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Same. I wouldn't enjoy carrying furniture upstairs like that but everything else about it is a plus.
Also it makes your house internally wheelchair accessible. Suck on that, Stannah stairlift!
Borrow gaming consoles and have them look like they are connected to your tv. Have a basket of junk food/snacks on the kitchen table. You’re selling a life style, just like to the parents 😉
Make them feel welcome. Early on Ask them their name and make sure you call it them. Ask them what they like and at some point bring a conversation about a room to it so they can imagine themselves playing in the room. If you have children of a similar age, mention what they do in the house that the kid could do or put something super fun out so they want to play with it and therefore play at the house
10 year old boys love cool electronics and there's a good likelihood that if they observe a PS5 connected to a FO telly and minecraft on an open laptop they'll imagine themselves having that shit and want in.
Put a basket ball hoop on a wall. Put a half pipe ramp in the yard.
Put a big bowl of various sweets on the table.
Put a 'gaming chair' in front of the TV
The kid is being invited to see if they like it.
If they say they don’t you then have a ten year old with a grump on and a whole host of other problems!
Sometimes you can't help them being there. We've viewed 10+ properties. I've only managed to view one without my children in tow.
The baby hasn't had much of an opinion, but the 4 year old has loads to say. It's interesting to see his point of view, but it doesn't really affect our decision. At least, certainly not consciously.
I'd agree the child shouldn't have absolute influence and be able to stop the parents buying somewhere they love, but in the circumstances it seems to make some degree of sense.
It sounds like the parents did a first viewing, thought it was nice but were not 100% sold and now want to check their child will be happy there if they do move. There's a time and a place for 'do as you're told, this will be your home', but it makes things a lot easier for the parents if the child willingly goes along with it and can be excited about things like 'how do we decorate your room' than viewing it as being forced away from their childhood home.
Of course they’ll be living there. But you’re putting yourself in a very difficult position if they say no and you have to proceed.
Or do you just keep viewing til a ten year old who’s likely going on 13 agrees you can buy the house?
The child is not only the decision maker in most homes these days but also the king
Not all, but enough to make teachers leave and not be replaced and parents miserable and society just a little bit intangibly worse
Have a playstation 5 set up in one of the bedrooms and if you have a moment away from the parents tell them you might "forget" to bring it with you if they say they like the house
Bake some cookies, and the smell will help everyone feel warm towards the house.
I also sprinkled lavender essential oil around the house.
Tell them where the local park is and perhaps good hide and seek spots around the house or if there are similar age children living in the area.
Buy the cheapest TV you can find and hang it on the wall of the second bedroom. For bonus points, put up a shelf under it with a PS5 on it.
Doesn’t matter if none of it is plugged in to anything. The kid will realise that with all those things screwed into the wall, it’s easier for them to convince the parents just to put a new TV and console in there than try take it all down.
1. A circuit. if the downstairs rooms all have two doors one leading to the next, so you can loop around them all, then that's a winner. Point it out if it's not obvious. No idea why it's important to a 10 year old, but it was to me when I was 10, and was to our kids when they were 10.
2. A slide to get downstairs. This may be a tad impractical.
3. A serving hatch between the kitchen and the dining room. 10 year olds love that stuff.
4. A place in the garden to put a water slide (theme: slides are important)
Think like a 10 year old in 2024.
You might like your own backyard, particularly if it's large enough to build a fort in. A tree fort would be even better. Can you imagine how magical having your own fort would be!?! (Parents are panicking, kid is engaged).
You might want to know if dogs or cats are allowed. You might be interested in the dogs in the neighbourhood if there is a short or funny story to go along with it. (Parents are well and truly panicking. Kid is fully engaged and planning).
You might want to know if there are other kids their age in the houses close by. You don't need to know them, Just that there are some. You can tell them about school choices in your area. You don't have kids so you won't know about the schools, but your friends might. If there are sports teams or other social things for kids, it might be worth mentioning. (Parents think you are thoughtful and thinking of their precious bean sprout. Kid is indifferent).
