I'd prefer to see undamaged carpets, otherwise I'd be reducing my offer. If I've gone through the hassle of moving into a house, the last thing I want to do is re-carpet immediately, especially when it's burns & tears, as opposed to minor stains (the latter I could put up with until I was able to re-carpet, but burns & tears need immediate action). In your situation, I'd be buying plain mid-colour carpets.
Good idea - but why leave them
Like I said earlier, best be upfront.
We got rid of carpets because it made a difference to our daughter's asthma.
Much easier to clean.
You can Hoover a carpet any number of times but they'll still harbour "stuff".
I was not suggesting deceit. Just rugs and explain that the carpet is marked. Replacing with cheap is a waste.
I'd prefer to see undamaged carpets, otherwise I'd be reducing my offer. If I've gone through the hassle of moving into a house, the last thing I want to do is re-carpet immediately, especially when it's scorch marks & tears, as opposed to minor stains (the latter I could put up with until I was able to re-carpet). In your situation, I'd be buying a plain mid-colour carpet.
I would be surprised if a marked carpet would make any difference to the price. It's only relatively recently that carpets are included in the price. The valuation is for the house not fixtures and fittings. That is usually between the seller and purchaser.
I would be surprised if a marked carpet would make any difference to the price. It's only relatively recently that carpets are included in the price. The valuation is for the house not fixtures and fittings. That is usually between the seller and purchaser.
I'm just stating my preference, which the OP asked for. If a seller is selling a carpeted house, then it's reasonable to expect presentable carpets, unless they have noted otherwise.
I'm selling a bare house with floorboards, bare walls (some needing plasterwork done), etc. Advice from the estate agent was leave it. Unless it's a brand new turnkey finish house, people buy expecting to decorate and its easier to do that when everything's stripped back.
I'd prefer to see undamaged carpets, otherwise I'd be reducing my offer. If I've gone through the hassle of moving into a house, the last thing I want to do is re-carpet immediately,
But for others it's the first thing they'd want to do.
I once bought a house with carpets included.
Just before the deal was settled the estate agent called me to say the vendor now wanted an extra £500 or he'd take the carpets to his next house. The estate agent was mortified.
I called the bluff and pulled out.
They relented a few hours later.
When I moved in the carpets were there but they removed every light fitting and left bare wires hanging from each ceiling.
The vendor was a solicitor who worked several doors from me and was a rabid "Christian".
The vendor was a solicitor who worked several doors from me and was a rabid "Christian".
It's amazing how petty some vendors can be. Fortunately, my last one was brilliant - left the house spotless, lightbulbs in place and even a roll of toilet paper (always the first thing you need in a new house!)
When I moved out of my last house I made a big effort to clean the carpet but then drove past a few weeks later and saw it in a skip outside.
Thanks for the advice. The burn marks on the bedroom carpet look the worst. It's ten times easier I suppose changing the carpet whilst the house is empty than us having to shift everything out and back in again.
When we bought our house one of the carpets had a hole in it about 5 inches wide. To cover it up the owners had put a small rug over it (about the size of a bath mat) and it was the funniest thing i had seen. Awful old 80s style horrible condition red carpet with a small blue rug in a random place. The hole was the least of the worries there!
Ironically they (or the estate agents) had gone to the trouble of adding the not at all suspicious blue rug, but were happy to leave the downstairs loo with a urine soaked furry carpet!
You can get carpet so cheap nowadays i would leave it so the new owners can put one in of their choice.
It's amazing how petty some vendors can be. Fortunately, my last one was brilliant - left the house spotless, lightbulbs in place and even a roll of toilet paper (always the first thing you need in a new house!)
When I moved out of my last house I made a big effort to clean the carpet but then drove past a few weeks later and saw it in a skip outside.
In fairness, I've moved house about eight times and the vendor I mentioned was unique in that his actions were petty and, quite dangerous.
I think your carpet story is pretty typical.
