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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that it’s odd no one has come to look?

559 replies

Onwayto50 · 01/07/2025 13:13

I wasn’t sure how to title this - but we put our house on the market 3 weeks ago and have had utter tumbleweed. I’m including a link - am I missing something? I think it’s priced right for the market and I think the photos are lovely but maybe I’m too close to it?? AIBU to think we should have had a least a little interest? Or am I missing something glaring??

Check out this 4 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove

4 bedroom terraced house for sale in Harrowby Road, Grantham, NG31 for £390,000. Marketed by Newton Fallowell, Grantham

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/163176548?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
WhereOnEarthIsMyPlanet · 03/07/2025 14:31

alexalisten · 03/07/2025 14:30

Do you honestly think op isnt reading every comment still

She might be, but there’s not much point her replying now, is there?

alexalisten · 03/07/2025 14:30

WhereOnEarthIsMyPlanet · 03/07/2025 13:44

And how many of them are just a variation on ‘your kitchen is shit’! I don’t think the OP missed much by not coming back after her second post.

Edited

Do you honestly think op isnt reading every comment still

WhereOnEarthIsMyPlanet · 03/07/2025 13:44

Wot23 · 03/07/2025 10:59

obviously there is not, but look at how many subsequent comments since OP left at page 16 are still aimed at the OP

Edited

And how many of them are just a variation on ‘your kitchen is shit’! I don’t think the OP missed much by not coming back after her second post.

AnneMarieW · 03/07/2025 13:21

allamberedover · 03/07/2025 08:29

Maybe the OP is stressed, she likes her home , she's unsettled because she's had no viewings.
Some posters have expressed their views about the carpets( cheap, thin) the general feel of the house( student occupied) , the town ( a dump) and of course the kitchen in very brutal terms.
Of course she's taking it personally.

Agreed. I understand the OP posted in AIBU instead of Property and AIBU is always a bit 😱… but while it’s fine imo to say why the kitchen wouldn’t be workable for some posters personally or if the carpets or other aspects of the decor aren’t their taste etc - most people would rightly be upset about some of the harsher comments about their home on this thread and be wary of coming back.

Hopefully the OP has just taken notes of the important things they can change such as considering dropping the price to closer match others on the market and adding/getting new photos of things like the garage and ensuite, rather than being too upset that these practical suggestions get lost in the more brutal comments.

Wot23 · 03/07/2025 10:59

allamberedover · 02/07/2025 21:10

I had no idea that there was a MN rule requiring threads to be a back and forth between the poster and the OP.
Talking amongst ourselves!
It's almost as if this were a chat forum

obviously there is not, but look at how many subsequent comments since OP left at page 16 are still aimed at the OP

WhereOnEarthIsMyPlanet · 03/07/2025 09:01

She said in her second post that she’s taken the constructive advice on board and it has given her a lot to think about, so I guess that’s what she was looking for.

queenoftheanalogy · 03/07/2025 08:40

WhereOnEarthIsMyPlanet · 03/07/2025 08:36

I doubt she’s looking for your sympathy, specifically.

Maybe not, but it's not clear either what she is looking for.

queenoftheanalogy · 03/07/2025 08:40

echt · 03/07/2025 08:34

So she shouldn't have posted on AIBU.

No sympathy.

Exactly. Those of us old enough to remember the early days of the House Doctor on Channel 5 will remember that a lot of people who went on that program to get help in selling their homes were often very distraught at the viewer feedback, and yet the consensus on the street was that they were the ones who had invited it all in.

The advice of the House Doctor, Anne Maurice, still stands good, and there was many a line of hers I was thinking of when looking at this house. Two key things, one, "you are not marketing this house inexpensively", in other words, it has to be premium if you want a premium price.

Two, she would always remind people that anything they had inherited when they bought the house means that they must have liked it enough to buy it, and so will someone else.

The House Doctor also went to great lengths to tell people not to take the feedback personally, and that they should focus on their new goal of buying a new house, which they can do once this one has sold. She also like to know why people were selling and if they didn't like the house they already had, as it often showed through that the current owners just didn't like it, even if they thought everyone else would.

Did the OP actually say why she is wanting to sell?

WhereOnEarthIsMyPlanet · 03/07/2025 08:36

echt · 03/07/2025 08:34

So she shouldn't have posted on AIBU.

No sympathy.