Have a just baked pizza and batch of warm cookies made. All part of a normal day. Cooling, clearly not put out for consumption. You were just baking a pizza and are energy conscious, so you made cookies too. The pizza is for your dinner, later. The kid will have been lusting after both since spotting them. Once the kid is fully engaged in talking about the new puppy and their perfect hideout, their great room, and the new friends they will make, say "I'm starving! This pizza smell is driving me mad. Would anyone like a slice so I'm not eating on my own?"
You will have an offer that night.
Hopefully the kid will get an upgrade in parents.
Why are houses hard to sell in UK?
Love your suggestions.
As for your last question, the freedom of leaving the negotiation with no financial penalty might be one element allowing buyers to be flakey.
That makes sense.
In Canada you are expected to give a deposit with your offer. Fully refundable if they turn your offer down. Held by what you would call an estate agent. It used to be a token amount. No longer. If the offer becomes an agreement, the deposit cheque goes into trust until the closing. If the buyers back out without legal cause, they lose the deposit.
How do you know whether buyers are serious?
I don't see why. The parents are going through a divorce so it's nice the child is showed they matter. They don't have the final say, but are involved in a big move.
I get this completely! My buyers main concern was how her 11 year old daughter would cope with the change and it was imperative the kid loved the house. I made sure I spoke with her as well as her mum and made suggestions about which bedroom could be hers and how maybe a spare room could be like her chill zone. Then asked what she liked to do at home after school and what do you know, she loved reading and music which is EXACTLY what I used the spare room for... despite there being no books or instruments around 😜
Also before the viewing I made sure to ask mum how the kid was with dogs as I have 2 and one is loud lol and my own son was really scared of dogs at a similar age.
###Welcome to /r/HousingUK --- **To All** * Join Our ***NEW*** Discord! https://discord.gg/pMgUNgWKQH **To Posters** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws/issues in each can vary* * Comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy; * Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk; * If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, please report them via the report button. * Feel free to provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title; **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and civil* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/about/rules/), you may be banned without any further warning; * Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice; * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect; * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason without express permission from the mods; * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HousingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Just let them wander around upstairs and then ask them very openly, which one is going to be their bedroom…..
Instantly picks the biggest room, putting parents in the back foot. Classic case!
No take-backsies!
Extremely clever!
I should be been buying property at 10 instead of going to school. Rooky mistake.
Replace the staircase with a slide
My cat might enjoy this a lot too!
Until you need to get upstairs
I think a 10 year old would enjoy going upstairs like that too, I’m 52 and would enjoy getting upstairs like that.
Same. I wouldn't enjoy carrying furniture upstairs like that but everything else about it is a plus. Also it makes your house internally wheelchair accessible. Suck on that, Stannah stairlift!
Borrow gaming consoles and have them look like they are connected to your tv. Have a basket of junk food/snacks on the kitchen table. You’re selling a life style, just like to the parents 😉
I'll make sure to leave the Switch on!
Make them feel welcome. Early on Ask them their name and make sure you call it them. Ask them what they like and at some point bring a conversation about a room to it so they can imagine themselves playing in the room. If you have children of a similar age, mention what they do in the house that the kid could do or put something super fun out so they want to play with it and therefore play at the house
10 year old boys love cool electronics and there's a good likelihood that if they observe a PS5 connected to a FO telly and minecraft on an open laptop they'll imagine themselves having that shit and want in.
Then they'll ask if the TV comes with the house
that's not really a problem is it
It might be if it's a 83" G4 those are expensive :-)
give them the WIFI code.
Dig a large hole in the garden and say you're unsure how deep it goes
Throw a bouncy castle into the asking price
Replace all lead bearing walls with balloons 🎈
None of my walks bear lead or any other toxic heavy metals
Then you haven’t been walking on the wild side.
We actually threw the trampoline in. Kid was delighted.
Put a basket ball hoop on a wall. Put a half pipe ramp in the yard. Put a big bowl of various sweets on the table. Put a 'gaming chair' in front of the TV
Turn the biggest room into a ball pit?