We are looking to put our house on the market fairly soon. We are currently sorting out a few minor DIY jobs before doing so.
Our bedroom carpet has a few small burn marks from my daughter putting hot straighteners down on it (grrrrrr) and our hall carpet has got a bit of damage from a cat clawing at it.
Now, do we replace the carpets ourselves with a cheapish neutral carpet or do we leave it for any potential buyers to do for themselves to their taste and allow for that in negotiations?
If we have to do it we will but I'd hate to put down a carpet if someone's going to change it anyway. It would also delay us getting us getting the house onto a fairly fluid market.
So, what would you prefer? I've tried asking an estate agent but getting a definite opinion proved impossible.
Interesting post which has drawn some interesting opinions too!
I've been considering putting my house on the market as i really want to downsize to a one bed flat which will prove more economical to maintain and run. However a fair bit of work needs doing on my house such as decorating throughout, three windows and porch door (all upvc) badly need replacing, and the lounge carpet which extends into the hall and stair as it's open plan.
My d-i-l who is in property says i should do a 'make over' just to make it more presentable, but the costs would still run into thousands and that's money i'm not going to get back.
I'd rather sell 'as is' because like many have mentioned, people have different ideas about colour schemes etc. But when i watch these property programmes i always get annoyed by the number of folk who turn their nose up at a house simply because the Kitchen is 'the wrong colour' or they don't like the carpet.
Interesting post which has drawn some interesting opinions too!
I've been considering putting my house on the market as i really want to downsize to a one bed flat which will prove more economical to maintain and run. However a fair bit of work needs doing on my house such as decorating throughout, three windows and porch door (all upvc) badly need replacing, and the lounge carpet which extends into the hall and stair as it's open plan.
My d-i-l who is in property says i should do a 'make over' just to make it more presentable, but the costs would still run into thousands and that's money i'm not going to get back.
I'd rather sell 'as is' because like many have mentioned, people have different ideas about colour schemes etc. But when i watch these property programmes i always get annoyed by the number of folk who turn their nose up at a house simply because the Kitchen is 'the wrong colour' or they don't like the carpet.
Some people have very high expectations!
If it's the odd thing that needs doing in isolation, like a carpet needs replacing or a door need re-fitting, then I think people don't mind that, however from what you're describing, you're relying heavily on someone using their imagination to see past all of the work that needs doing and still want to buy it. A lot of people like the idea of being able to move straight into somewhere hassle free, so you've got to factor that in. You've also got to think about who you're marketing to. If it's first time buyers, a lot of them don't want any hassle or mess in their first purchase and therefore won't really want a 'project' or anything more than a place that requires a simple lick of paint.
When we bought our house one of the carpets had a hole in it about 5 inches wide. To cover it up the owners had put a small rug over it (about the size of a bath mat) and it was the funniest thing i had seen. Awful old 80s style horrible condition red carpet with a small blue rug in a random place. The hole was the least of the worries there!
Ironically they (or the estate agents) had gone to the trouble of adding the not at all suspicious blue rug, but were happy to leave the downstairs loo with a urine soaked furry carpet!
You can get carpet so cheap nowadays i would leave it so the new owners can put one in of their choice.
Did you not have a survey done? My friend had a survey done on her property (by the buyer) and the surveyor was lifting up all the rugs etc to make sure they weren't hiding anything untoward. I've never been present when a survey has been carried out, well not a home buyers survey, so I didn't realise they were so meticulous!:o although by the sounds of it, a lot probably needed replacing when you got the house!:D
Did you not have a survey done? My friend had a survey done on her property (by the buyer) and the surveyor was lifting up all the rugs etc to make sure they weren't hiding anything untoward. I've never been present when a survey has been carried out, well not a home buyers survey, so I didn't realise they were so meticulous!:o although by the sounds of it, a lot probably needed replacing when you got the house!:D
We bought the house for a really good price from one of my boyfriends relations who assured us it was in good condition so i dont think we had that. It was such a bargain that we snapped it up on his word that it was great.
