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.

Expectations have definitely moved on over the years - when we got married in the 80s it was quite usual to get a book from the library and watch tv programmes on DIY and 'have a go', especially as money was tight. The outcome was generally 'ok' but not to professional standards. We still do our own decorating and minor repairs but leave things like plumbing and electrics to the professionals. There's also a lot more information readily available on the internet now that raises expectations about what the end result should be like (and flags the risks).

This morning's viewing and offer has hopefully cheered you up and helped you realise that it WILL sell.
As an aside, our previous kitchen (that we've now had completely refurbished) had the tumble dryer flex coming up through a hole in the counter top. It was an absolute pain when the machine needed replacing because all new appliances have moulded plugs, which can't (easily) be taken off for the wire to thread through the hole.
But conversely, having appliances hard-wired behind the plaster to a socket can also be a pain when you want to replace them. Our new freezer's wire is plugged into a loose socket that hangs underneath the integrated cupboard and is well-hidden by the plinth. When we replace that (which we will need to do sooner rather than later because it's the worst-designed freezer I've ever had in my life), all we have to do is unplug it and switch over.

The right buyer will be out there if the price is right. I remember selling my flat and one of the pieces of feedback was that they didn’t want a second floor that. The floor was clear in the details, but maybe they didn’t realise they didn’t want a second floor flat until they’d seen it, or maybe they just didn’t like that the flat and felt they had to give the agent a ‘reason’.

Just make sure you are realistic on price. We saw one house where the seller told us she had to get x price because she was paying x plus for the house she was buying … but her house wasn’t worth what she decided she ‘had’ to get.

Good luck and I hope you find the perfect place to start your next chapter.

Solicitors always fuss about double-glazing guarantees but when we moved in here and there was an issue with a leaking unit, the company refused to honour it as we weren't the original purchasers. What's the point, then?

Please don't despair. The right buyers will come along. My DD and her XP bought a house with extension cables everywhere because there weren't enough sockets, and wires and plugs and switches in some very odd places. But it was priced right, for a biggish house with a huge garden, it reflected that fact than an electrician would have to give it a go over.

DIY jobs are notorious for hiding problems, I don't think its anything personal. They don't know you or your husband so have no idea if your improvements are up to code.

We refer to my childhood home as the house that Tess built as the previous owner Teresa was quite the DIYer. And the place is insane. The wiring was more than questionable, we had to have an electrician out because light bulbs kept exploding and I have no idea what he found but his only comment before recommending we had the place rewired was 'Fucking hell! Please tell me you didn't put that mirror up with a drill?' We said we had and he said we were lucky we hadn't been electrocuted as there were exposed live wires loose behind the stud wall. God knows what it looked like behind there.

The plumber who put a new bath in pulled up all the landing floorboards, called us upstairs and asked us where this pipework was going as it ran under all the bedrooms and why it was there. We said we didn't know and he said 'Neither do I and I've been 40 years in the trade.' Turned out it ran in a series of weird loops under the bedrooms and then doubled back on itself for no apparent reason whatsoever. The theory is that maybe she planned for ensuites but there really isn't the space so we'll never know.

There was even a chandelier light fitted in the kitchen alongside the regular light. It didn't work and on investigation had never been wired in, just screwed to the ceiling with wires tucked in. And a loft hatch in the airing cupboard that is far far too small for a person to fit through and at an angle that you can't even reach in without lying on your back on the top shelf with your arse on a ladder. The original hatch was covered with lining paper and painted over.

There's nothing wrong with it, except appliances now come with the plug already attached. In order to plug in their own appliances, the plug will have to be cut off. The cable will thread through the hole and the plug rewired onto the cable. This was fine until the 2000s as everyone knew how to wire a plug. But younger people may not know how or may rewire it wrong, or think they'll need to pay someone to do it.

And it looks messy and amateur. To fix it will mean rewiring the kitchen to move the sockets below the counter top.

There is no point you spending money fixing it as others will want to do it differently and why should you? But you should expect that it will be marketed as a doer-upper and that offers will be significantly lower than the asking price.

I wish you well.

£265k for a house that sounds like it needs lots of work? I would bite their hands off!

I think almost all your worries and anxieties are based on ignorance (not in a mean why, I mean just not knowing) of what standard expectations are these days for house buyers.

Have you been to view any properties yourself? Any new builds or modern renovations? Many current trends don’t cost anything more, they’re just sensible and practical minor adjustments.

If you knew what counts as a reasonable expectations these days, you wouldn’t be hung up on things like how an under-countertop appliance plugs in.

Your house sounds like a home, and you’re treating it like a home you’re having to mentally detach from. All very normal. You need to go a step further and just view it as a house. Someone will come along and rip everything out, maybe extend, rewire, change the garden etc etc. Prepare for big things in the survey: not because there’s definitely something wrong but because it’s an opportunity with a house this old and this DIY-ed to get more knocked off the price. Every penny they pay you will be a penny less for their renovation works.

@Balloonhearts 😂 former owner of my parents house used empty flower bags filled with cement to fill in bits of a wall....this was our fave, swear if it wasn't different countries, I would think they were related.
I feel for your kids😂

Yes that's exactly what I had to do, cut the plug off and wire the old plug onto it. Funnily enough, the plug on my washing machine says "Hotpoint" but the washing machine is a Bosch, and I had a Zanussi before that! My husband must have been fitting a plug from several washing machines ago.

Most of FTB probably can't do DIY at allso get worried about everything.
We had the opposite, had a professional do the new heating (we have gone away for a week as big job) and it looks DIY (see pic).
Best advice is to ask agent not to give you feedback each time but collate it and if there is a trend (for example wall looks like it's going to fall down) then get it fixed.