I doubt she’s looking for your sympathy, specifically.

echt · 03/07/2025 08:34

allamberedover · 03/07/2025 08:29

Maybe the OP is stressed, she likes her home , she's unsettled because she's had no viewings.
Some posters have expressed their views about the carpets( cheap, thin) the general feel of the house( student occupied) , the town ( a dump) and of course the kitchen in very brutal terms.
Of course she's taking it personally.

So she shouldn't have posted on AIBU.

No sympathy.

allamberedover · 03/07/2025 08:29

Maybe the OP is stressed, she likes her home , she's unsettled because she's had no viewings.
Some posters have expressed their views about the carpets( cheap, thin) the general feel of the house( student occupied) , the town ( a dump) and of course the kitchen in very brutal terms.
Of course she's taking it personally.

queenoftheanalogy · 03/07/2025 08:24

MoominUnderWater · 03/07/2025 08:19

But it could be as attractive with some decorating. Which is cheaper than replacing the kitchen which I’d consider a necessity in the OP’s house. Plus the draw of an end terrace over a mid terrace would outweigh the slightly smaller rooms.

The decor is really, really not the issue with this house. The moment the video started and went inside, I couldn't believe how far anyone would have to walk to gain access to the front room, only to have to walk back on one's self, through the dining area, to get to the sitting room. The first thing I would do if I bought the place would be to reinstate the original sitting room door to the hallway.

The other thing that worried me was the steps down to the garden, which appeared to have no handrail. I dread walking on decking at the best of time, having once gone A over T on a flight of decked steps, and I was much younger then - I'd never get back up with only a bruised ego like I did that time.

As others have said, the OP needs to really think about what did it for her when she bought the place, and then play to those features with a like minded buyer.

MoominUnderWater · 03/07/2025 08:21

FilthyforFirth · 01/07/2025 13:29

No idea on the area but given it isn't the south east the price seems insane for a terrace. The house seems nice enough but massively overpriced.

Grantham as a town is a dump but there are grammar schools, surrounding countryside is nice and you can be in London via train in just over an hour.

MoominUnderWater · 03/07/2025 08:19

CarterBeatsTheDevil · 03/07/2025 07:05

Hmmm. I don't think this house is nearly as attractive as the OP's, or really bigger (OP has the basement converted and the beds on the first floor are a much better size than this house). So I would not say it's nicer, but its existence would certainly make me think twice about buying something more expensive that is broadly overall the same space. Plus I see that this house has been recently reduced in price. So I still think it's price (sorry, OP, if you do come back).

But it could be as attractive with some decorating. Which is cheaper than replacing the kitchen which I’d consider a necessity in the OP’s house. Plus the draw of an end terrace over a mid terrace would outweigh the slightly smaller rooms.

RedToothBrush · 03/07/2025 08:17

queenoftheanalogy · 03/07/2025 08:11

In what way overly harsh? The OP asked for comments and MN delivered. A lot of people don't like the layout of the kitchen and have said this is why it has put people off.

For what it's worth, I don't dislike the kitchen per-se, but I wouldn't like my washing machine stuck next to an oven, I wouldn't like have to bend down to the floor to plug my kettle into an extention lead, and I would miss having wall units.

Added to which, in the video of the house (and as someone else already pointed out), there's an ironing board to one side of the fridge-freezer, and a vacuum cleaner to the other, both of which look like they've been dumped there as opposed to being stored neatly (albeit still on show) and both suggesting the house lacks storage. Why not at least move them for the time it took the photographer to make the video? It's almost as though the OP thinks the house is going to sell itself, and yes, if she's fortunate enough to find someone who has that amount of money, who wants to live on that street, and loves the layout, then it will. But from the photos and the video, it looks like living there will be physically exhausting.

In what world would it be a good idea for someone to ask for feedback and then not be told the truth?

Edited

Anyone who likes to cook wants a convenient layout in the kitchen

The triangle arrangement between the cooker, the fridge and the sink is a well known, tried and tested design principle.

This kitchen has a major design flaw that people are picking up on.

It's not 'overly harsh' to say this.

If you have to walk ALLLLL the way up and allll the way down to get various things, it's badly designed.

And most people acknowledged that it wasn't the design choice of the OP too. So I don't get why it's been taken so bloody personally.

queenoftheanalogy · 03/07/2025 08:11

AnneMarieW · 03/07/2025 01:42

@Onwayto50 Overly harsh comments from posters about the kitchen imo - I much prefer having the big island over a more galley style kitchen (although I admit I do appreciate a full height oven now that I’ve gotten older, but lots of people mustn’t care or else things like ranges wouldn’t be so popular!) It’s just a matter of taste and there will be others like us.

