Selling an unsellable house in the UK can be a challenging task, but it is not impossible. There are several strategies that you can use to increase your chances of finding a buyer and selling your home quickly, with the least amount of stress and hassle.
Consider alternative sale options: If you are having difficulty finding a traditional buyer, you may want to consider alternative sale options such as selling to a cash house buyer or renting the property out.
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What makes a house unsellable in the UK?
When it comes to what makes a house unsellable, there are several key factors that can significantly impact a property’s marketability:
- Major structural issues are often deal-breakers for potential buyers. Problems like subsidence, severe damp, or a crumbling foundation can make a house extremely difficult to sell. These issues are not only expensive to fix but can also pose safety risks.
- Location plays a essential role in a property’s saleability. Houses situated in undesirable areas, such as those near noisy railways, under flight paths, or in high-crime neighbourhoods, can struggle to attract buyers. Even if the house itself is in good condition, a poor location can make it hard to sell.
- Outdated or poorly maintained properties can also be challenging to sell. Homes that require significant renovations or have not been well-maintained over the years may deter buyers looking for move-in ready properties. This is especially true if the cost of necessary repairs outweighs the property’s value.
- Overpricing is another common reason houses become unsellable. If a property is priced well above its market value, it’s likely to sit on the market for an extended period, potentially becoming stigmatised.
- Legal issues can also render a property unsellable. These might include boundary disputes, unclear ownership, or unresolved planning permission problems. Such complications can make it difficult or impossible for buyers to secure mortgages.
- Environmental factors like flood risks or contaminated land can also significantly impact a property’s saleability. These issues often require expensive remediation and can affect insurance costs.
- Sewage problems, such as collapsed drains or outdated septic tanks, can indeed make a house extremely difficult to sell. These issues often lead to unpleasant odours, potential health hazards, and the risk of sewage backing up into the property. Buyers are typically wary of taking on such significant and costly problems, as repairing or replacing drainage systems can be incredibly expensive and disruptive. Old septic tanks, especially those that don’t meet current environmental standards, can be particularly problematic, potentially requiring a complete overhaul of the property’s waste management system. Estate agents and traditional buyers often shy away from properties with these issues, leaving sellers in a difficult position.
While these factors can make a house difficult to sell through traditional methods, it’s worth noting that companies like Property Saviour specialise in buying problematic properties.
We will offer a solution for homeowners struggling to sell houses that might be considered ‘unsellable’ on the open market. Unlike auctions or estate agents, which may struggle with such properties, Property Saviour will provide a guaranteed sale, even for homes with significant issues.
What to do with an unsellable house?
If you’re struggling with an unsellable house, there are still options available to you. One effective solution is to sell to a cash house buying company like Property Saviour. We specialise in purchasing properties that are difficult to sell through traditional means, offering a quick and hassle-free process.
We will complete the purchase within 10 days or at a timescale that suits you, providing a guaranteed sale without the need for viewings, surveys, or estate agent fees.
While auctions or estate agents are other potential routes, they come with drawbacks. Auctions can be risky, as there’s no guarantee of sale, and you might achieve a lower price than expected. Estate agents, on the other hand, may struggle to find buyers for problematic properties, leading to lengthy delays and ongoing costs. Moreover, sales through these methods can fall through due to issues with mortgage approvals or survey results.
By contrast, selling to Property Saviour ensures a definite sale at an agreed price, allowing you to move forward without the stress and uncertainty associated with other selling methods.
Tips for selling an unsellable house
Here are our top 9 tips for getting your unsellable home sold quickly. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of selling your unsellable house quickly and with the least amount of stress and hassle:
1. Tackle on neglected jobs around the house
If your house is in need of repairs, it is important to address these issues before putting it on the market. This may include making cosmetic improvements, such as painting or updating fixtures, or completing more significant repairs, such as fixing structural issues.
2. Maximise your home's appeal
Take steps to make your home as appealing as possible to potential buyers. This may include decluttering and staging the property, or adding features that increase its value.
3. Price your home to sell
Setting the right price for your home is critical to attracting potential buyers. If your home is priced too high, you may deter potential buyers, but if it is priced too low, you may lose out on potential profits.
4. Hire the best estate agent in your area who has sold the most homes
Hire the very best estate agent in your area, the one who has sold most homes according to Rightmove.
Incentivise your estate agent to sell your home with extra bonus and if he/she achieves over a certain figure he/she get a bonus payment from you as a thank you.
