Advice on selling our property?

[betsie123]

Hi all,

I was hoping to get some advice on our property, from those with families!

We have just had our buyer pull out and unfortunately have found our dream house elsewhere :( We seem to be struggling to get people through the door and I just know if people came in they would love it.

I know its a difficult time of year to sell, but I was hoping some of you could take a look at the advert on right move and let me know if theres anything that puts you off? Some honest feedback I guess!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54947921.html?showcase=true

Thanks

[LIZS]

Is the price realistic. Internally it doesn't look very lived in, a bit clinical perhaps? No pic of bathroom ?

[Pipnposy]

It looks lovely-that will surely be someone's dream home. I don't know the area at all so couldn't comment on price. Are local schools an issue? Also, you can't tell from the pictures whether you can squeeze a table and chairs in the kitchen for breakfasts. With young children, space for at least a small table would be essential for me. Hopefully it's just the time of year and it'll get snapped up after Christmas. Good luck!

[BasinHaircut]

It's a beautiful house.

If you are marketing as a 4 bed I wouldn't label the forth bedroom as a dressing room in the floor plan as it makes it sound tiny.

Other than that re only thing that would stop me looking at it would be if it was priced too highly. I don't know what the house prices are in your area but is it priced right?

[BumWad]

I think your house is gorgeous.

[Bearbehind]

First impression isn't great IMO but you can't change that. The new brick section looks like another house upon first glance.

It's very nice inside except the kitchen which looks dated although I suspect it might not be.

I'm not sure there's much you can change unless you drop the price.

[Madbengalmum]

Looks a nice house, very neat.
My only comment is that the kitchen looks very tired, and i think the dark floor adds to it. Nothing horrendous though.
Maybe get the outside pics redone in the new year when things look abit brighter?

[caroldecker]

No pics of shower ( assume you have one), upstairs corridor seems narrow, so remove.
I would have one of hall from front door, one (max 2) of each room and include all rooms or people will assume you are hiding something.
What is the outside space - pic 3 seems to be lawn/field, but the last shot is a small seating area.

[Madblondedog]

Would like to see in the bathroom but I have to say if I lived near you I'd be looking around as it looks gorgeous to me!

[betsie123]

For a period property in this area and the size it is, it's actually one of the cheapest around. Especially considering we've redecorated (internally insulated and replastered) the whole house.

The kitchen looks worse than it is in that picture, but there is definitely room for a table and chairs in there should someone wish to do it. We just decided to have a large fridge freezer.

The 4th bedroom isn't a large room at all, but it would fit a single bed, wardrobe and a chest of drawers in there no problem - so maybe if we renamed that it would make a difference.

I appreciate the feedback, I guess i'm just quite down at the buyers pulling out a week before completion!

[Pipbin]

Utterly beautiful and I would bite your hand off for it but I think it might look little bit soulless.

More pots and planting outside. A plant in the hallway perhaps?

My main issue would be the layout, I don't like the living room being a hallway, and the kitchen. I think the kitchen is a little small and the units are not to my taste.

Also, unless I am missing them, I can't see any measurement on anything, either the description or the floor plan.

[gruber]

I was expecting to see pictures of all 4 bedrooms - is there a reason not to? It would put me off and perhaps make me think they were too small. Is there a separate shower or just a bath with shower over? Maybe consider putting that in description. Looks lovely to me- clean and tidy and nice colours!!

[eastwest]

It looks lovely. One thought: school catchment area? Maybe everyone near you goes private but I wonder about people with kids - the closest schools are rated 2 and 3. I just say this because we are looking to buy at the moment (in a very different area) and houses near Ofsted Grade 1 schools are selling in 3 days for well above asking price. Just around the corner, in a different catchment area, it's a differnt story. So it might not be the house, might be the location.

[Pipbin]

There is a picture of the bathroom. Can some people not see it?

[Bearbehind]

The kitchen looks worse than it is in that picture

You really shouldn't be saying that about the photos used to market your house- it's a sign of a very bad estate agent.

