Selling property - odd issue

[TweakieNicholls]

We've put our house on the market at the price the agents suggested (and 15k lower than the highest valuation) so I don't think it's way out. However we've had no viewings. When the agents have been asking people the feedback is that they think it's an ex council house, I think because we are at the end of a long street - the other end is ex council but we are private. Any ideas on how we can advertise - I've got the deeds from when the house was built showing that it's definitely always been private but don't know how to promote this and the agent seems a bit stumped!

[dailystuck71]

Do the deeds show who built it?

[CountMagnus]

Can you describe it as "individually designed" ?

[JT05]

Would the phrase 'non estate' help?

[TheDogsMother]

Include the name of the original developer ? For example 'this bright and spacious three bedroom detached house built by Messrs John Smith Homes in 2004' etc etc

[TweakieNicholls]

The deeds show that the land was sold in 1910, then again in 1920 to what looks like an estate company that built the house, but it's not a well known company (and no longer exists).

[CotswoldStrife]

Is your end of the long road near a recognisable place (village/town end of blah road) or I would go with the non-estate option already suggested. Or is it near a station or school that would make people recognise it's not the other end of the road?

[namechangedtoday15]

Isn't the issue that whatever you call it, its on a road of council houses which means it doesn't appeal, presumably unless its much cheaper than similar properties located in a better part of town?

That is what I'd take the feedback to mean - I think most people know that council houses are solid well built houses, so who constructed the house is immaterial and usually wouldn't put people off. Its the fact that they think the location means its on a council estate.

[wowfudge]

No viewings usually indicates the price is too high to attract interest.

[Tobuyornot99]

I think that people wouldn't be put off by a council built house (as pp say Tey are usually good solid houses), but by the fact it's in a council area - there is still so much snobbery. I don't know how you get past that.

[JoJoSM2]

So was it built around 1910? You could say 'period' in the description. And actually, I don't think that making it very clear the house has always been private will make that much difference. If someone is a snob, they wouldn't move to an 'ex council' street anyway regardless of the history of this particular property.

[Boulshired]

I think it is location rather than ex council, growing up in council property than were always well built and well proportioned houses. It would depend on how long the road is and if the area is still deemed as a council estate area.

[Bluntness100]

How does the agent know it's because people think its ex council if no one has wanted to view it? And if he did have that conversation with someone it's easy enough for him to tell them it's not. I'm not understanding the issue there.

No viewings indicate it's priced too high, it's always the price when that happens.

[WatchingFromTheWings]

How does the agent know it's because people think its ex council if no one has wanted to view it?

We're hoping to move soon.....we've had an estate agent phoning and emailing us homes for sale that we've looked at online or driven by then declined a viewing due to size/location etc.

They'll have people going in to the estate agents and will have been shown the listing and given reasons for not wanting to view.

[TweakieNicholls]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I don't think its the location itself - where I live you aren't far away from an ex council estate wherever you go. The houses that are within 1/4 of a mile of me go for between 300k - 1 million, mine is at the bottom of that range! Then further up, the ex-council properties go for between 100-200k. So if people look at mine and think its ex-council it looks very overpriced. The problem I think is that other properties near me are either new build 4 bedroom townhouses or properties that look more period. Will suggest some of the wording here, not sure its quite period but it does have some period features (original fireplaces etc).

[Tobuyornot99]

If you're feeling brave show us the link, there are some very good critics here on MN who can advise

[TweakieNicholls]

Yes the agent has said they have asked people on their books and they are saying oh that's the ex council one. We are dropping the price and having some new photos done (as tenants have now moved out so it looks much less cluttered) , but if that's the feedback they are getting I'd like to try and address that when we drop the price/put new photos on as otherwise as I've said even if I drop the price it will still be substantially more than ex council ones.

[TweakieNicholls]

Not brave enough to post a link but I've attached some pictures.

