[Closed] Escape to the countryists - what do you want?

You'd want to maximise the audience if it's more of a niche property, surely?

A blurry picture and a 4 line description in a paper isn't going to do that for you.

I'm not sure the local paper is the right place to advertise a house to someone who doesn't already live in the area.

I don’t want her to be inundated with calls from people who will then hate that it doesn’t have mains gas or whatever. She also doesn’t want to give away too much info about where it is as she doesn’t want people turning up to stare at it!

If she doesn't want to be inundated by calls that lead no where, she needs to give away the location. Otherwise every call will be "where is the property exactly?" That's step one when it comes to buying any home... location.

She sold a house privately years ago and had a good experience and I think hopes (unrealistically?) to repeat that. I think the internet has taken over since then but she doesn’t like estate agents!

What they said, we're planning a move at some point. But we're never going to buy the local papers, or likely to see it in a shop window. Especially if it's off the beaten track.

That and anything not in the advert we just assume is a negative. If it doesn't mention internet speed, mains services, etc we just assume it's stuck with dial up speeds and a woodburner. That's just how they're written.

Possibly depends what the markets like though. Where we're looking it's slow so if we did see something there's no hurry. If it was moving in a matter of hours/days like London then putting a sign in the window might be more viable?

Local paper isn't such a crazy idea. If you were looking to move to a particular rural area, you'd visit and check out the local paper for sure. Every caller will want to know the location though.

scotland or england? - independent sales in scotland can be easier

I would want to know location, type of fuel for heating, insulation values, amount of land / outbuildings, access, distance to facilities, that sort of thing

We sold our cute rural cottage a few years ago. We had around 50 viewings and most were in no way versed in where they were or what to expect. Many seemed to be having a nice day out.

Our estate agent spent a lot of their fee showing around time wasters.

My point is, if you are doing viewings of a place that attracts dreamers, you probably want to put a fair number of people off. Surely there's a Singletrack type thing for people who want to live on islands?

I would want to know location, type of fuel for heating, insulation values, amount of land / outbuildings, access, distance to facilities, that sort of thing

Yes, if properly remote, access is a biggy. The legal proof of that (and water supply) were the main concerns/questions for all potential buyers when my mum sold her house after my dad died.

I would suggest that anyone half interested is going to want to see pictures. When we bought our place in the countryside a decade or so ago the initial weeding, once we decided on a location, was done on photos of the houses - we knew what sort of houses we didn’t want. After that it’s location then things like utilities;water, heating sewage, neighbours, encroaching properties etc.

I can’t really see how a newspaper ad will reduce work tbh.

Frankly if i'm buying a house I am unlikely to look further than Rightmove and local estate agents windows.

I've just sold some property and am looking hard. Despite the stereotypes, the EAs I have dealt with (all women) have been seriously useful and very pleasant indeed.

We put a sign on the gate but it was a very special case in holiday season with people who wanted to live there walking past regularly!

(we started with an agent, but they changed employer, due to this they hadn't signed a contract with us, and hadn't done anything...)

I'd say shes being brave. Maybe borderline foolish.

How has she valued it? Might find shes well below a market rate?

Doesn't want to be inundated with calls.... that's why you pay an agent.

You could try an add in something like the local glossy mag like Lancashire life etc

Facebook market place often has properties.

I quite often do a search.

Which island?

Capability for internet?

Summary:

- doesn't want too many people to call.

- doesn't want to say exactly where the house is.

- doesn't intend to use the places that people actually look for a house.

- might not have great photos.

It's not sounding like there will be opportunity for a few good offers...

Thanks peeps, as ever some helpful pointers that I hadn’t thought of. It’s Arran in Scotland so the official/required home report gives a valuation, which she’s had done. I think it’s too niche (13ish bedrooms!) to attract a bidding war, she just wants to sell it at home report price. Going to try and set her up with an email address she can use to receive enquiries and then I can post the details in a few Facebook groups or whatever and she doesn’t have to deal with actual Facebook herself. May even stick it in STW classifieds so I can tweet the link or whatever!

If it’s niche I’d have thought you need to widen the net not narrow it.