My advice would be not to worry and stop asking for feedback. This is your home, it's worked for you. Someone will either be buying it as their home, or to do it up and make a profit from it - in either case, they'll want to change lots of things. Not a reflection on you, just that they'll have different ideas about what makes a home and, as you said, some things need updating.

Your house has only been listed a couple of weeks and we're approaching Christmas. If it still hasn't had much interest in a month or so, maybe discuss with the agent whether you need to drop the price. Price, size and location - those are the things which will determine whether it sells.

Also remember that the Estate agent is working for YOU, not the buyers .. it's their job to get the best price .. Also as it affects their final percentage fee it's also in their interest..And you'll need the best price you can for moving and your future place .. Be Steadfast.. !! ( But also don't hold out for top whack unnecessarily).. Good luck @Downsizingandmovingon .. hopefully you'll soon sell and be in your lovely new place x

People make disparaging comments to encourage a price drop.

I'd let the agent do the selling and you step away from that side of it. You're selling the house as is and the price reflects that.

Unfortunately you can also expect a buyer to push for a price drop between exchange and completion, be prepared to stand firm and refuse to bow to this blackmail. This is what happens in England now.

But once they have exchanged if they don't complete they have to pay a percentage anyway..

Do long as the property is priced appropriately, it will sell.

It is reasonable for people to feel concerned about the quality of DIY works in a situation where the house has obviously been worked on by a non professional. Your late husband saved a lot of money by doing things himself. He wasn’t a professional electrician / plumber / tiler though, so the work isn’t going to be done to the same standard or necessarily comply to safety standards. People are concerned about the very high costs of having work rectified. The money was saved by doing it DIY- but now it is going to have to be deducted from the sale price. Unfortunately, in today’s cost of living crisis, one cannot have one’s cake and eat it.

They've offered me £265,000, but I haven't said yes yet.

Sorry, I didn't see your news about the offer.

How do you feel about this offer as compared to your asking price? I believe stamp duty increases from the end of March, which may affect interest/asking prices, so there are advantages to completing a sale before the new rules come in.

I believe average discounts on asking prices across the UK fluctuate between 3%-5%. The discount they're asking for is approximately 5.4% so it doesn't seem an unreasonable first offer although I'd probably go back with between £270-275k depending on how keen you are to sell.

Though of course it's all property- and area-specific - your agent should hopefully be able to advise you on this.

We 'must have' double garage (we have none). We want quiet house (backing onto fairly busy road). We want two reception rooms (house was fairly open plan at the time). All of this is on description/floorplan. Lots and lots of timewasters, people on day out, people not in position to proceed and even people who were looking for 2 bedders (ours is 4 bed). Quite often, EA just bring totally unsuitable buyers.

Yes, that was me with the Barry Bucknell. When we removed the hardboard,there was lovely stair bannisters, the doors were 1930s original panels bacolite handles (the picture frames hadn't been removed) we had them acid dipped,it was hell getting off the adhesive and they were nailed as well..we removed lino genuine lino not vinyl sheet,there was beautiful floor boards, and in the kitchen which had a range fireplace (no range)a bread oven which DH put the extractor fan exhaust through, and fabulous terracotta floor tiles,needles to say, I put a range cooker in there. Can we ask roughly what area you live.

Roughly West Midlands.

I feel delighted, especially as the agent has said they are in an excellent position (it's a second-time-round marriage and one of them has already sold their home & banked the money).

Aw, OP! Please don't take it so personally. Remember when buying a house people absolutely have to be cautious. You can't go into the process trusting everything so it's fine that they are suspicious. They don't know you or your husband.

We've got friends who wouldn't touch your house because they are not DIY peoples. I've got other friends who wouldn't be put off at all. You just need the right person to view it

Our house was very dated when we moved in, and we have done 99% of the work ourselves, from new floors to new radiators to new bathroom. However it all looks done to a professional standard for the most part. I would also be worried about the leads being drilled through the work top as it implies you’ve taken the quickest and easiest DIY route. We would have moved the plug sockets to behind the appliance, or wired into a fused spur and hidden the cable.

It wouldn’t necessarily put us off as we would be capable of fixing any less than perfect work, but most of my friends would be put off as they would need to get professionals in to fix that. The light switches in our house were like the krypton factor due to DIY (you had to switch multiple switches in a specific order to get a light on). We’ve been able to take all of this out and fix it, but would have cost hundreds if we’d needed an electrician to sort and we would have never known about it until we moved in.

You know your husband and his capabilities, all they see is someone whose done some straightforward DIY which isn’t necessarily the best sign if there are other similar houses to choose from.

Tell the EA not to give you feedback from the negative nellies.

You should expect to negotiate on price but bear in mind many people will rip out a perfectly good kitchen and bathroom because they feel they need to "stamp their mark on their new home".

If you got an electrical safety check (About £90) then you'd know the house is electrically safe. A gas check never hurts either. I have a lovely boiler man who charges me about £60 for that. This can be shown to the prospective buyers to reassure them that it's safe.
Of course if it comes back and says work is needed then you could obtain a quote for that knowing that this is about how much it'd cost a buyer to put it to todays standards.
This would give you an idea of how much people might want to negotiate off your asking price.

You don't have to do either of these things- but do save yourself from being upset by people who are being fussy.

It's an awful time of year for selling. People are getting ready for Christmas. Early Spring is a much better time so I wouldn't worry too much at the moment.

Kerb appeal is the way to win people over. If it looks nice from the outside people will fall in love and be able to deal with anything inside. A tub with flowers in (you take it when you move!) and a tidy frontage is essential.