Photos of house look too good

[photostoogood]

So we’ve been on the market just over a week, had 6 viewings with another tomorrow. We want to sell quickly, not prepared to put anymore money into this house, we’ve extended the back so have a large kitchen diner, brand new garden patio, fences, grass etc. New boiler a year old, new radiators, new flooring throughout and decorated nicely.
But, it’s a little rough around the edges in places due to us doing most of the decorating (we’re not the best painters) Dh fitted the floors which he’s done very well but lacks some beading around some edges like under the stairs, internal doors are the original ones from when it was built and do need replacing, couple of windows blown on the front of the house, downstairs toilet the tiles etc were taken off the wall and no floor so that is unfinished. I think thats the main bits really. It’s perfectly liveable and in the “nice” part of town, quiet with a school a 2 min walk away, park shops and pub also a 5 min walk away.

Anyway, the pictures look lovely, really makes the house look gorgeous and I’m worrying when people come in and see the toilet and doors it’s putting them off.
What can we say to viewers? I’ve been honest, we’ve had two kids very close together and that’s been the priority, we run our own company so dh is very busy all week, we just haven’t had the time to finish and have got to the point where we need a bigger house.
The feedback so far has mentioned storage space (no garage but fitted wardrobes) and that the layout wasn’t for them (even though they said they liked the fact it was open plan)
We just want to sell it!! We’ve a house we want and can’t move forwards until we have a buyer !!

Some viewers won't notice..others will.

When I was viewing the little stuff made me worry about the quality of the big stuff so I didn't buy.

If you want to sell quickly I think you’re going to have to put more money into it to get the jobs finished.

I think buyers fall into two camps generally - either people buying a doer-upper, priced accordingly, or those who want something finished. Not a half finished shoddily done house. Nothing excessive but just tidy up the unfinished bits like the beading, the blown windows and the downstairs loo. They’d make me think the rest of it is a botch job and put me off, especially as I think in most places it’s a buyers market at the moment.

Are the photos AI manipulated or just well taken photographs? If the latter, I wouldn't worry. They are clearly helping to attract people to view your home which is what you want. It sounds like the sort of house that will sell easily unless you have over priced it.

You want the photos to get people through the door. But you don’t want people to be disappointed when they do.
If the house is marketed as immaculate, it does seem a bit devious if there are unfinished jobs. And I would worry about the quality of house overall. I think you need to finish the jobs to enable you to get the best price for the house.

The pics are just taken really well, don’t get me wrong you can tell it’s the same house but there must be a filter on them.
Im flat out refusing to put anymore money into the house, the windows are pretty obvious to anyone that a couple are blown, the doors are obvious they’re old, and the toilet isn’t even big, it’s a tiny little room that needs some tiles/panelling. Hopefully the right buyer will come along who wants to put their own stamp on it anyway. I just didn’t know if I was talking too much when the viewers come round if that makes sense ?!

Whats the house on the market for? If you are refusing to spend a tiny fraction of the sale price to finish some bits and bobs then more fool you.

i would replace the blown glass units and do the loo. You are clearly able to do these jobs yourself so I don’t know why you wouldn’t 🤷🏽‍♀️

The pictures are mainly to get potential buyers through the door. The description should be accurate but accentuate positive things eg desirable area of town, 2 minute walk to local school with good ofsted rating, not immaculate condition/ full renovation.

You don't need to replace the windows. You just need to price it correctly. The buyers will be adding up the costs of replacing the windows/ doors, etc as they look around and this will usually factor into whether they offer and how much the offer. You have had a good level of interest so far which is the first step. Can't you leave the viewings to your estate agent? It does sound as if you may be over explaining!

The OP has said that they have two young children and very busy jobs. It's perfectly reasonable to not do the jobs before sale. There are plenty of probate type properties on the market that haven't had anything spent on them for 30 years. The key thing is to price them correctly, taking into account the amount of work that a buyer would want or need to do.

So we’ve listed at 215k. All 3 agents said that price to us, we are willing to go down and have made that clear to viewers. We’re terraced town house, a row of three houses and us in the middle. We also have our own drive.

