AIBU to wonder why our fairly priced new-build house is not selling?

if it’s not selling then its not priced right I’m afraid. So if you would reduce it you’d finally get to a number where it would definitely sell.

So you may want to ask ‚how can i sell this house spring 2026 for (whatever you were asking)?‘

I think there’s lots of tips online (better photos, description, etc) but maybe also your estate agent can’t give you any tips?

Moving to upsize from a four bed with garden and triple garage?! Blaaady hell. cries in 3 bed Victorian terrace

It could be the timing, the economy, who's looking at the moment, what else is available in your area at that price point.

Ah - just saw you live Warwickshire border. That’s where I am and I cannot believe the number of new builds there are and that are currently being built. I imagine a saturated market

Well it is, and it isn't. In some markets, lack of a buyer doesn't necessarily mean the house was over-valued. If the market is reasonably buoyant and you aren't getting viewings, or lots of viewings but no offers or only low offers, it will absolutely be because the price is too high and doesn't seem attractive compared to other similar houses.

But in a very flat market where global or domestic factors mean that buyer confidence is low (which is what's happening now) the house may not be overpriced compared to other comparable houses, it's just that no-one is buying anything. Obviously, eventually this will start a domino effect of buyers dropping their prices, but I think that's been the case now since the Truss mortgage rate debacle, it's not as if this flattened market is a very sudden thing, so that was probably factored in in the agent's valuation anyway.

If you are desperate to sell then of course if you drop the price low enough then eventually someone will bite. But that doesn't mean the house wasn't worth what it was originally on for. If the market suddenly picked up and became active again (if not exactly buoyant and a seller's market) then it would likely sell at or around the price it was valued at.

If you can't afford to drop the price too much more (and given the house is only five years old I'm guessing you can't, because there would have been a new build premium built into the price and you'd have bought at a time when prices were generally higher, or at least not stagnant) then I'd forget moving right now and ride it out until things eventually pick up again.

I imagine in part due to Iran war and mortgages.

My relative has a beautifully presented new build that hasn’t had a single viewing in 9 months , she’s kept lowering the price but still nothing. I think new builds tend to be hard to sell (at least in our area) because there are SO many near identical properties to choose from , and constantly new ones being built where they can choose which kitchen surfaces they want etc etc .

I would never buy a new build, sorry. The constant horror stories of them. Plus the economy right now is not good, mortgage prices etc.

I don’t think it’s been on the market long enough. I wouldn’t have dropped the price yet. A lot of people are unnerved by what’s going on and the potential for escalation - also the banks are unsettled. Unfortunately bad timing @Housesellinghelp

I understand why you don't want to post a link on here, because there are always posters who claim it's not selling because the tablecloth is wrong, or there are wrinkles in the duvet cover, or you need posh soap in the bathroom. Genuinely, though, people can give neutral and useful advice, if you just tune out the silly comments!

To get proper feedback here you'd really need to post a link to the listing. Since you don't want to (totally up to you), the main person you need to be asking your original question is your estate agent – why do they think it's not selling?

This. Plus people who want a new build would want a completely new build.

How big is your lounge if you have an open plan kitchen/living/dining area? I lived in a new build like this and it drove me mad as I felt my lounge was too small as new builds tend to make a big open living space and sacrifice on the other downstairs rooms.

We eventually moved to a house with a huge lounge and a kitchen diner.

Where I live all the secondary schools (bar one) are over subscribed, same with primary schools. The population has increased significantly, and families having more children is also a factor. However, we don't know if that is the case here.

The market is rubbish for houses in my area over £500k. I have a 2000sq ft 5 bed on the market South East, gorgeous popular market town, 5 mins walk to the high street but quiet area. It's lovely. a few years ago would have been worth £650k + I expect. Now we cant sell at £550k. Just nobody looking.

Though TBH I do wonder how long this will now last, since I’ve even more recently heard of several small private prep schools in similar areas closing. A relative of dh has 4 young children to find new schools for by September - the school that’s closing was charging for only 2, though one was still in the nursery dept. and will still only be 3.

Isn’t that exactly what you’ve done on RightMove, Zoopla, Onthemarket etc. though?

Which makes total sense, when you look at the drop in births. They started to tail off around the mid 2010s, ie the group who are now hitting secondary school. This graph only goes up to 2021, but they've stayed low since then. The biggest boom years recently were 2012-13 who are now all mid-secondary.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/281981/live-births-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/?srsltid=AfmBOopUYX1v-pglEcWYKgIvhK2zJUGnZxYrAyik1fD01V0W8C_3jes_

The landscape is quite different for parents of primary and in particular preschool aged children.

Maybe other houses are better value or the catchment is not that strict any more, if that was the main draw of the house for you? It's possibly a very small pool of buyers who could afford that price, like the new build style and need the catchment.
Rates have gone up etc, as others have said. What you got offered years ago doesn't matter now, maybe your potential buyer was desperate/overpaying?

Nothing is selling, currently. The world situation is to blame for some extent, as no one knows what’s coming.

Does the living area match the amount of bedrooms and does it have a tiny garden as new builds tend to?

The mortgage rates and general economy.

And I don’t know if other people feel like this but a ‘second hand new build’ is out of warranty and may be starting be need maintenance.

I wouldn’t worry about posting a link, unless the photos are genuinely terrible or your house is an unliveable, badly planned mess, MN advice is usually many opinions about peripheral decor that really doesn’t affect serious house buyers who are interested in size and layout of rooms, overall style of house, stand of maintenance and updating and location. And price.

Which is fine while you can. PiL haven't been able to visit us for 5 years and my mum is increasing struggling when she come to stay.
Also great for pop in visitors rather than them nosing about having to go upstairs.
When we move a downstairs loo will be a must have.

Given you are upsizing, the price for which you sell isn’t the critical factor but the price to exchange your property for your next house. What type of area do you live in? Can secondary school pupils walk or use public transport to get to school independently? Do couple families all need two cars if they are not to be trapped on the estate? What’s the infrastructure and community like? Is it all owner occupiers or are families now relocating for work etc. and renting their properties?

Right, so do you think the area has downsides, or is it just that you'd rather live somewhere more rural, for example?

1700sq ft seems small for 4 beds plus 3/4 bathrooms. But agree that it’s mainly the current economic global position slowing everything down.