Just before we viewed it (after starting the process to buy) he decided to tell us that he hadnt actually seen the inside of the house since he started renting it out 8 years before! He had offers from other people but nobody would buy it until they viewed it and the tenants were refusing to move out or let anyone in for viewings. When they eventually moved out then we got to look round.
To be fair the kitchen, once we gave it a good clean, looked brand new, and we were planning on putting in a new bathroom and carpets anyway as well as repainting so it wasnt a great annoyance. It just amused me that someone went to the effort of covering the hole, which if im honest wouldve been covered by a bed anyway, but left a thick pile carpet in the downstairs toilet that was soaked in urine.
We bought the house for a really good price from one of my boyfriends relations who assured us it was in good condition so i dont think we had that. It was such a bargain that we snapped it up on his word that it was great.
Just before we viewed it (after starting the process to buy) he decided to tell us that he hadnt actually seen the inside of the house since he started renting it out 8 years before! He had offers from other people but nobody would buy it until they viewed it and the tenants were refusing to move out or let anyone in for viewings. When they eventually moved out then we got to look round.
To be fair the kitchen, once we gave it a good clean, looked brand new, and we were planning on putting in a new bathroom and carpets anyway as well as repainting so it wasnt a great annoyance. It just amused me that someone went to the effort of covering the hole, which if im honest wouldve been covered by a bed anyway, but left a thick pile carpet in the downstairs toilet that was soaked in urine.
Carpet in the toilet is unforgivable. Lord only knows who thought this was good idea!
We had an estate agent round yesterday and I was giving him a list of things I need to do...
His advice was dont bother, it wont make a huge (if any) difference to the selling price and people will just paint over, remove tiles, remove carpet etc
I was really surprised. But I would be embarrassed to show it as it is!
It won't necesarily put much on the selling price but it will help your property sell by providing less excuses for people not to buy. If there a buyer who is interested in two similar properties then they will tend to lean towards the one in the better decorative order. Also, if a buyer is looking to knock a chunk off the asking price they will use the poor decorative state as one of the reasons even though it may be superficial.
Did you not have a survey done? My friend had a survey done on her property (by the buyer) and the surveyor was lifting up all the rugs etc to make sure they weren't hiding anything untoward. I've never been present when a survey has been carried out, well not a home buyers survey, so I didn't realise they were so meticulous!:o although by the sounds of it, a lot probably needed replacing when you got the house!:D
If a surveyor lifts part of a carpet it's to check on the condition of the floor or to check for damp.
With an ordinary valuation it's unlikely they'd even do that.
In my previous career I read hundreds of valuation reports and Homebuyers reports and I've never read a comment on the condition of a carpet - only the structure of the property and maybe the general decor.
As I said earlier, when I bought my current house, a student bedsit, the decor was disgraceful but I saw its potential if I put in some work. It was unrecognisable within a year.
It's amazing how petty some vendors can be. Fortunately, my last one was brilliant - left the house spotless, lightbulbs in place and even a roll of toilet paper (always the first thing you need in a new house!)
When I moved out of my last house I made a big effort to clean the carpet but then drove past a few weeks later and saw it in a skip outside.
We moved last year, and our vendors took everything they possibly could - light fittings, the door handles from the dining room, light bulbs, the blinds from the living room, toilet roll holders, and even the smoke alarms! And they'd left the living room carpet in such a disgusting state we had to delay moving in (thankfully we were staying with my parents at the time as there was a delay between selling our old place and completing on this one) so the flooring people could come round and sort it for us. We'd planned to replace the carpet with wooden flooring anyway, just hadn't banked on it being before we even moved in!
To the OP, I'd leave the carpets, maybe just clean them up a bit. Whoever buys your place will likely want to decorate anyway.