I disagree about spending anymore money, we literally haven’t got any time to do the work ! Everything is fitting around the children and our company, time isn’t something we have. It’s not like we’ve been lazy we’ve done a hell of a lot but just can’t do anymore.

Thank you, this so many times. There are some absolute shitholes on the market, this is far from a shithole it just needs a little tlc, it’s cosmetic work on a small part. The windows will happen to any house once they’re over a certain amount of years old.

I’d agree with this.
You could probably sort everything for £1k. Window panes are about £100 each fitted.
Find a handyman to spend a couple of days tiling, flooring and fitting the beading.
I wouldn’t worry about doors as long as they are clean and undamaged.

As above. I would get the internal bits done. Just pay someone.

It's not about the work but the message it sends.

I wouldn't bother with the doors. The blown units just have the glass replaced. It's not messy and can be done quickly.

With everything you've done you should be able to command a premium for finish but are letting it fall into doer up in buyers minds for jobs that could be sorted in a day.

If course they could do this but if they are looking for done, they don't want to and it makes them question the quality overall.

I know you are pushed for time but constant tidying for viewings that don't lead to sales is arguably a less efficient use of your time than just getting it sorted.

We are selling an absolute shithole... on behalf of a relative going into care.
It is easy to sell a shithole, people can see what it is and it is priced accordingly. We accepted asking price offer(today).

Trouble with a house that needs a little tlc is that people can see that you haven't given that tlc to the visible bits, so what is lurking under the surface. Buyer beware and all that. Employ a general handyman for a couple of days to do some cosmetic stuff, a "cloudy to clear" window person, less than 1K... or drop the price....

Blown windows wouldn't worry me as I've had to change some of mine but it would worry those who never have.

The doors wouldn't worry me either but the toilet room would. I don't expect immaculate but I also don't expect to do walls and floor that have been ripped out. I would be wondering if it's had a flood and whether it's been fixed or bodged, and assume bodged.

A lot of buyers will expect you to drop 1k a blown window (even if it will only cost £100 to fix) - - are you willing to drop 10-25k off your asking price due to the windows and toilet room?

My DS offered on a house like this. We don't live close and he viewed himself - a young FTB. The photos were fab.

The survey basically said it was all completed to a DIY standard and then promptly described all the minor failings and took photographs of them all. Mind you some of this included some.pretty concerning things....... electric lighbulbs with dripping condensation, no BR where BR are required, misplacement of driveway and decking above the damp course and replaced windows using old salvages (ie. window/door frames have dates on them and recent fittings were actually 20 years old and fitted poorly so letting in light!) And a large flat roof currently with no guttering so water would be funnelled directly off the end of the roof and into next doors garden!

As a PP said the issue he has was what else would he find if he got involved - how much had been covered up? He almost would prefer a doer upper where he knows what he's letting himself in for and can price lower.

In the end he pulled out.

And that's a risk you will take if the work you've done has been completed poorly or not finished.

You can’t move forwards if you don’t sell, but you can’t sell if no one will buy. Either reduce the price to take account of the things that need doing, or pay someone to do them.

It will put people off, if the reality is very different from the photos.

It’s not majorly different the house does genuinely look lovely in real life and I know there isn’t another round here like it with the extension and garden etc. I’ve spoke to dh and he’s more the one who is reluctant to finish the toilet, I’ve said let’s pay someone, but he’s tight and doesn’t want to pay someone to do it! I’m going to get round him though as I do agree the toilet is off putting. I can’t see what else it would be to be honest

They'll probably only ask for it to be sorted.

My DS asked for a few repairs following the survey of the one he did buy. Not enough he felt to renegotiate but a few bits he wanted sorted. Things it was wise for them to do anyway even if they stayed.

Its all very well saying, well they offered on it like that, but you don't see everything and unfinished stuff is annoying when you move in (unless you happen to be in the trades).

I fear his tightness will only reflect in the price someone will pay. They ain't gonna pay top dollar for the thought.

I had the same issue a couple of years ago. The estate agent advised me to get quotes. 'It would take X to replace the 2 blown windows and Y to tile the downstairs loo so we have set our sske price accordingly . . . ' Worked for us.