Estate agents often do a thankless task. They don’t work for you. Always remember to work with your estate agent together if you are going to make the house move of your dreams. Work with your estate agent. A good estate agent can help you navigate the process of selling an unsellable house and can provide valuable insights and expertise. They can also help you market your home effectively and negotiate the best possible price. It is a partnership.
Honesty is the best policy and encourage open and clear communication and tell your agent that you aren’t easily offended so be frank. Ask your estate agent why they believe the property is not selling, with their honest and constructive feedback.
As a top tip, don’t encourage your estate agent to put price on application and keep buyers guessing! It might put people off.
5. Get professional photographer to take photos
Having wide angle photography is useful; however, remember that it will look like your house shrunk in the eyes of prospective buyers when they visit. Can you remember the size of chocolate bars when we were children compared to nowadays?
6. Insist on having a floor plan
We strongly suggest you get one because it makes figuring out the room layout easier and matches it up with the description and photographs.
It is very difficult to sell an unfinished project, so it pays to make your home more appealing by finishing any outstanding maintenance job so it doesn’t look unloved.
7. Self critique your home on Rightmove
Look at your house advert that is online on Rightmove for example:
- Are the photos as good as they can be?
- Does the property description excite you
- Does the property listing stand out from the competition?
- Your agent must keep your property pictures updated. You do not want to be showing off your garden full of snow when sun shines in Easter!
8. Make a great first impression every single time!
It always pays to keep your home looking good during the sale of your property from well-manicured gardens to a front drive that is inviting, with clean windows and no left-over maintenance jobs in sight.
If a light bulb needs changing, then this can have a negative effect at a viewing because, in the buyer’s mind, if you can’t change your light bulb, what other maintenance jobs are overlooked?
Get rid of all distractions such as children, last night’s dishes, and that pile of ironing before your viewings take place.
You only have one chance at making a first impression, and most first-time buyers will have formed a distinct opinion within less than five minutes of stepping through your property’s front door.
9. Outsource your viewings and ensure get estate agent to follows up
Have you been doing your own viewings and finding them too stressful? Or, if you believe that an independent voice will be much better, consider asking the estate agent to take over the viewings.
Good estate agents will have shown thousands of properties to many prospective buyers, and they will be able to develop the conversation to suit your buyers’ needs. You need to insist that whoever is showing your home knows it well enough so they do not come across like a bad magician who is throwing open a door and announcing that this house has a fantastic ensuite bathroom only to find themselves and the buyer disappointingly looking at the cupboards you can use to store your towels.
After the viewing, you must demand that your estate agent follow up and provide you with the buyers’ honest thoughts, particularly why it is not of interest to them. I often find it useful to ask those buyers what they thought of the asking price as they will have probably viewed a handful of your competitors, and this may highlight a pricing issue early on that can be dealt with now. I knew it! Here comes the bit where he will tell us to drop the price, another typical estate agent! – I can almost hear you say.
Make sure that your estate agent is keeping in regular contact with you and that you updated them with any change to your circumstances or your home itself, such as you have now seen a great house at a bargain price and are now more open to negotiation than before or you have finally re-decorated that back bedroom and replaced the swirly patterned carpet from the 1980’s that still had years of stains in it.
How To Get Rid Of An Unsellable House
Sell your unsellable house to Property Saviour. Whether you are trying to sell an unfinished house or wondering if you should disclose the history of flooding when selling, you can sell your property to Property Saviour. We will guarantee to buy any house in any condition.
Once we’ve agreed on the price, we will move on to the legal process and complete the purchase within two weeks or quicker if your circumstances dictate a faster sale.
We will also pay £1,500 towards your legal fees.
Sell with certainty & speed
What to do with an unsellable house?
You can sell your property on the open market via an estate agent. This will give you the best chance of achieving the market price. However, if your house needs work, this can put off any potential buyers, and their mortgage lenders can deem the property as unmortgageable.
This then leaves you with the option of auctioning a house.
However, you’d have to set a low guide price to get buyers interested. You must allow one month of marketing before the auction to give the property the exposure it needs, then allow another month after the auction for funds to arrive in your account. But what if you need to sell now?
This is where Property Saviour can step in. We’ll buy your property as quickly as possible and cover your legal fees of up to £1,500. You can use your own solicitor if you like and have the money in your account within 10 days or sooner.
Request a callback now.