Personally from a visual/photo perspective the thing I might do differently in your kitchen is paint the walls a very light green down the sides and keep the darker mid green just to each end of the room as that helps make a room look less like a long rectangle. I also perhaps would have put more shelving down the whole length of the room rather than just half of it, as the side without the windows looks a bit plain. But tbh otherwise the kitchen looks fine to me 🤷‍♀️ and those changes would be easy to do.

You really need photos of the garage though! The first thing people often think about period terraces (apart from what period features does it have? - so highlight photos of any fireplaces etc if you have them) is where will I park? You need to make it very clear by photos that you have private parking as people often skim over the blurb when looking quickly.

Visually it’s a lovely looking house (especially the frontage with the tiles and the nicely done garden) and although not all the decor is exactly my cup of tea in terms of the bright colours/black (as I’m very much a pastels and wood tones type of woman), the big ticket items of your decor mostly seem fairly neutral so that can’t be the issue and the house also looks to have lovely, well proportioned rooms on the whole.

I can only think it’s might be a price problem as your nearest competitor on the same road is at far less, although without the bonus of the finished basement room, your nicer gardens and especially the garage/parking - but they do have the extra bedroom and are end terrace compared to mid terrace, so I’m not sure why your shared estate agents priced yours at a full £80 000 more. What did the agents tell you justified so much extra in their opinion, compared to say, only £40 000 more? (which at £350 000 would also take you into a new search bracket on Right Move too). I’d be concerned that anyone wanting an 4 story period house in your area isn’t going to look past the much cheaper one with the same agents. Really hope for you though that isn’t the case, good luck!

In what way overly harsh? The OP asked for comments and MN delivered. A lot of people don't like the layout of the kitchen and have said this is why it has put people off.

For what it's worth, I don't dislike the kitchen per-se, but I wouldn't like my washing machine stuck next to an oven, I wouldn't like have to bend down to the floor to plug my kettle into an extention lead, and I would miss having wall units.

Added to which, in the video of the house (and as someone else already pointed out), there's an ironing board to one side of the fridge-freezer, and a vacuum cleaner to the other, both of which look like they've been dumped there as opposed to being stored neatly (albeit still on show) and both suggesting the house lacks storage. Why not at least move them for the time it took the photographer to make the video? It's almost as though the OP thinks the house is going to sell itself, and yes, if she's fortunate enough to find someone who has that amount of money, who wants to live on that street, and loves the layout, then it will. But from the photos and the video, it looks like living there will be physically exhausting.

In what world would it be a good idea for someone to ask for feedback and then not be told the truth?

CarterBeatsTheDevil · 03/07/2025 07:05

MoominUnderWater · 02/07/2025 22:59

I know OP said she’s not coming back which is a shame. If she won’t take the price comments on board she’ll still not be sold in six months time.

i know Grantham well. This is on the same street for what 80k less? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159489149#/floorplan?activePlan=1&id=media16&channel=RES_BUY

yes the garden isn’t as nice but the kitchen is 20x better and it’s an end of terrace. Not a mid terrace. Even if they were the same price I’d take this one over the OPs. I certainly wouldn’t pay 80k more for what I perceive to be a worse house.

Hmmm. I don't think this house is nearly as attractive as the OP's, or really bigger (OP has the basement converted and the beds on the first floor are a much better size than this house). So I would not say it's nicer, but its existence would certainly make me think twice about buying something more expensive that is broadly overall the same space. Plus I see that this house has been recently reduced in price. So I still think it's price (sorry, OP, if you do come back).

AnneMarieW · 03/07/2025 01:42

@Onwayto50 Overly harsh comments from posters about the kitchen imo - I much prefer having the big island over a more galley style kitchen (although I admit I do appreciate a full height oven now that I’ve gotten older, but lots of people mustn’t care or else things like ranges wouldn’t be so popular!) It’s just a matter of taste and there will be others like us.

Personally from a visual/photo perspective the thing I might do differently in your kitchen is paint the walls a very light green down the sides and keep the darker mid green just to each end of the room as that helps make a room look less like a long rectangle. I also perhaps would have put more shelving down the whole length of the room rather than just half of it, as the side without the windows looks a bit plain. But tbh otherwise the kitchen looks fine to me 🤷‍♀️ and those changes would be easy to do.

