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

30% above market value a while back will mean brutal losses in this market.

Sounds like homes near me. New ish and around that price.

One is now sale agreed after 18 months on the market
One was on the market 6 months before 'sale agreed'
Another 9 months before 'sale agreed'

'Offers over' puts people off. All originally had that but after all changing agents/lowering price 25k or so (from c650k) before securing interest.

Buyers are waiting to see how high interest rates go, and hoping that sellers start cutting prices soon to match rates.

I think OP later said 3 bathrooms plus a downstairs WC. I imagine there are more of those around.

This calculator also shows how prices have changed in your area overall:

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/property-home/article/uk-property-prices-tracker-qknt3d6fc?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=fy26_times_twitter_10_uk_performance_conversions_bau&utm_content=pro_single_image_editorial_property_oct_price-tracker

When you say the house down the road sold for £700k - is that based on the listing or on land registry data?

Have you taken the new build premium into account? When you purchase new the price is usually 10-30% above market value for an older house.

If you’ve lived in it for 7 years the “shiny newness” of it has worn off and buyers don’t expect the price to have risen since you had the benefit of it being perfect and new.

If feedback is that people were looking for something bigger, it means they expected more for their money or you’re still overpriced.

You could take it off the market for a few months, or try a different agent …

Your house sounds fine. What's the area like? Your local town, schools, amenities, public transport, leisure etc. etc.

As someone said upthread, the housing market changed post covid. Plus the economy is shit at the moment, so buyers could be looking for any excuse not to make an offer. Also, there may not be that much of a price difference between a 4 bed and a 5 bed, if the 5 bed sellers are pricing to sell.

Get back onto your agents and push for more ideas from them.

Ah, is it one of those with three floors? And a tiny floor print ➡️ very small actual living area?

Why would you ever question why someone was selling a house after 7yrs in it? Families move for many, many other reasons than upsizing.

Yes I would agree. It's a very uncertain time financially. A friend of mine is in exactly the same boat. I think unless people are having to sell they're all sitting back to see how the financial situation goes. Interest rates and fuel costs all play a very important part.

Without seeing a listing, I'm just going to assume the following reasons as to why it's not selling:

• It looks small on the listing.
• It is near a loud main road or primary school.
• It shares a garden with the local HMP.
• It looks cluttered.

Yes, that is crazily overpriced.

New build sales are down around 60%, there is a ME war starting, interest rates are gong to go up ( 60% drop in sales was BEFORE the Iran war)

I cant find any houses with 4 beds, and 4 bathrooms for 649k within 40miles of Hampden in Arden.

Even though I said dont post the link!

But really, no matter that people would pull apart your tea towels or front door mat or garden chairs, its the market

Stay where you are for now OP, unless you have about 8 kids or something you dont need a 5 bed I wouldnt have thought.

1700sq ft for a 4 bed house feels cramped IMO. We moved from a 1700 new build (4 bed) to 2900 4 bed (older build). Much better.

I’d prefer character and more outside space which you could get in our area. Over priced massive new builds just seem to sit forever, nobody wants them.

Hampton-in-Arden is a desirable area.

I think also you pay a premium on a new build when you buy it brand new - so if you’re comparing the price you’re asking for against what you paid for it, assuming it was brand new 5 years ago, I think it’s fairly common to make a loss if you sell it so soon. It’s no longer brand new and people wouldn’t actually expect to pay the same as you did when you bought it new. Obviously in this country ‘second hand’ as it were isn’t generally applicable to houses, so I think that affect dissipates over time but I have heard that any brand new build will most likely sell at a loss if you look to sell very quickly.

We can't help then! 🙄🙄🙄

That is overpriced too!

It isn’t heated by oil is it ?

5 years isn't a very short time to be in a house/own a house. You're talking like the OP is selling if after 9 months or something. Although, I would wonder why someone was selling a house that is a 4 bed with 4 bathrooms! And apparently a huge driveway and huge garden.... Surely, that is big enough for most familes? So I would wonder why they're selling.

Edit: the OP suddenly remembered that she's been in the house for 7 years, not 5!

.

My sibling lives in a tiny new build. Moved in at the start of the phase,not knowing how many other houses are being built there now. The number of houses thrown up there recently is scary, especially when they're doing nothing to cope with the amount of families that will be eventually living there. It won't cope 🙄🤦‍♂️

When viewers say they were expecting somerhing bigger, they mean it was overpriced for the size.

Also a 5yo new build is always tricky. It's no longer new (and you probably paid a premium becuase it was), but can often come with the problems associated with shoddy modern new builds.

Exactly this. As I said, the OP has created a new username for this thread, so there's no reason whatsoever to not post a link to her house. She posted the thread about her house, so she is the one making her and her house public. As you say, it's a public forum.