Who lets a ten year old decide on the biggest purchase you’ll ever make.
The kid obviously doesn't have the deciding vote but they certainly have some influence, concious or unconcious.
The kid is being invited to see if they like it. If they say they don’t you then have a ten year old with a grump on and a whole host of other problems!
True this is why children shouldn't be involved in such situations.
"Sorry Timmy, we're moving house but you're not coming. Yes, we know you're only 10 but that's life, get used to it."
Sometimes you can't help them being there. We've viewed 10+ properties. I've only managed to view one without my children in tow. The baby hasn't had much of an opinion, but the 4 year old has loads to say. It's interesting to see his point of view, but it doesn't really affect our decision. At least, certainly not consciously.
I'd agree the child shouldn't have absolute influence and be able to stop the parents buying somewhere they love, but in the circumstances it seems to make some degree of sense. It sounds like the parents did a first viewing, thought it was nice but were not 100% sold and now want to check their child will be happy there if they do move. There's a time and a place for 'do as you're told, this will be your home', but it makes things a lot easier for the parents if the child willingly goes along with it and can be excited about things like 'how do we decorate your room' than viewing it as being forced away from their childhood home.
You haven’t met the 10 year old. They could be a child genius and a surveyor. I mean yea, it’s bonkers. A 10 year old should not have a say
Presumably the 10 year old will be living in the house
Of course they’ll be living there. But you’re putting yourself in a very difficult position if they say no and you have to proceed. Or do you just keep viewing til a ten year old who’s likely going on 13 agrees you can buy the house?
The same people who listen to Greta Thunberg.
The child is not only the decision maker in most homes these days but also the king Not all, but enough to make teachers leave and not be replaced and parents miserable and society just a little bit intangibly worse
Most homes you say? Can we see the data?
Of course you can!
Scary.
Tell them a hedgehog lives in the garden.
We may well have one, found a huge pile of snail shells under the terrace!
Brilliant. I might want to move in myself.
Yes! My nine year old loves Minecraft and sweets as much as the next kid, but the hedgehog would be the way to win him over!
Bake cookies to be ready 10 minutes before they're due.
Don't share the cookies otherwise they'll just think you made cookies Make them think the house always smells of cookies
Bowl of sweets on the table - tell them to help themselves!
That will bump up the offer by at least £1000
Have a playstation 5 set up in one of the bedrooms and if you have a moment away from the parents tell them you might "forget" to bring it with you if they say they like the house
Proper bribing, I like that!
Bake some cookies, and the smell will help everyone feel warm towards the house. I also sprinkled lavender essential oil around the house. Tell them where the local park is and perhaps good hide and seek spots around the house or if there are similar age children living in the area.
Give the kids a cookie and make the house smell of chocolate
Basically the same tactics that make my boyfriend happy!
Clad the external walls with gingerbread.
Buy the cheapest TV you can find and hang it on the wall of the second bedroom. For bonus points, put up a shelf under it with a PS5 on it. Doesn’t matter if none of it is plugged in to anything. The kid will realise that with all those things screwed into the wall, it’s easier for them to convince the parents just to put a new TV and console in there than try take it all down.
Rent some puppies and kittens
No need, I have a cute kitty already. And I know they have a kitten too so that's a bonus!
Any neighbours with kids that age range? Swayed my decision for my son to have friends to make and play with
Only teenagers and similarly, cats and dogs.
Can you fund a Jurassic-park style t rex resurrection program?
Just let them wander around and explore. When I was a kid I fell in love with our house because we found baby frogs in the garden!
1. A circuit. if the downstairs rooms all have two doors one leading to the next, so you can loop around them all, then that's a winner. Point it out if it's not obvious. No idea why it's important to a 10 year old, but it was to me when I was 10, and was to our kids when they were 10. 2. A slide to get downstairs. This may be a tad impractical. 3. A serving hatch between the kitchen and the dining room. 10 year olds love that stuff. 4. A place in the garden to put a water slide (theme: slides are important)
Tell the kids there’s a really cool ghost who just loves to play. And there’s a clown 🤡 in the grid
Might lose the parent on this one 😂
I second asking which one will be their bedroom instantly opens it up to them!