Your house should look as good as possible in the photos- not worse than the reality.

Another thing I noticed on the photos was the bathroom ceiling looks marked/damp- might just be the photos but it could people off given the house's age.

[betsie123]

Pipbin - interesting comment as the hallway is actually separate to the living room. So if you're getting that vibe from the pictures it would certainly put me off too.

The rooms sizes are actually quite generous so I will be asking the estate agent to put the sizes in the description first thing tomorrow.

School catchments - there is a primary school in the village which is rated 1.. excuse me I don't have children but I believe that is the best you can get? They operate a three school system here so it somehow ends up that the senior school is for year 9 and above - but the local high school is a pretty rubbish rating. There are private schools around here - but they aren't for everyone!

To be honest, I am so upset with our agent. I feel like its a constant battle to do anything for us. We actually retook photographs of a lot of the house because we just didn't like the pictures - we had a much nicer picture of the kitchen but they didn't want to swap it. Some of them in there are our photos though which make the rooms look much more like their actual size. They also said they didn't want to put photos of all the rooms up, because you should "give people something to come see" but I really don't think that tactic is working!

I might get outside the house this weekend and get some potted plants out there and try and make it look more friendly. It's hard as its so miserable at the moment though

Thanks for your feedback :)

[Bearbehind]

Change agents OP.

You are paying them to sell your home, they should do what you want them to do.

It's completely unacceptable that the floor plan clearly shows the living room as the only way between the kitchen and the rest of the house when there's actually a corridor.

I think the thing about not showing rooms to give people something to look at when they view is absolute bollocks- not having photos of rooms immediately makes me think there's a reason why they can't be shown.

[Pipbin]

the hallway is actually separate to the living room. So if you're getting that vibe from the pictures it would certainly put me off too.

I'm not getting that from the pictures. What I meant was the way you have to walk through the living room to get to the kitchen.

[Bearbehind]

Sorry - I thought OP meant there was actually a corridor at the back of the living room but I'm not sure she did.

I'm with you pipbin - I wouldn't like a living room which is a thoroughfare if that is the layout.

[Pipbin]

I had that in my last house, most rooms were walk throughs and it did wind me up too.

[betsie123]

Oh, in that case yes that is the layout. But there is another reception room so that could easily be a play room/dining room to the kitchen.

Not much I can do about the layout though!

[Pipbin]

Not much I can do about the layout though!

I know, but, speaking personally, that is something that would put me off.

Could you replace the cooker? It does look a little tatty. (Sorry if I'm being too blunt)

[eastwest]

Yes, Ofsted 1"outstanding" is the best you can get, but I just looked on the 'school checker' tab of your rightmove advert, and as far as I can see it says the closest school (St peter's C of E according to the map) is rated 2 "good" and the second closest, non-faith school, is rated 3, which most parents wouldn't want for their children (3 is "satisfactory" but as I understand it, the gvmt want to get rid of this rating so it will be down-graded to 4, "fail"). (In case you'd not realised, the big pin on the actual map that says 1 means it is the first school in your vicinity - the closest to the property - the Ofsted ratings are in the table below). I just think it is worh considering this because families will be very focused on schools, and if they are going state for primary, will immediately do what I did - click on the school checker tab - and if they are at all concerned their child might end up in a grade 3 school (for example, if they are not actively practicing Christians/ members of a local church congregation and therefore are not a priority for the C of E school), they will be very wary. It might not have anything to do with this of course, but I thought it worth mentioning as we are currently looking for houses & I can assure you that everyone I know in our position, w ith a child about to start school in Sept 16, will immediately click on the 'school checker' tab, before they even look at the pictures and if the school catchment doesn't look good they won't look any further.

Did you get any feedback from your buyer as to why they pulled out? Agent should have got that for you I think.

[eastwest]

The house itself looks lovely to me though :)

[cestlavielife]

Only one bathroom ?