My parents have ripped up their carpets to show off the slate flooring underneath, the problem being that slate is f******* freezing in the morning! The upstairs bedrooms are mainly still carpetted. I like the aesthetics of wood and slate, but I couldn't have it in all rooms.
Re: the actual question the OP asked... I really wouldn't bother. Buyers fall across a broad spectrum of 'wanting a place they can move into and change nothing' to 'wanting to rip out everything and do it themselves'. You have no problem with the latter, and with the latter, your house would need to be exactly what they want in every way anyway to impress them (normally including a very new top spec bathroom and kitchen). Unless your house has THAT potential, it won't be worth changing a carpet or too, and even if it is is will put off the 'rough and ready' buyers.
When we bought our flat, we wanted something that we could move straight into and not spend money on for a while. It was freshly painted and had a new carpet in the sitting room, the carpets in the hall, stairs, landing and bedroom whilst old were in a reasonable state. We have lived there for 5 years and haven't changed a thing apart from painting it. I have to say we wouldn't have bought it had there been a lot to do and I don't see why anyone would want to sell a house with a hole burnt into their carpet aren't you meant to be showcasing your house at it's best.
We're getting ready to sell our house, probably now for 2 or 3 years yet, depending on the market, but we're stripping all the paper off all the walls, getting a plasterer in to skim it all so that we can just paint it, it's so much easier.
we've got wooden flooring in the hall and dining room, but we're laying carpet in the rest, just for our benefit really.
When we first moved in here 10 years ago, we ripped up all the carpets - which were cheap and old, and painted all the walls we could, so, no I wouldn't bother doing anything
I wouldn't replace carpets, always makes me laugh when it's mentioned in particulars as though it's an extra that you should be grateful for. During our last move the removal men offered to take up the horrible red carpet, which pleased me enormously as there was, as I suspected, gorgeous wood flooring underneath, which I had totally refurbished - cost less than carpeting and is so warm underfoot you'd think there was underfloor heating
Comments
I was not suggesting deceit. Just rugs and explain that the carpet is marked. Replacing with cheap is a waste.
I would be surprised if a marked carpet would make any difference to the price. It's only relatively recently that carpets are included in the price. The valuation is for the house not fixtures and fittings. That is usually between the seller and purchaser.
You have a very honest face
I once bought a house with carpets included.
Just before the deal was settled the estate agent called me to say the vendor now wanted an extra £500 or he'd take the carpets to his next house. The estate agent was mortified.
I called the bluff and pulled out.
They relented a few hours later.
When I moved in the carpets were there but they removed every light fitting and left bare wires hanging from each ceiling.
The vendor was a solicitor who worked several doors from me and was a rabid "Christian".
It's amazing how petty some vendors can be. Fortunately, my last one was brilliant - left the house spotless, lightbulbs in place and even a roll of toilet paper (always the first thing you need in a new house!)
When I moved out of my last house I made a big effort to clean the carpet but then drove past a few weeks later and saw it in a skip outside.
When we bought our house one of the carpets had a hole in it about 5 inches wide. To cover it up the owners had put a small rug over it (about the size of a bath mat) and it was the funniest thing i had seen. Awful old 80s style horrible condition red carpet with a small blue rug in a random place. The hole was the least of the worries there!
Ironically they (or the estate agents) had gone to the trouble of adding the not at all suspicious blue rug, but were happy to leave the downstairs loo with a urine soaked furry carpet!
You can get carpet so cheap nowadays i would leave it so the new owners can put one in of their choice.
I think your carpet story is pretty typical.
I've been considering putting my house on the market as i really want to downsize to a one bed flat which will prove more economical to maintain and run. However a fair bit of work needs doing on my house such as decorating throughout, three windows and porch door (all upvc) badly need replacing, and the lounge carpet which extends into the hall and stair as it's open plan.
My d-i-l who is in property says i should do a 'make over' just to make it more presentable, but the costs would still run into thousands and that's money i'm not going to get back.