You really need photos of the garage though! The first thing people often think about period terraces (apart from what period features does it have? - so highlight photos of any fireplaces etc if you have them) is where will I park? You need to make it very clear by photos that you have private parking as people often skim over the blurb when looking quickly.

Visually it’s a lovely looking house (especially the frontage with the tiles and the nicely done garden) and although not all the decor is exactly my cup of tea in terms of the bright colours/black (as I’m very much a pastels and wood tones type of woman), the big ticket items of your decor mostly seem fairly neutral so that can’t be the issue and the house also looks to have lovely, well proportioned rooms on the whole.

I can only think it’s might be a price problem as your nearest competitor on the same road is at far less, although without the bonus of the finished basement room, your nicer gardens and especially the garage/parking - but they do have the extra bedroom and are end terrace compared to mid terrace, so I’m not sure why your shared estate agents priced yours at a full £80 000 more. What did the agents tell you justified so much extra in their opinion, compared to say, only £40 000 more? (which at £350 000 would also take you into a new search bracket on Right Move too). I’d be concerned that anyone wanting an 4 story period house in your area isn’t going to look past the much cheaper one with the same agents. Really hope for you though that isn’t the case, good luck!

UpMyself · 02/07/2025 23:27

That isn't lovely.

Bearinthesmallmessyflat · 02/07/2025 23:23

MoominUnderWater · 02/07/2025 22:59

I know OP said she’s not coming back which is a shame. If she won’t take the price comments on board she’ll still not be sold in six months time.

i know Grantham well. This is on the same street for what 80k less? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159489149#/floorplan?activePlan=1&id=media16&channel=RES_BUY

yes the garden isn’t as nice but the kitchen is 20x better and it’s an end of terrace. Not a mid terrace. Even if they were the same price I’d take this one over the OPs. I certainly wouldn’t pay 80k more for what I perceive to be a worse house.

Ooh that is lovely! An extra bedroom too and even though the garden is smaller it looks much better maintained and lower maintenance long term too which I bet is appealing to a lot of young families

MoominUnderWater · 02/07/2025 22:59

I know OP said she’s not coming back which is a shame. If she won’t take the price comments on board she’ll still not be sold in six months time.

i know Grantham well. This is on the same street for what 80k less? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159489149#/floorplan?activePlan=1&id=media16&channel=RES_BUY

yes the garden isn’t as nice but the kitchen is 20x better and it’s an end of terrace. Not a mid terrace. Even if they were the same price I’d take this one over the OPs. I certainly wouldn’t pay 80k more for what I perceive to be a worse house.

Check out this 5 bedroom end of terrace house for sale on Rightmove

5 bedroom end of terrace house for sale in Harrowby Road, Grantham, NG31 for £310,000. Marketed by Newton Fallowell, Grantham

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159489149#/floorplan?activePlan=1&id=media16&channel=RES_BUY

FiendsandFairies · 02/07/2025 22:59

Meant to add, that was earlier this year.

FiendsandFairies · 02/07/2025 22:58

A bit off topic, but I heard a great piece of advice last week. A friend of a friend had a house in Streatham, S.London (I think it was an unfurnished second home) that had been on the market for ages with little interest. She hadn’t spent any money on it for a while and contacted another EA. They advised she paint the whole property white and put cheap, white IKEA curtains in each room. She did it all her herself without spending much, and ended up with three offers soon after.

CarterBeatsTheDevil · 02/07/2025 21:35

blackframegame · 01/07/2025 13:24

The house looks lovely, I don't know the area but if their is no interest it is the price, it is always the price.

This. It's always the price. The photos do make it look slightly like a tunnel downstairs, and I would consider (weirdly) putting a few select bits of kitchen stuff out to make the kitchen look more like a family space. But honestly it's a lovely house and pretty enough for people to want to check it out if the price is right. No viewings of this lovely house over 3 weeks screams too pricy to me.

Blindoptimism · 02/07/2025 21:25

My flat in South London went on nearly 3 weeks ago and I just one viewing so far. I fear the price will have to drop but the estate agents say the last few weeks have been absolutely dire for all types of property. They blame the international situation. I’m less sure about that but I do know it’s incredibly quiet and very different to my previous experience. I don’t know your market but I’d ask your estate agents how the market in your area is doing before assuming it’s the house/pics/price