Does she actually want to sell, or just feels she needs to try and sell? Cos it’s going to be hard to sell I imagine if like you say it’s niche, and hardly advertised. Slightly delicate question I guess, but I also understand people not wanting to move out of long term homes whilst feeling they should…

The ultimate STW stealth ad 😀

Sounds like she wants a local to buy it, ie. someone from the area that would maybe know it possibly.

Highest price, especially on an island is someone selling up in London looking to buy the island dream, never heard of anyone that wanted to avoid that cash cow, phone a local B+B you could run a business just out of the footfall.

Not all EAs are terrible. I was very lucky with my ones, so just search and ask around for the most reputable local Estate Agents company and use them.

Advertise it on here!

@nobeerinthefridge @nobeerinthefridge @nobeerinthefridge

Hannah I think you might be underestimating what your mum is selling. It's not "an island" it's "The island" if you want to live on a Scottish island with good ties to Glasgow, it's got commuting in twice a week written all over it. There will be a bidding frenzie.

Edit: missed the number of bedrooms.... Bloody hell. Is there a trade magazine for bed and breakfasts/hotels.

Can I buy a room?

What’s the internet like? If I was going to live or stay somewhere remote then remaining connected to the modern world would be essential.

@joshvegas it’s not actually that big! Your reaction makes me think it might be better to list it as a 5 bedroom place with ‘additional flexible accommodation’ or something less intimidating than 13 bedrooms. They had 5 kids living here at one point, hence the need for space.

Currently recovering from dropping a vase of lilies on my head while staging the living room for photos 🤦‍♀️

DIY selling and not dealing with all the time-wasters don't go hand in hand. Maybe start local, but the easiest route will be via estate agents if you don't get any immediate luck.

Or bung it on here - 'ideal base for luxury b&b/bunkhouse/mtb holidays/global domination lair...etc.'

I'm going to be honest - sit your "doesn't want people looking at the house I want to sell" mother down, tell her she's a bit bonkers in her old age and then get her to an estate agent, her house on rightmove and maximise it's value.

Echo last post - she needs to stop being daft

People wanting to move to the countryside will ONLY be looking online, want lots of photos, want to know exactly where it is, know whether the Wifi is good or bad.

I don't like estate agents but that is where you need a local one to sift all the window shoppers and provide all the info on the local area for people outside of the area.

It wont sell from and add in the local newspaper, and if it does you will seriously loose out on ££££

Yeah I agree. You're looking at half a million or more probably. Currently its unlikely not to sell very very quickly.arran is big enough to have a local estate agent I would have thought who will know exactly what to do with it.

I was about to ask if on Arran it was the old Abernethy outdoor centre at Shiskine, but from that picture I can tell it isn't.

It does sound like your mum would benefit from good advice and a wide market exposure. Arran is (rightly) very popular, and a property like that could be used for all sorts.

Maybe it just needs a stealth ad on here?

She doesn’t seem keen to do anything like Rightmove

You'll probably have to talk her round on this TBH.

Estate agents are only charging 0.5% here at the moment, so it was an easy decision for me to use one for my sale.

Hannah,

She's in Scotland. In Scotland if you don't like estate agents use a solicitor to advertise it - she will need one anyway to complete the sale.

Personally, if I was trying to flog a 13 bedroom property on Arran I'd be on the phone to Strutt & Parker, Knight Frank and Savills - I assume that their "customer service" is rather different to the high street office people. And 5 bed with flexible guest accom probably makes it even more attractive! Ultimately for an island property the pictures will be key to selling it, unless the buyer is already looking at other properties nearby as the inconvenience of going on the off chance won't tip the balance. Good agents take good pictures.

Brutal questions - are you sure she wants to sell it - because I'm not convinced? If it was my mother I'd be saying, if you want my help to sell it then you need to follow my advice. She can have offers accepted before the end of sept if she does - or she can mess around and still be there at Easter, getting the odd call or email from people asking for the home report who never follow up.

I think there might be an opening for a reliable solicitor and estate agent to set up on Arran! (Might also be an opening for a bric a brac removals agent…argh!)

House next to us was bought at a fair price, by locals, through village pub contacts.