This is the current description by estate agent

GREAT SIZE FAMILY HOME/AMPLE OFF ROAD PARKING/GROUND FLOOR WC. XX Agents are pleased to have available this three bedroom semi-detached property which benefits from UPVC double glazed windows and gas central heating. The accommodation comprises of entrance hall, sitting room, dining room/reception room with open plan kitchen area and a ground floor WC, whilst to the first floor there are three double bedrooms and a bathroom. Outside: Mature bushes and plants and a gravel/paved drive to the front providing ample off road parking. Lawned garden with a gravel area and paved patio to the rear, privately enclosed.

How does this sound instead? Can I get away with saying 1920's period property? I suppose it is? even though it doesn't look particularly period?

A substantial 1920’s period semi-detached property situated on a popular tree lined residential road midway between A and B centres. X agents are pleased to have available this three bedroom semi-detached property which benefits from UPVC double glazed windows and gas central heating. The accommodation comprises of entrance hall, sitting room, dining room/reception room with open plan kitchen area and a ground floor WC, whilst to the first floor there are three double bedrooms and a bathroom. Outside: Mature bushes and plants and a gravel/paved drive to the front providing ample off road parking. Lawned garden with a gravel area and paved patio to the side and rear, privately enclosed.

[TweakieNicholls]

This is a house around the corner which had asking price of 325k, which has sold for 310. The agent that sold this house advised me to put mine on at 325 as he said mine didn't need any work, whearas this house needed quite a bit. We went with another agent and have put it on at 310, but with no viewings in 3 weeks we are about to drop the price. Not sure what to drop to? The agent said to put it to offers over 285, then I spoke to him yesterday and he said to go for offers over 275. A 35k reduction just seems a bit big! would it put buyers off?

[CaurnieBred]

If I was you, I would do some work to the outside or take another, more flattering photo. It currently has no kerb appeal at all, whereas the other house you linked to does (it has character).

I would start by taking out the bush directly in front of the downstairs window!

Good luck

[Notname]

It looks lovely to me. No idea about whether the pricing is right obviously, without knowing your area, but personally I'd think of dropping to just under £300k initially to get it down into the next price bracket for people searching. It's still really early days in my opinion. By the way, I'd also get a different picture of the lounge as the cat tree dominates the one you've got (it shouldn't matter but it's quite distracting!). Not sure about how to manage the council house perception, other than stating 'not former council house', but that could poss do more harm than good, ie make people who hadn't thought it was think that it looks like a council house!

[Floggingmolly]

I don't want to sound awful, but the second house looks very, very different to the first.

[Notname]

I do agree that it should be possible to take a more flattering external picture :)

[TweakieNicholls]

Thanks for feedback - yes I know the other house looks much better than mine from the outside! that was my point (earlier in the thread) that the other houses around mine look more period whereas mine doesn't, and why people just looking at the street name and the photo might think that its ex-council. I am planning to get a gardener around soon to tidy up so will ask him to remove the tree. I am not green fingered at all! Another reason why we moved (to somewhere with a tiny garden) :-)

[wowfudge]

OP - just post a link. I found the house on Rightmove just by copying and pasting a section of the text you've quoted so no need to be coy.

My initial thoughts are that the presentation needs work, but there's plenty of scope for that. You should state it is chain free too. The outside space is uninviting and could look so much better for a little effort. A nicer looking house on the same street sold for £282k in January. I stand by my original comment: it's overpriced. Plus, now I have seen the full listing, the location won't be to everyone's taste and there may a lot of road noise in the garden given it's position near such a large junction.

[drspouse]

I agree with Caurnie, it looks tatty/unloved from outside, really odd angle for the photo too. The hall photo looks really pretty but also agree do NOT have the cat scratching post in the other photo!

And you can definitely say 1920s period property - as long as it looks it!

Is there anything else you can do to make it more period e.g. we have some stained glass above-door windows (transom windows) that we got from a reclamation yard. Is your fireplace working (or potentially working)?