House about to go on the market. Any useful tips?

Thanks to all the well wishers.
A bad start as I missed 2 phone calls. My phone was on silent.
I've been at work all morning and managed to drop a cake on the floor.!

I downsized last year. My estate agent recommended that he conducted the viewings. I was happy to take his advice.

I returned 15 mins earlier than the suggested time and parked behind my house while I waited for his text to say the 3 sets of viewers had left. I did find it rather disconcerting to sit in the car facing the rear of my house and see total strangers looking out of my bedroom window!

I have just sold a house. Luckily it was to a cash buyer. Four months and a lot of money was originally wasted, because the first lot of buyers lied to their mortgage lenders. When the mortgage lenders found out, they dropped them. Then the buyers couldn't get anyone else to lend them sufficient money. So we lost them. Meanwhile, we had racked up a few thousand pounds in conveyancing fees. That was so annoying and unnescessary.
So make sure your EA does their "due diligence" (ours didn't) and the prospective buyers' finances are properly checked out before you go ahead and accept their offer!

I hope it all goes well Grammaretto
🙏

Be prepared to move quickly ! My friend in the south has sold and bought all in 6 weeks. The move is next week and they are exhausted with so much running around and organising so many things. They are also shocked at how expensive it is to move and how many additional costs they hadn’t thought of.

Trouble

Has the agent highlighted the buses? It is one of my top factors in my next move and five buses impresses me more than it probably should!

This is exactly the reason I do all viewings myself. I have a far more detailed knowledge of the area and all its amenities and services, than any agent, because I've lived there for years.

My agents job is to obtain and give me some basic info about each viewer , and my presentation of the property will be slanted to their circumstances.

I wish I could have my house in tip top condition but it's not going to happen.

I did reasonably well for the photos for the brochure but that will have to do.
It's such a big property I think it will be attractive to developers - sadly.

Clean and tidy house with absolutely minimum knick knacks, flowers, open windows if weather permits and no smelly food odours. I would also clear away any personal items and definitely no photos or toiletries on show. If estate agent is doing the showings then I would definitely make sure no pocket sized ornaments as when selling 1 house 3 crystal ornaments disappeared. When selling another in a different country with open house events held by realtor I lost 2 large gardening books. Presumably when realtor was showing to people in a different room someone wandered in and took them.

An estate agent who understands potential buyers is well worth his/her fee.
When we were buyers, back in 1979, the EA spotted us as the youngish energetic couple who would take on the run-down house in the right street. The vendors became like extra grandparents to the DC, then aged 7 and 5. Happy days!

Katekeeprunning

This is superficial but I hate to see badly made or unmade beds. It makes me squirm

My pet hate as well. Even looking on Rightmove sellers haven’t taken the time to make the beds properly (or very lumpy) or tidy away washing, clutter etc. in their photo particulars. My immediate thought is how well have they maintained the house if they can’t be bothered about having decent photos!

In general, as an ex estate agent, I would recommend allowing the agent to do the viewings. However you do need a GOOD agent, and from what I saw when I last moved 2 years ago, there aren't that many around!! A good agent, should ensure that all of their staff have viewed your home, so that they know what they're talking about when showing people around, or talking to them on the phone. They should also turn up about 10 minutes early, to ensure that prospective purchasers don't have to wait around, and during that time, if the viewers aren't already there, should check out your home, making sure to put toilet lids down, and lights on where necessary if it's a dark room or a dark day.

The reason they should show the property, unless you're like one previous poster, and have the time to check out with the agent beforehand, what the buyer's are looking for, is that if you're unaware that they're not really keen on gardening, and you have a lovely big garden, you may wax lyrical about how much garden there is, and how long you spend tending it, which could completely put them off. To some people, having a regular bus service could be wonderful, but to others, like myself, it could be off putting, because I used to have a regular double decker bus service running past my old house, and people would look straight in my windows, which I found really intrusive. Of course there are numerous things which you might think are great about your house, but unless you know what the buyers are looking for, you could completely put them off, hence the agent is best placed to do the viewings, and as other posters have said, you pay a lot of money for their service, so make sure you get your money's worth.

Most definitely declutter, by taking the opportunity to donate items that are no longer needed. Then a further trimming of personal items, excessive decorative items, books etc etc. Pack them up in boxes, store in the shed or garage (I actually used a self storage container) then moved the items when you relocate. You need to 'dress' your house to be as neutral as possible so that viewers can imagine themselves and their belongings in situ. They need to visualise the space as light & airy, you're providing an idea of what could be. Viewers can be overwhelmed by too much of what is your family home, although very good, warm & cosy for you with your loved belongings that can just mean crowded and overpowering. It actually helps when you move too, as you've begun the packing up! I purchased lots of used, very strong, cardboard boxes on eBay, a huge roll of bubble wrap and a parcel tape gun. I can remember unpaid my No 2 granddaughter 50p a box to pack up hundreds of my books. She loved the tape gun and became very proficient. I also had my house deep cleaned by a local firm, about £200. On viewing days - I would only allow viewings on one day a week, just for my convenience - I would always have fresh flowers in two rooms, I didn't bother with bread baking or coffee brewing. I sold quickly and felt it was totally worth the effort I put in. Hopefully it was my last move.