If your mother wants maximum return it will probably have to involve an agent with London or high end office - friends did this when having to sell up their farm near St Ives in Cornwall. Agent put a big ad in Country Life and they had to identify a field for use by helicopters for viewings.

Is it because she doesn't want it selling to riff-raff like Russian oligarchs?

I think there might be an opening for a reliable solicitor and estate agent to set up on Arran! (Might also be an opening for a bric a brac removals agent…argh!)

No need to be on Arran. Obviously, if you bring someone over you'll be paying a "premium" for the travel time/cost.

A good local estate agent will have a list of prospective buyers and could 'advertise' the property to them without a full on marketing campaign with all the attendent hassle.

It’s Arran in Scotland so the official/required home report gives a valuation, which she’s had done. I think it’s too niche (13ish bedrooms!)

The local paper, the Banner, sells about 50 copies. Get an estate agent, she may not like them, but it'll be way less hassle.

Also, contact the folks that own the big wooden house in Brodick, as the seemed to be trying to buy every big house on the island to use as wee wedding venues etc.

I think there might be an opening for a reliable solicitor and estate agent to set up on Arran!

There is already.

You’re looking at half a million or more probably

Aye, a fair bit more. 4 Bed round corner from us sold for over 500k last week, and Arran prices are generally a good 20% more than Prestwick, at least.

I have an alert set up with these - www.macphee.co.uk - they sell multi-bedroom properties similar to your description. They probably know the market well and their adverts seem well presented.

If the property is sold below market value there is a very real chance it could quickly be back on the market at a significantly higher price by the buyer.

Sell rooms to STWers. Sounds like there's enough interest.

I think there might be an opening for a reliable solicitor and estate agent to set up on Arran!

We are using https://www.irvinggeddes.co.uk at the moment for a sale. They are the classic Scottish solictor and estate agent in one. We used as estate agent and our conveyancer. Great service, really knowledgeable, got our sale on day 1 through inviting folk to come and view...

IMO, she needs to find a local good solicitor and estate agent in one ASAP.

Well, I relayed back the ‘everyone thinks you’re mad old people that are just pretending that you want to move, get an estate agent’ feedback and my stepdad has driven off to the estate agent!

The home report says it’s only worth £350k btw, for all those that think it’s worth heaps. I imagine someone will buy it and modernise it and then it’ll be worth a lot more. I don’t think my mum and stepdad care, it’s served their purpose for bringing up a stack of kids, they’re ready to move on. I’ve just cleared out a room with my mum and she’s setting fire to it right now with a flamethrower!

I’ve just cleared out a room with my mum and she’s setting fire to it right now with a flamethrower!

I like your mum's style.

One cool mum.

I’ve just cleared out a room with my mum and she’s setting fire to it right now with a flamethrower!

If ever a thread needed pics... !

Where is it Hannah?.

.

You asked what people wanted from a rural location...

1. Broadband - big and fast
2. Pub in walking distance
3. A motorway within 15 miles
4. A train staion within 15 miles
5. A supermarket within 15 miles
6. Doctors/hospital within 15 miles

Or in summary all their existing services within 15 miles but with nicer views and less people.

The above apply to residents and holiday homes

You'll get a pub and a hospital, none of the rest 🙂

Or in summary all their existing services within 15 miles but with nicer views and less people.

You forgot peace and quiet. I think that's the biggest disappointment for most seekers of the countryside that nature and farming/ rural industry is ****ing loud and does not conform to the 9-5.

I live in rural Norfolk, no mains gas, and many properties don't have mains sewerage still etc.

I would definitely include what internet you can get, distance to amenities etc.

We used to find that most people moving to the area were retirees wanting to come to the place they enjoyed on holidays, but now there is a large influx of younger families, with COVID may companies have swung towards home working, so people do not feel tied to living near there office, and seem to be moving with family to where they feel kids will have better quality of living.

So internet, schools, local amenities etc, as they want the countryside, but often don't want to be totally remote...

Significant progress thanks to you lot! Your feedback made my mum abandon her private sale fantasy.

Good news pic!

Hoping for this though...
dammit- gif fail.... y'know, some flamethrower action 😉

Good news indeed.

Is the purchaser and STW'er?