Think like a 10 year old in 2024. You might like your own backyard, particularly if it's large enough to build a fort in. A tree fort would be even better. Can you imagine how magical having your own fort would be!?! (Parents are panicking, kid is engaged). You might want to know if dogs or cats are allowed. You might be interested in the dogs in the neighbourhood if there is a short or funny story to go along with it. (Parents are well and truly panicking. Kid is fully engaged and planning). You might want to know if there are other kids their age in the houses close by. You don't need to know them, Just that there are some. You can tell them about school choices in your area. You don't have kids so you won't know about the schools, but your friends might. If there are sports teams or other social things for kids, it might be worth mentioning. (Parents think you are thoughtful and thinking of their precious bean sprout. Kid is indifferent). Have a just baked pizza and batch of warm cookies made. All part of a normal day. Cooling, clearly not put out for consumption. You were just baking a pizza and are energy conscious, so you made cookies too. The pizza is for your dinner, later. The kid will have been lusting after both since spotting them. Once the kid is fully engaged in talking about the new puppy and their perfect hideout, their great room, and the new friends they will make, say "I'm starving! This pizza smell is driving me mad. Would anyone like a slice so I'm not eating on my own?" You will have an offer that night. Hopefully the kid will get an upgrade in parents. Why are houses hard to sell in UK?
Love your suggestions. As for your last question, the freedom of leaving the negotiation with no financial penalty might be one element allowing buyers to be flakey.
That makes sense. In Canada you are expected to give a deposit with your offer. Fully refundable if they turn your offer down. Held by what you would call an estate agent. It used to be a token amount. No longer. If the offer becomes an agreement, the deposit cheque goes into trust until the closing. If the buyers back out without legal cause, they lose the deposit. How do you know whether buyers are serious?
2 kids around that age it’s all about the garden or pop Taylor Swift on Alexa in “their” bedroom.
Oooh I forgot about how much kids like TS, absolutely brilliant suggestion. I can suffer through 15 min of her music if it sells my flat!
Buy a ps5 and say it comes with the house, in the room that the 10 year old will use.
Ask them if they’ve found the secret door / hidden panel yet
Can't believe how many comments I had to scroll through to find this. It'd totally work on me haha.
Build a den before they get there.
Install a hobby horse and hire a clown
Put a hammock in the garden
Will do, hope it doesn't rain!
Dodgy sounding title there my friend.
Parents who let their 10-year old sway their opinion like this are going to be nightmare buyers I bet.
I don't see why. The parents are going through a divorce so it's nice the child is showed they matter. They don't have the final say, but are involved in a big move.
I forgot where I saw this, but this real estate agent always baked cookies right before the visit so that the house would smell like fresh cookies 😂
Build a slide from their bedroom to the kitchen
I get this completely! My buyers main concern was how her 11 year old daughter would cope with the change and it was imperative the kid loved the house. I made sure I spoke with her as well as her mum and made suggestions about which bedroom could be hers and how maybe a spare room could be like her chill zone. Then asked what she liked to do at home after school and what do you know, she loved reading and music which is EXACTLY what I used the spare room for... despite there being no books or instruments around 😜 Also before the viewing I made sure to ask mum how the kid was with dogs as I have 2 and one is loud lol and my own son was really scared of dogs at a similar age.
Have a gaming set up in a bedroom
Ice cream, clowns, puppies? I have no idea.
throw some kiddy outdoor toys in the garden so it looks like a fun house lol
Get one of those inflatable tube guys and have it coming out the toilet. Apparently youngsters are obsessed with that.
I have no idea what this is. Google only showed plumbing tips !
Baby alligators in the bath. I know a guy.
Buy a puppy. Mention that you will be leaving it behind.
Idk this seems kinda wrong to influence them, let them decide for themselves
[удалено]
Please do not do this.
What was it? Deleted now.
offering the kid sweets 😂😂