condition of property

[garf123gsd]

i am having a man come around tomorrow to give my property a market appraisal,because my dear wife has been in poor health and i have had to look after her i have done all that i can to the house but i am worried that this person will be small minded and think"this is not doneor this is rubbish"
i think that it is nice,will i be condemned from the outset because the house is not like a new pin,or the fact that i was looking after my wife,this one is really eating away at me,any ideas please good people cheers garf

[Pomp]

You should get at least three valuations from different agents, in order to get a good idea of the value. You don't have to accept the valuation which the agents give you. If you believe that the house is undervalued, then you should point out why you think it is undervalued. The agent should market your house, for a price which you agree with.

Agents and potential buyers should be able to see through cosmetic problems. Value is more dictated by the the things that can't be changed, ie the direction of the garden, the size of the plot, the size of the house (which can be changed by an extension, provided by the plot)

I looked at a house a couple of weeks ago. The house was well over priced for what it currently was, but it had the potential to build an extension. The vendors had factored in the potential extension, even though they hadn't built it!!

I thought that you could buy a house which was perfect on the inside, but have come to the conclusion that it doesn't exist. Every house requires work. Even if it is perfect now, by the time the current owners takes down pictures and moves furniture, then the walls need to be re-painted.

In conclusion, agents and buyers should be able to see past cosmetic issues, provided the house is structurally sound, you should be OK.

[matchmade]

I agree with Pomp: all houses have problems. Don't repair every last detail, but do your best to tidy up the house every morning, reduce what other people might see as clutter (put things in boxes for temporary storage), get the windows cleaned, buy some fresh flowers, and do the weeding. Imagine you're courting your wife again and think how she would like it to look.

[sandbach99]

He/she should value it on the structual value not on how it is furnished, however if you have dated kitchen units and bathroom they will reduce the price to allow for some modernisation.
I note that your wife is ill there are grants available to people on disabled benefit to do some updating ie thicker loft insullation, possibly a new gas boiler, double glazing it may be worth looking into these first.
However some people looking round will not be able to visulise it decorated and furnished to their choice and may put give negative feedback, and some will put in very low offers knowing a coat of paint etc will give them a huge profit. .
Don't get ripped of one woman told me my mothers bungalow needed a new roof per her survey that neither myself or the estate agent knew about, and wanted me to accept �5,000 less than agreed, I refused and the next proper survey done never mentioned any roof faults .

[dans1977uk]

I'm a mortgage advisor and from my experience with Surveyors / Valuers they are usually pretty good at their jobs and will look past any untidyness.

All you should do is make it obvious that the kitchen and bathroom are in a reasonable condition (for example don't have a tap hanging off, or toilet that you can smell a mile away!!)

Try not to panic. Depending on what the survey is for may depend on how generous the valuer is. If he's from an estate agent get at LEAST three valuers round as some will value the property low to get a quick sale, whereas others may over-value the property to make you feel good and then suggest you reduce the price once it's on the market.

If the value is for some form of mortgage, loan or other secured funding the valuer MUST show the bank three comparable properties (usually) so they can't under-value your house by much despite any personal feelings.
Hope this helps!!