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Original poster

House selling

104 replies

acleland · 14/06/2019 09:16

We have a stunning 5 bed house in a family village in Hampshire on the south coast. It has lots of character built in 1900 and all upgraded with modern fixtures and fittings. Aga, wood burning stove, granite worktops, underfloor heating, detached, big garden, drive and close to schools, shops and transport! and an annex that we rent out! It’s been on the market for two years now and we have since dropped the price from £575k to offers over £500k. Which is a bargain !!!! The market is dead ! We have no viewings this weekend . Last week we had an offer of £470k ! What an insult . Last year we had full asking but they couldn’t sell. There are characterless new builds up the road going for more. What I’m asking is would it be worth contacting a London agent ? Are there families looking to move out of the big smoke that would be interested in our house? If so, what agent could I use? If anyone could help I’d be very very grateful :)

OP posts:
FfionFlorist · 14/06/2019 16:09

No idea about the value of your home because I don't know the area at all but an offer of 94% of the asking price would be worth seriously considering and I wouldn't call it insulting.

MumUndone · 14/06/2019 16:26

I think it's lovely OP. Don't know how much houses usually go for round your way, seems like a bargain compared to where I live!

PostNotInHaste · 14/06/2019 16:29

I don’t think the sites that list sold prices in your road help the situation either OP.

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Property
Kez200 · 14/06/2019 19:25

You may be able to secure a similar drop on one you want to move to.

FIRSTTIMEMUMMA81 · 14/06/2019 19:39

Definitely re-market with someone else... new pictures, new agent that can actually be bothered, you need a floorplan. Apart from that it looks lovely - take the bathroom pic off. No one needs to see a bathroom (personally).
Definitely re-market with someone else though, we had this situation (only on for 4 months, had a buyer full price, dropped out and when it went back on we couldn't sell). Changed agents and it sold within 2 weeks for a good price.
Hope that helps :)

sunshinesupermum · 14/06/2019 19:56

Not sure what you mean by moving up the ladder when you already have a 4 bed house with ample living space! However if the £470K is really unacceptable I agree with PP - change your agent and take it off the market and make sure your new agent takes better photos and the info is accurate (ie 4 bed not 5 bed!)

You're on a losing wicket if there is a new development due to be built near you soon and prices will be in competition with yours. People seem to prefer new build for some reason. DD and DSiL did when they moved from Streatham to Redhill a few years ago!

I would investigate London estate agents because people are moving out for houses like yours, although Savills is very upmarket so probably not really for you although worth asking them to value it.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 14/06/2019 20:19

Definitely agree the first lot of photos are better, not least as it shows the house being behind a wall instead of open to the road - also agree the current agent must be mad not to have included a floor plan

The vital thing for me, though, would be to get rid of whoever's living in the annexe; hell would freeze over before I'd even consider a place with someone in situ, whether they were called a tenant, lodger or anything else

IDontGiveABagOfDicks · 15/06/2019 07:44

Get rid of lodger and empty the annexe of furniture

New photos

Add floor plan

Drop price

Singlenotsingle · 15/06/2019 09:19

I'm sure OP's house will be sold tenant free. Like she says, the tenant is a lodger on one months notice. We're in the same position. Our tenant understands that if we sell, he'd have to go

MairzyDoats · 15/06/2019 09:31

I definitely prefer the old photos, the living space looks much larger. The decor isn't to my taste but I think it's a lovely house, don't really get why you'd need to move up the ladder tbh... It doesn't look like you have a large family?

Off topic, what colour have you painted behind the TV in the main living room OP? It's exactly what I'm looking for!

BenWillbondsPants · 15/06/2019 09:37

OP your house is lovely, but Eastleigh really cannot be described as a village (family or otherwise), or on the coast. It's neither of those things so I'm not sure why you would describe it as such.

It's a really nice house and I also don't think that an offer of £470k is in any way insulting. Particularly in this market.

Andonandonan · 15/06/2019 09:48

You are definitely stretching it to describe fair oak as a family village near the coast.

Unfortunately there are heaps of new builds (& more coming) in the area and a lot of people will want the convenience of a new build vs a slightly quirky (in terms of loft room & annexe) older property.

