Selling our house worth new flooring/carpets and creating utility room first?

[johnw100]

Hi All

We`ve decided to sell our house and after being rented for 4-5 years the carpets are a bit tired, so was considering having wooden floors or new carpets put in. , not sure yet.
Also, we have a short garage (due to a shower room added to one end), which has a small freezer and tumble dryer and bikes. It only has access from the garage door, so was considering having a door from our hallway putting in. Then moving the washing machine from the kitchen into the garage and adding a dishwasher to the kitchen.

Just wondered if its worth doing any of this, or just put it on the market and save us £2500. What does everything think?

Thanks in advance

John

 

[bernardgreen]

Ask the estate agent(s) for advice about the type of property is in demand ( or sells best ) in the area.

 

[Diyisfun]

Let the new purchaser do it as they want.
These makeover programmes that decorate/landscape etc are just cheap TV.
When I view a house, I view it with in mind what I want. If there was a newly decorated room with new carpet etc & I don't want it or I want to knock walls down its just such a waste.
Clean it up & put it on the market, if it dosnt sell then think about throwing money at it.
That's my view

 

[EFLImpudence]

I agree.

If you did make it all perfect, you would be lucky to get the money back, let alone make a profit.
Then anyone can buy it, not only the few who share your tastes.

 

[Shutpa]

Clean it up & put it on the market........Let the new purchaser do it as they want.

Then:

if it dosnt sell then think about throwing money at it.
That's my view

After buying 8 then selling 7 houses since 1960, I can tell johnw that he won't get better advice than Diyisfun has given him here. In fact, apart from a general inexpensive makeover, I have learned from experience that sparkling clean, nicely tiled bathrooms, shower rooms and toilets go a long way to selling a house. To that end, when we decided to put our last house up for sale, I converted a small storage cupboard at the front door, into a showpiece toilet complete with new white £29.00 door and as prospective buyers arrived, that toilet was the first 'room' they got to see! Ever the surveyor was impressed and suggested that since our bathroom, shower room and new downstairs toilet were real showpieces, the house might fetch a bit more than similar houses in the area. And with about a dozen prospective buyers competing, his was a huge understatement.
Good luck with your sale johnw!

 

[Himaginn]

I think there's two aspects (or impressions, if you like) to selling houses. There's 'kerb appeal'. When I've been buying. I would occasionally arrive, and go no further because I could see at a glance that there was something that I could not accept.
Then, as DIYisfun and shutpa indicated, once the prospective buyers are in, there's a few things that matter, perhaps more than anything else:
cleanliness, clutter, kitchen and bathroom(s).
I would always de-clutter, (including the garden) but allow some furniture to suggest how rooms are/could be used. I've even borrowed and bought cheapo beds and other furniture at auction for this purpose. Kitchens and bathrooms do sell houses.

It's about giving the prospective buyers a positive idea of what their life will be like in the house.

Additionally, there is often a ceiling price to houses in any road or location. This is influenced by many factors. Trying to reach or even exceed that ceiling might not be cost effective.

 

[securespark]

Let the new purchaser do it as they want.
These makeover programmes that decorate/landscape etc are just cheap TV.
When I view a house, I view it with in mind what I want. If there was a newly decorated room with new carpet etc & I don't want it or I want to knock walls down its just such a waste.
Clean it up & put it on the market, if it dosnt sell then think about throwing money at it.
That's my view

I do exactly the same. You have to, don't you?

I can see beyond the clutter and furniture and weigh up what I need.

But apparently, so many people can't.

These short-sighted folk need each room dressing as it should be to show them how the space can be used.

 

[johnw100]

Thanks for all the responses, very helpful.

I decided to take the first step and get an agent round and basically said what everyone here has said. Dont bother changing carpets, building work. Unless there is something that is really bad with the property it will sell regardless. And he basically said the house was fine apart from a few worn patches of carpet. So will get it on the market asap and see what happens.

Cheers again all

 

[securespark]

I think you should use a length of 10 milli SWA just to be on the safe side.

 

[Deleted member 63160]

Hi All

We`ve decided to sell our house and after being rented for 4-5 years the carpets are a bit tired, so was considering having wooden floors or new carpets put in. , not sure yet.
Also, we have a short garage (due to a shower room added to one end), which has a small freezer and tumble dryer and bikes. It only has access from the garage door, so was considering having a door from our hallway putting in. Then moving the washing machine from the kitchen into the garage and adding a dishwasher to the kitchen.

Just wondered if its worth doing any of this, or just put it on the market and save us £2500. What does everything think?

Thanks in advance

John

I spent 600 dabs just buying my latest dishwasher. If you can get a knockthrough from hall to garage and refloor/carpeting for 1900 dabs, in London crack on. You can't loose on those rates.