Does the house doctor rule still apply now when selling?

Hi everyone, would love a bit of feedback on this subject! cutting a long story short! sister has purchased the house of her dreams, vendor is in no hurry to move so gives my sister a short bit of time to get her own house sold! thing is she was never much for doing anything with her house, her house is on the market 5 weeks not in a great area, looks rented,old & small and not very appealing especially to her target market the first time buyer, but in her eyes her house looks warm inviting cosy, & lived in & believes its just a matter of time before someone snaps the house up! she has so far had 1 viewing & they were in & out within 5 mins & she thinks that was great??? there is just no telling her! I suggested she put a bit of money in to do it up and take some of the furniture out to stop the house looking small and closed in, but she thinks I am mad for even suggesting this! I can see if she doesn't do something with this house fast its going to be on the market for a very longtime !
My question is does it matter anymore if a house is done up to standard or will people still but regardless? or has anybody benefited by putting in the extra few quid doing there house up to sell? and had if worked?

thanks all lorna

Hi,

I'm an EA so I'll give you my tuppence worth. I would say that 95% of prospective purchasers are more likely to buy if there is little or no work to be done, with first time buyers that figure moves to 99%. People don't want hassle now and especially since there is so much choice now they want the one that represents the least inconvenience for the best price. Your sister is setting herself up for a long stay on the market or a poor selling price. You don't have to spend alot to make a difference, a bit of hard work is all that is required and letting go of any sentimental feelings

I absolutely believe that the house doctor rules still apply, I know that I spent a very long time choosing my second house and while I'm fairly good at seeing beyond clutter, dodgy decoration etc. my husband actually walked out of some houses because they looked so off-putting! As for me, it wasn't so much the sights that put me off but the smells! You get used to the smell of your own house and I would suggest to anyone thinking of putting their house on the market to ask a friend who'll be straight with you whether or not the house smells. There was one house that I really, really liked but it has been in flats for some time and the smell of b.o. in one bedroom was so strong that I was convinced I'd never get rid of it and didn't buy as a result.

She needs to clear out clutter and accept objective advice from others. I'm similar - I think all my stuff is only gorgeous but realise that some out there have zero taste In particular, I read somewhere that you should clear out most/all of your books from a place before viewing - I was surprised, but evidently it's better to have clear space rather than book on the shelves. Totally agree on the furniture - if she has somewhere to store the stuff temporarily, she should try and get rid of any icky/big pieces.

I went to a house viewing recently where they had damp towels on the floor, half drunk coffee cups on the table and an unemptied ashtray - it didn't look appealing.

Finally, if her walls are a strong colour, a splash of neutral paint might be a good idea - unfort, one has to make things as bland as possible.

Sprite

I was looking to buy a house last year but have decided to hold off for a while. Yes, in my opinion it does matter how a house looks - especially with so much choice available. If it was in a great location with amazing views then a person might look past the decor but the 'feel' of a house is important too and if it looks dated or as if its been rented then that can be off putting. I think if someone was really interested they would definetly hang around more than 5 minutes. I would advise your sister to remove all furniture except the bare essentials and to paint it in neutrals colours. Remove photos or any other personal items - take a look at daft and at the type of photos seen there to get an idea of the competition and what purchasers expect to see when they walk into a house.

Is she selling it herself by the way or using an EA?

I think I'd leave her to realise the error of her ways on her own. Its not rocket science that you need to present something well in order to sell it. Applies to more than just houses.

I would say it will either stay on the market for a long time or someone (who can see through the clutter)may put in an offer way below what it's on the market for either way she loses. I would have thought her EA would have told her how to move the house quickly i.e put some effort into it!!!

Declutter, declutter, declutter. Throw the stuff into the attic if you have to but declutter. I'm speaking both as a buyer and a seller at the moment. We put a couple of hours work into our house before every viewing, cleaning, tidying, throwing stuff out, even moving it temporarily into the car if we have to! And, thankfully, the viewings are brisk and we're even getting a couple of offers. You'll always get an experienced head who can see past the decor, clutter etc etc but IMHO FTBs and anyone who wants a handy enough move (people with kids, busy lives etc) will take the most attractive house on the block. Lots of people out there these days are also underbidding to try and get a bargain and a dingy house won't help!!

When I show a house I always try to help the viewer see themselves there. So I'm with the "declutter" tribe. I'd usually advise against redecorating (unless it's a really strong theme) because everyone wants to put their own stamp on a place. In the current clime however, I'm rethinking that.

I wont even rent a holiday apartment over the net unless I can "picture" myself in it and someone elses clutter, even then would put me off.

Good point about the smell factor, dogs, cooking and all the unmentionable smells need to be eliminated.