Your property queries answered
Can we stop irritating and pointless viewings
Your advice in an article in January was for sellers to look for buyers who are either "sale agreed" on their own houses or cash buyers. It makes sense but how in practice can I do this? Our house has been for sale since last September and viewings have trailed off to on average one a week, some of whom are complete time wasters. The one last week had the cheek to actually admit they were only interested in seeing our extension as they were planning something similar! Can I ask my agent to restrict viewings only to cash buyers or those with sale agreed as the disturbance of these impromptu pointless viewings is becoming very irritating?
Snoopers and tyre kickers have always been a feature of house sales - it's just more frustrating when they're not outnumbered by genuine buyers. Good agents do try to sound out the true intentions of buyers but it is difficult. Someone whose own house is "sale agreed" today might find that the sale has fallen through tomorrow and be back to square one, and who really knows the cash status of another person?
Quite aside from that, everyone who works in sales, especially in high-end sales, will tell you that it's often the most unlikely person who buys the big ticket item. In a buyers' market such as this, it's the seller that has to be more flexible. At the height of the boom, this column had (bitter!) personal experience of attempting to view a house only to be told by the agent that the seller couldn't be bothered getting it together as there had been so much interest, he knew he'd get a great price anyway. So really it's the buyers' turn for calling the shots.
In saying that, it's difficult to keep a house shipshape over such a long period of time especially if you have children. Could you ask your agent to limit viewings to a particular time slot, say two hours, on a certain day of the week, every week, that way you'll have a timetable to work to in terms of cleaning, etc, and the whole experience should be more manageable.
Will matching windows add value to our house?
Is there any way of gauging how much value renovations add to a house? We know that in two years' time we will have outgrown our house - a redbrick, 100-year-old artisan dwelling. We got a good price for PVC replacement windows and door for the front (we already did the back three years ago when we extended) and my husband is keen to get the work done as the aluminium windows that are already there are not very attractive. There is the savings on heat to think of and he thinks matching windows front and back would make the house more attractive. Would we get our money back when we sell?
As you plan to sell in the short term and as there is no urgent need to replace the windows (ugliness doesn't count) you would be better saving your money towards the deposit for your next house. Heat savings over a two-year period won't come near the amount of money you will have to pay for the windows. There is also a good chance that the new buyers won't share your love of PVC - they could even see it as a negative in a charming artisan redbrick and may prefer to replace your aluminium with double glazed timber sash windows. Such buyers won't pay a premium for something they plan on replacing. Matching windows front and back are rarely a deal-breaker.
Send your queries to Property Questions, The Irish Times, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2 or email propertyquestions@irish-times.ie. Unfortunately, it is not possible to respond to all questions. The above is a representative sample of queries received. This column is a readers' service and is not intended to replace professional advice. No individual correspondence will be entered into.
