house. This isn't a great time of year for selling so don't be downhearted.

We bought a diy-selfers house many years ago and he’d knocked a doorway into an adjoining room but not put in the lintel!!!

I think this is such a generational thing! Comments here even show some people see the plugs as no big deal and some are a bit hmmm about them.

FTB now are paying so much for the property and in interest they probably have no money left over for redecorating just yet and no inclination to do it themselves.

Im currently painting my stairs and dining room and whilst I can't stand it, I more cannot stand the ridiculous prices quoted for this work that I can do myself. DH did our bathroom, it's not great but acceptable - we don't even have a 20 year old Mira, it's the tap with an adapter - but it works for us. Again, no way were we paying the extortionate amounts quoted. But some people don't have that choice. I wouldn't if not for DH.

You have lived there since 1972 and it's not a house to you it's your home. Along with this you have memories of your husband who did his utmost to maintain the home for you both.

A stranger sees and feels none of that sentiment and is viewing the house as bricks and mortar. It's their hard earned money that is at stake.

When you bought your home in 1972, it was a different perspective then to how people feel today. You would have not wanted everything g perfect from the get go and would have had mismatched items and slowly built up changes over the years.

Todays buyer is often keen to have a showroom looking home from the start as the initial outlay from purchasing the home and the high cost of a mortgage means they have little left for repairs.

You don’t need detailed feedback, just if they are making an offer. Your agent should have advised you to hold off advertising house until January. You won’t get many viewings.

New Year will change everything. Have a lovely Christmas then declutter in New Year and look forward to more viewings.

The kind of people who make those sort of negative comments will tear the kitchen/bathroom/dividing walls out and start again from scratch anyway. They are looking for things to pick at to try and drive the price down. Or, they're citing a random justification for not being interested because the agent has put them on the spot.

It's a horribly uncivilised business, the buying and selling of homes these days, so please beware all manner of unpleasant behaviour.

You need buyers who can see and feel the care and handiwork that you and your husband invested in your home for so many years. People who understand and appreciate this sort of love in action, and who want to do the same, taking it on as their home and slowly updating it as they make their lives there. These people do exist! They will be so happy to find your home in an ocean of bland identikit modernity.

There is no indication of DIY electrics though. I read this as under counter appliances plugged into above counter sockets. Since the tops need replacing anyway, it would actually be more concerning if the DIY enthusiast had installed more sockets lower down the wall for the appliances. These days the expectation would be that the kitchen installers would bring in an electrician to move the sockets rather than make provision to plug the things in above the worktops.

Our house is exactly like this as we bought from a competent DIYer - didn’t bother me in the slightest as we had the electrics and gas checked and both were perfectly ok, even if some of the work wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing. Could you get someone in to do the checks to reassure buyers the work is safe, that will then not put off people who want to live in it for a bit before they do the work?

FIL was an engineer (he put in their hot air heating system himself!) and was very much a believer in practicality over aesthetics and being able to access services so you can fix things when they inevitably go wrong! It is not a crime!

STBXH would never countenance spending money on the house I had/have no money of my own and it shows, I eventually emailed estate agent “everyone keeps saying the same thing that it needs too much work so please make sure viewers are prepared to do the work or it’s a waste of everyone’s time” they agreed and got an offer soon after that. so you could say similar? I totally understand why you’re hurt OP 🫂

Just ignore comments, with that number of viewings in December you are likely to get an offer in the not too distant future.
My favourite viewing feedback was 'the house has too many shelves'. They were all basic shelves put up by us and easily taken down.

It doesn't sound to me like you need to do anything - it will sell. Your husband's skills and knowledge 30-odd years ago were probably on a par with the average tradesperson now! Skills in construction and fitting out are so poor these days and everyone I know who's bought a new build has had a long list of problems. I'd buy your house over a new build any day.

The only thing I'd want to make sure of is the electrical safety. If you haven't already, I would get an electrician to come and test your system and issue a certificate. If they can't because there's work to be done,you'll have to deal with that, or you'll at least know where you are with it and that the price may need to reflect that a new distribution board or even full rewire is required.
Apart from electrics it is what it is and I wouldn't worry.

Sorry OP nothing to add over what’s been said but, @MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira Jealous of your floors 😍 !! My dream!

Old people’s houses are rarely up to a reasonable standard. Artex, anaglypta, ancient kitchens and bathrooms, low water pressure, old radiators, no shower, old electrics, old flooring and carpets, dodgy patio, poor driveway etc etc. they are nearly always at the fixer upper/renovation end of the scale.
With the cost of renovations through the roof, I’m not surprised people look with cold eyes at these houses.
Just market and price accordingly. As others have said, it’s very early days with your sale.

We seem to have moved to a time where people no longer do these jobs themselves. They can't fathom how these repairs are done by someone who is not a trained professional and assume they are not done well. It is nothing to do with your husband and everything to do with them.

Tbf many of us can phantom it, can do it ourselved, but then we will be hit with "so since it wasn't done by certified profession etc we want money off" when eventually selling. I blame all the regs and previous gens not passing skills on.

I would love a reasonable doer - upper, but they are lately priced nearly as done up! If house needs complete works, it shouldn't be 20k less than one that had the works. Not saying OP's is overpriced for what it is, but market is like that lately.

Take estate agents feedback with a huge pinch of salt, especially if it mentions things that you cannot or do not want to change for example the layout of the property especially when there is a floor plan. Sometimes potential buyers just give an Estate Agent a reason why they don’t want to buy the property.

I agree with everyone else. Are you sure you want the stress of moving ? A semi is not huge and unless you can’t manage stairs there is no baaokute reason to move . It sounds like your home is very special to you too.
Bungalows are overpriced and lease hold flats can be a money pit with hideous service charges that increase without warning . If you have a lovely home where you are happy , you might be better to stay put.