Should we sell as is or do 1930s house up?
Q We are selling our late mother's house and are in the process of choosing an estate agent. The three we have had out to pitch for the business have given us conflicting advice in terms of how we should get the house ready for sale and this is causing tension among my siblings. It is an ordinary 1930s semi that is very dated in terms of decoration.
One agent advised we decorate, mainly repainting (white everywhere!), replacing broken tiles in the bathroom, and so on; the other said do nothing bar give it a clean. The third advised that we remove every stick of furniture and leave it empty. Any objective advice?
A A buyer looking at a house such as your mother’s will not be expecting to buy a property in walk-in, showroom condition so going on a massive and expensive redecoration splurge will be a waste of time and money.
The first thing you must do is declutter, although taking all the furniture out is not generally advisable as an empty house can look desolate and unappealing. Most houses have too much furniture and knick-knacks, so do a radical pruning. Empty kitchen presses and clear work surfaces.
The new owner will almost certainly be replacing the kitchen and bathrooms but they should look clean and uncluttered. Get a skip and anything smelly – carpets, beds – have to go.
Clean everywhere, including woodwork and windows. Remove net curtains to make the place as bright as possible. Only consider painting if, for example, your mother painted or papered the main reception rooms with dark colours or busy patterns so that the place looks dark and smaller than it is. In such a case, it would be worth a coat of magnolia (not white!).
Air the house: if it has not been lived in for a while it might smell musty and damp. At this time of year, it’s worth concentrating on the garden – make sure it’s as presentable as it can be and remove any broken garden furniture, and so on.
If there’s a garage, clear it out – you want buyers to be able to have good access to every part of the property.
Can I find out if it’s a repossession sale?
Q I suspect that a house I have seen advertised is being sold by the bank. Is there a way of finding out?
A Ask the estate agent. They usually have no problem in telling as it is not a secret.
But why do you want to know? If you think you’ll pick up a bargain because it’s a forced sale that’s not the case because it’s most likely that the lender (bank, building society, and so on) will have instructed the agent to get the best possible price in the current market.
If it’s just curiosity, a phone call to the agent should satisfy that itch but, unless you’re thinking of buying, then really it’s not of any material interest to you.
Your questions
Send your queries to Property questions, The Irish Times, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2 or e-mail propertyquestions@irishtimes.com. This column is a readers’ service and is not intended to replace professional advice.