I'd rather sell 'as is' because like many have mentioned, people have different ideas about colour schemes etc. But when i watch these property programmes i always get annoyed by the number of folk who turn their nose up at a house simply because the Kitchen is 'the wrong colour' or they don't like the carpet.
Some people have very high expectations!
If it's the odd thing that needs doing in isolation, like a carpet needs replacing or a door need re-fitting, then I think people don't mind that, however from what you're describing, you're relying heavily on someone using their imagination to see past all of the work that needs doing and still want to buy it. A lot of people like the idea of being able to move straight into somewhere hassle free, so you've got to factor that in. You've also got to think about who you're marketing to. If it's first time buyers, a lot of them don't want any hassle or mess in their first purchase and therefore won't really want a 'project' or anything more than a place that requires a simple lick of paint.
Did you not have a survey done? My friend had a survey done on her property (by the buyer) and the surveyor was lifting up all the rugs etc to make sure they weren't hiding anything untoward. I've never been present when a survey has been carried out, well not a home buyers survey, so I didn't realise they were so meticulous!:o although by the sounds of it, a lot probably needed replacing when you got the house!:D
We bought the house for a really good price from one of my boyfriends relations who assured us it was in good condition so i dont think we had that. It was such a bargain that we snapped it up on his word that it was great.
Just before we viewed it (after starting the process to buy) he decided to tell us that he hadnt actually seen the inside of the house since he started renting it out 8 years before! He had offers from other people but nobody would buy it until they viewed it and the tenants were refusing to move out or let anyone in for viewings. When they eventually moved out then we got to look round.
To be fair the kitchen, once we gave it a good clean, looked brand new, and we were planning on putting in a new bathroom and carpets anyway as well as repainting so it wasnt a great annoyance. It just amused me that someone went to the effort of covering the hole, which if im honest wouldve been covered by a bed anyway, but left a thick pile carpet in the downstairs toilet that was soaked in urine.
Carpet in the toilet is unforgivable. Lord only knows who thought this was good idea!
With an ordinary valuation it's unlikely they'd even do that.
In my previous career I read hundreds of valuation reports and Homebuyers reports and I've never read a comment on the condition of a carpet - only the structure of the property and maybe the general decor.
As I said earlier, when I bought my current house, a student bedsit, the decor was disgraceful but I saw its potential if I put in some work. It was unrecognisable within a year.
We moved last year, and our vendors took everything they possibly could - light fittings, the door handles from the dining room, light bulbs, the blinds from the living room, toilet roll holders, and even the smoke alarms! And they'd left the living room carpet in such a disgusting state we had to delay moving in (thankfully we were staying with my parents at the time as there was a delay between selling our old place and completing on this one) so the flooring people could come round and sort it for us. We'd planned to replace the carpet with wooden flooring anyway, just hadn't banked on it being before we even moved in!
To the OP, I'd leave the carpets, maybe just clean them up a bit. Whoever buys your place will likely want to decorate anyway.
Re: the actual question the OP asked... I really wouldn't bother. Buyers fall across a broad spectrum of 'wanting a place they can move into and change nothing' to 'wanting to rip out everything and do it themselves'. You have no problem with the latter, and with the latter, your house would need to be exactly what they want in every way anyway to impress them (normally including a very new top spec bathroom and kitchen). Unless your house has THAT potential, it won't be worth changing a carpet or too, and even if it is is will put off the 'rough and ready' buyers.
we've got wooden flooring in the hall and dining room, but we're laying carpet in the rest, just for our benefit really.
When we first moved in here 10 years ago, we ripped up all the carpets - which were cheap and old, and painted all the walls we could, so, no I wouldn't bother doing anything
I think it's hardwood flooring that people go for these days; laminate is seen as being cheap and will not help to sell a house.
Or shaving it with a razor can work on singed carpets.