I'd ask the agents if they can schedule as many viewings as possible on the same day, so that you're not constantly tidying up. I also agree that it's better to go out and get the agent to take viewers round, though I sometimes did this with them if they wanted a second or subsequent visit as they may have had questions that the agent can't answer.
I used to keep a clean set of towels for each bathroom and pillows in fresh pillow cases in the wardrobe to use just for viewings. It isn't too much of a faff and does make the rooms look nice. In my case I did put a clean white cotton duvet cover on, as we had relatively few viewings because we were selling around the times of the Covid lockdowns.
We actually didn't have the house on the open market and the agent only brought people round whom they felt would be really interested and were proceedable buyers - they had another similar house locally and brought people round for both viewings. We had just three interested parties who had already sold and two made offers.

This is superficial but I hate to see badly made or unmade beds. It makes me squirm

I have been decluttering for the last 2 years Maremia but it's been slow and gradual.
It needs to speed up now and once I've sold there'll be a skip.

I don't know where I'm moving to yet so can't get rid of everything.

I sold some furniture at auction last week and I have sent hundreds of books to charity.

My house is probably going "live" this afternoon so it will need to be sold as seen

I also have tenants in part of my house who will need to give viewers permission.
"By appointment only" is my plan.

I must fetch a ladder and clean a high up dirty window. Hope I don't fall off.

hide all your cr*p.. you will be surprised how much rubbish you have ... its a nuisance having to keep your home clean and tidy ... try to get elderly relatives to look after your kids !

Good Luck

I’d do a super deep clean everywhere and make it smell lovely, a bit of kerb appeal if on a road or pots full of soft pastles if not on a road.

Your old house must have been amazing MOnica.

Yes, to the flowers and the 'kerb' appeal.
If you are downsizing, can you start to clear away things you won't be taking?
Recycle, give away, dump?
Good luck.

Yes, we too are house renovators and, in our 80s, moved into just such a house when we downsized last year.

If you spoke to someone like Age Concern, they may probably know people who are professional declutters who will come round and will help you physically and mentally clear out the house. You do not mention children and whether they live near you and could help.

When we were clearing out we hired a skip, so we did not have to do lots of trips to the tip. When we moved into our current home we hired a skip to put all the rubbish the previous owner left behind into.

MadMeg
Realistically start with how much do you need to buy a bungalow where you live.
From what you describe there is no way you can sort out your home. It is what it is.
From what you describe your house stands on a reasonably sized plot.
If that is the case there is every possibility that that size of plot would be very attractive to developers.
Or you just might be lucky and find a couple like me and Mr P who say, yeh, we can do this.
One property we bought had been a crack den ( we had to dispose of all the needles scattered around) empty for 7 years, and offices for 10 years before that. Oh, and at some time the roof had nigh on collapsed.
There is someone out there who wants your property.

Madmeg, you've more than enough on your plate at the moment without worrying about getting your house 'top notch' for selling. I've always enjoyed looking for houses to decorate and there are plenty like me!
Get the ball rolling if you need to move, and find a good local solicitor (this makes all the difference, in my opinion).
We are all at different life stages and some times compromises need to be made, if your home is less than perfect so be it, I bet someone will love to take it into it's next chapter, hope it goes well for you and your DH

I think in your situation Madmeg I would either stay put and make the best of living on the ground floor or speak to an estate agent and ask their advice and a valuation or two
You might not achieve the highest price but someone will love your spacious house and you would have enough to move to somewhere smaller and more manageable.

We need to move from our 5-bed, 5 downstaairs rooms plus bathrooms/utility room - a good-size family house. DH is now quite disabled and we need a small bungalow. But we have 45-years worth of clutter everywhere and it all needs redecorating and we simply can't manage it. Last week I flooded the en-suite and the water cascaded through the hall lights (3 lots) and the hall carpet is now badly stained. The front porch is gravely in need of new decor and flooring too, so the entrance isn't the best.

We accept that it won't fetch top price but worry as to how much lower than "norm" it will be, as bungalows are not cheap to buy at all. Maybe more important is how long it will take to find a buyer, as our need to move is pretty urgent - DH has a "hospital" bed in the lounge (the best room in the house) plus commode and wheelchair and other equipment which we clearly can't move. The garden isn't great shakes either (but a good size). The garage is a dump as well. I simply can't imagine managing to improve it much at all.

Any advice gratefully received.

Does anyone else ever feel a right twit when you open a door and say, " And this is the bathroom!" Well, what else is the room with a bath and a loo? 🛁 🚽
Or this is the garden!