My brother bought a 1970s time capsule last week. Cleanest house I have ever been in. (I asked the Realtor who her cleaning lady was! She did it herself so I asked if she had an agency. :-P ) The house had various shades of green and red carpeting, pink walls and the kitchen is a gut. And the price and DOM reflected this. That house should have been gone the weekend it was listed (at $30K less than the neighborhood comps), but because it was extremely dated, it was still available for him to buy 5 weeks later.

Yes, we live in a seller's market, multiple offers, and low DOM.

My parents bought an 1880's Victorian in 1976. The bathrooms and kitchens had been remodeled in the early 1950s.

My father was a fanatic about keeping the house in good shape, so the wiring was re-done and circuit breakers installed, the attic got electrified and got heat, the back yard was graded to prevent water from getting into the basement, insulation was added, all that sort of thing.

The bathrooms and kitchen were untouched, except that wallpaper was removed and the walls painted. Other rooms got new wallpaper. The front hall and dining room were the only carpeted rooms and they did get new carpet at some point. But nothing else changed. My parents were of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" frame of mind.

So while the house was in good shape, everything was dated. Some of the attic rooms had their original wallpaper.

When we sold the house, we went with the realtor who had a list of people looking for an old Victorian near the center of town, and priced the house to reflect the fact that the kitchen and bathrooms were probably going to be gutted by the new owners.

We under contract in a month, after a brief bidding war.

Most people looking for an older home know what to look for. Dad's house needed cosmetic things--the furnace was new, the slate roof was sound, the wiring had been updated, the chimneys recently redone. And the kitchens and bathrooms worked, they just looked dated. The house was purchased by a young couple who have slowly been doing a lot of the work themselves and apparently enjoying it (we still keep in touch with the neighbors).

So your friends should be able to price the house to reflect the work that will need to be done and still be able to sell it.

The exception might be if the house is in the "starter home" category. At that level, buyers may tend to want either move-in ready, or all the latest, flashiest trends. But if the house can be marketed to old-house lovers, selling it shouldn't be a problem.

They need a different agent.

If they do not have the funds to do repairs up front, then there is no question as to if they should do them or not. Sell it As - Is and price accordingly.

Yes, there are a lot of people like me looking for houses just like that. Just plan to sell it for less.

Same here - this is exactly the kind of house I would want to buy ie cared for, not beat up but I get to do the fun stuff like updating - but yes, price it accordingly. Wish there werent SO many that did ticky tacky "updating" and then I'm supposed to pay top dollar for their bad taste.

Thanks for all of the help. I figured their agent was off base but wanted to make sure. It actually is a lovely home in a neighborhood that is one of the better ones in my city, it just needs updating that they really don't have the money to do. I will pass this info along to her and hopefully they will act accordingly.

Abbey

And tell your friend not to use the agent that gave them that advice. You can sell a house in any condition as long as the price reflects the condition. NancyLouise

In this case, I'd clean the house until it was spotless. I might paint a couple of rooms if, on removing the furniture, it was clear that some walls were dirty or had faded/non-faded patches. Fix any small things--loose doorknobs, squeaky hinges, that sort of thing.

Then find an agent who will price the house correctly and market it to the type of people who want an older house in good shape. There are plenty of us out there.

It actually is a lovely home in a neighborhood that is one of the better ones in my city, it just needs updating that they really don't have the money to do.

It's obviously livable, just not with all the trendy bells and whistles.

An almost untouched, never re-muddled 1908 house in a good older neighborhood .... WAHOO!!!! I'd consider that a feature compared with paying tens of thousands more for someone's idea of "renovations".

Clean it until it squeaks - inside and out in all cabinets, fix any leaky faucets and sticking doors, maybe paint the walls. Clean the landscaping and yard up and list it.

Yes, it may need some "updating", but there are people out there who will be delighted to find something they can update to suit themselves.

Market its vintage feel and the lack of "someone else's vision" as a feature. Don't try to hide it, flaunt it. They are RARE.

thanks again for all of the encouraging info. I told my friend it was the kind of house I would have bought if it was on the market when I was looking. Older home, great yard and neighborhood, and just in need of some updating. I really don't understand the real estate agent they spoke to, but hopefully they will interview some others as well, they are just getting started with all of this.

Abbey

I'm going to repeat the 'clean'. If they don't have money for renovations (and quality renovations that respect the integrity of the house), hopefully they have time and can clean. Gleaming, fresh, sanitize and that means inside closets, built-ins too. No drips, leaks, dirt or stains. Scrub, wax, and freshen paint if that's necessary, then let the price acknowledge some updating may be needed.

If the neighborhood is right, I think they'll have good results if they are realistic with their pricing. I sold a 1925 home earlier this spring that had a professional update to the bathroom, all fresh paint including woodwork, dry sound windows, immaculate landscaping. The kitchen was not a cooks dream, it was spotless and everything worked however. No granite, no stainless appliances, no dishwasher or disposal :) I asked the listing agent if he thought I should purchase and include a dishwasher, and he said -' the house is move in ready and shining now. Let's wait and see if the kitchen becomes an issue or if people are willing to update after purchasing as I suspect. If I get feedback that points to the kitchen being a drawback, we'll talk again.'

3 offers from 4 showings in the first 4 days. All were reasonable and we closed in under one month.