470 doesn’t sound miles off really...have you tried negotiating with them to see if you can get them up a bit?

Obviously it’s hard if you have been basing calculations on 100k more but if you’re only being offered 470, that’s what you’ll have to work with.

ChequersDog · 15/06/2019 09:53

Bite the hand off the £470k offer or don’t move.

LittleLongDog · 15/06/2019 10:08

I would definitely want I see a bathroom pic if I was a buyer @FIRSTTIMEMUMMA81

scaryteacher · 15/06/2019 10:36

I would look if it said near Winchester or Botley,but Eastleigh puts me right off. Agree about not being on the coast either...you are well inland at Fair Oak.

BigRedBoat · 15/06/2019 10:58

It's not really 'on the coast', the house looks nice but the lodger in situ is off putting. Definitely get a floor plan. I think over £500k is a little optimistic but good luck OP hope you get more offers soon.

VictoriaBun · 15/06/2019 11:05

Tbh the lodger in the annex would put me off. Are they leaving when you do or could you give them notice now so when viewers come round they are the full house and my potential ?

MairzyDoats · 15/06/2019 15:53

Also, presumably to move 'up the ladder' the houses you were looking at would have dropped in price in the same way yours has?

Oliversmumsarmy · 15/06/2019 16:36

The house internally is beautiful

Externally by the look of the road it appears to be a bit of a mish mash and I think it could be suffering from being the best house on the road.

A couple of things that strike me that could be a bit off putting.

On the street view there are a row of houses that appear to have small gardens that back on to the side of your garden.

Also is the road a busy road? Which would put off a lot people especially if they have pets

I lived on a side road, driveway to the house was on the side road but house faced onto the road through the village.

Ended up taking anything I could because viewers were commenting about it being on a main road (technically it wasn’t) and they didn’t like main roads.

Road wasn’t even that busy.

ThatLibraryMiss · 15/06/2019 18:34

I agree about the first photos being better than the second. When it's relisted, OP, see if you can get the agents to label the photos. I can't tell whether photos 19, 20 and 21 of the first set are your en suite bathroom or the annexe bathroom. Whichever they are it doesn't need three photos, especially as 19 is a shot of towels and adds nothing to 20. And is photo 18 the annexe loft or the house loft?

madmother1 · 15/06/2019 18:48

I had my house up for £310k. Reduced it to £290k then sold for £285k. So, we've just negotiated a nice drop on our purchase. It is a stagnant market and if I were you I'd accept it.

Original poster
acleland · 15/06/2019 20:06

It’s just so low from starting at £575k last year and now we are on at offers over £500k. Then we get someone wanting it at 475 !!! £100k difference ....

OP posts:
DappledThings · 15/06/2019 20:28

It’s just so low from starting at £575k last year and now we are on at offers over £500k. Then we get someone wanting it at 475 !!! £100k difference

The market changes I'm afraid. September 2017 we had 3 valuations all at 600k. We went on at 599,999. Dropped to 575k after 2 months. Nothing happened. Came off, came back on with new agent at OIEO 550k. Accepted 515k in February 2018.

It's annoying, but it really is only worth what anyone will pay.

StopMakingATitOfUrselfNPissOff · 15/06/2019 20:57

100% you need a floor plan.

The loft room looks strange, dark and cave like with bare brick. It doesn't look like a warm and inviting room.

And agree it doesn't look like a Victorian house.

I am also looking at it and wondering when the roof will need redoing

Oliversmumsarmy · 15/06/2019 21:00

I think you will find it probably wasn’t worth £575000 in the first place and who ever valued it at that was being overly optimistic and just wanted you to sign up with their company.

Don’t know the area but looking at other property for sale there seems to be a ceiling price of around the £500,000 for other 4 bed detached in the area.

Given the road you are on I think I would prefer a place in a cul de sac.

I think you will find it hard to compete with the bungalow near you that also has 4 bedrooms and might be smaller but when you were up for £575,000 that is nearly £200,000 more.

At £470,000 I think that is a reasonable price. You might squeeze another £10K but if you want to move then take the £470,000 and negotiate hard on your next place.