Why is this house not selling?

[RedHedgepig]

A close friend is trying to sell this house, but it's not getting much interest. Can anyone advise on what changes they should make? Any helpful suggestions gratefully received. Thanks.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62155788.html

The house definitely needs a visit from the house doctor.

Main pic: - The windows are totally wrong for the age and style of property but obviously they aren't going to rip them out and replace them.

1st - Clutter needs to be cleared away and the pink curtains and accessories do nothing for that room

2nd - the back wall would be better painted white, the brown adds nothing.

3rd - maybe a few plants in bright pots and a table/chairs/parasole?

5th - could do with a tidy or buy a bigger tablecloth to hide all the stuff that's currently underneath the table.

6th - pic would have been better without the plywood at base of stairs

7th - pic is at a strange angle but I see there's a better one.

9th - not sure what you could do in the bathroom.

10th - steps at back and front of house, not great with young children or anyone with a physical disability.

12th - I would have taken up the play mat in front of tv

The two things that would put me off from viewing let alone offering are the windows (would cause a big upheaval and cost a lot to replace and the stairs (I'm disabled).

Gorgeous house but the curtains and furnishings don’t match the house. It’s a cottage and it’s dressed as though it’s a dated 1990s semi in an estate. Get rid of the red curtains and all the dull browns.

Everything looks cramped! The garden flagstones need a good clean and the ivy needs getting rid!
Hide anything to do with kids, otherwise some buyers will think it's all trashed by little ones.

www.zoopla.co.uk/property-history/36-high-street/great-doddington/wellingborough/nn29-7tq/40415085

That's my old house when I sold it and it's also up for sale again with the bathroom updated and the garden which I cpislnt afford to do.
But you'll see how I painted the dark beams a heritage colour and how it was dressed for sale. I had a baby and a 4yo at the time, as a lone parent so it can be done.

Also having looked at this in more detail, could the fridge be moved? Floorplan looks like there may be space to move to the other side of the kitchen maybe.
I think turning the ground floor lounge into dining area but keeping 2 arm chairs by the fire would be a nice touch and using basement as a cosy lounge would be good.

I would say it's because it's not a very appealing house. From the 'feature' fireplace to the corner bath, and the rather scabby-looking back yard. I'd not be bidding on it if there were similarly priced houses with less remedial work needing dong to them nearby.

Also the windows with the diamond frames are also horrible and would have to be replaced, and the kitchen is tiny.

£100k being a Londoner is depressing. Don’t think you can even buy a garage for £100k here 😂

@GrapefruitGin

We bought a 3 bed terrace with 2-storey extension, new kitchen, a garden, driveway, 2 reception rooms, attic conversion, and a 500 square foot (yes you read that right - 500 square foot!) triple car length garage for £98k! Area's fine too, old mining village in West Yorkshire (surrounded by countryside and a lovely duck pond 200 yards away). Oh, and it's near 2 train stations (each under a mile away) meaning that you can get to Leeds or Sheffield in half an hour. It can be very cheap to buy in the North!

Fucking hell! £100k for a cute cottage!

Photo 1 - Get rid of the inappropriate chair and all the clutter (elephants etc) Move the lamo.

Photo 2 - Get rid of the stupid "Word Picture" and repaint the poo wall

Photo 3 - Get rid of dead/shitty plants

Photo 4 - is there something wrong with the guttering? Re-Paint Poo Front Door

Photo 5 - Get rid of hideous 1970s table and declutter

Photo 6 - WTF is that big pine thingy? Get rid of it.

Photo 7 - Biggest FF in world in smallest kitchen in world.

Photo 8 - Not bad, just declutter

Photo 9 - Sort out whatever the fuck that is behind the loo. Looks dreadful.

Photo 10 - See photo 3

Photo 11 - as above

Photo 12 - see photo 6. I might paint that big wooden cupboard white.

HTH

It's potentially a lovely house but the décor and furniture are very uninspiring and out of character with the style of property. The outside photos aren't bad, it has loads of character but a bit of a tidy up and a few pots with nice plants would brighten things up. On the inside buyers need to be able to get a feel for the size of the rooms and to picture themselves living there. I would remove kids' clutter, some of the furniture especially the brown sofa which looks huge and most of the curtains which are overpowering. I would also paint all the brown interior doors white or neutral colour.

£100k is a normal price for a house, in line with average earnings. Prices are around that, or not a huge amount more, in large areas of the country.

It's the ridiculous high prices seen in London and the south east that are abnormal.

The guttering looks looks like it's all blocked, and causing overflow against the wall

Use this house on the same road as photo inspiration
www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=34149916&sale=26664717&country=england

I think it could be the cellar. I know you say your 6ft friend has no problem with the head height but just looking at the TV, child's tipi etc in relation to the ceiling height, there's no way the head height is over 2.1m. That, together with the open drop to the side of the stone stairs, means it probably hasn't got building regs. If that's the case, it shouldn't be marketed as an additional room. Perhaps people are initially interested in the extra floor space but when they see the reality, they realise it isn't a workable room.

I agree it looks cluttered, appallingly decorated and unloved, though all that can be changed. But things that can't or are difficult and would kill it for me are:

Only one loo - two flights of stairs from family room when you need it
Stairs off main living room - aesthetically awkward
Stairs going straight from basement to top floor = high heating costs
Minuscule 2nd bedroom
Ceilings look very low
Beams are hideous
Hobbit like back yard
Damp (?) stains on front wall and at back

Sorry, but I'd buy it only if desperate - especially at that price, which seems high compared to others

@OnlyFoolsnMothers the one you’ve posted is much nicer isn’t it? Looks maintained, cared for and not cluttered.

Also what's going on with the bit of wall behind the toilet pan? Is it meant to look like that or is it really an unfinished wall?

(And the loo's not even a close coupled one )

It’s a sweet little house and the price is unbelievable! (I’m in Oxfordshire).
Like pp say, it’s just a bit cluttered and needs a lick of neutral paint in places and prettying up.

It's really tiny and I would hate that dark basement room. I guess that is what's putting people off.

Get rid of kitchen wall paper, red stuff, untidy stuff, child related garb in room with red sofa. That plywood thing needs to go.

Retake photos of bathroom to include actually hanging up the shower instead of it dangling in the bath.

De-algae the back and put in pretty potplants.

Repaint front door etc

Paint pine skirting etc.

Get rid of brown wall and curtains etc online bedroom.

For pics relocate fridge in kitchen to give illusion of more space.

Just some thoughts.

If I was in Lancashire personally I'd be taking their arm off. I think it's cosy and I love the beams and the old yard.

Yes, some of the decor needs a bit of work and yes, it is a little cluttered, but I think it's gorgeous. And presumably they'll be taking their clutter with them and I could redecorate.

They haven’t even made an effort for the photos, if you want one hundred thousand pounds off someone, at least clear your kids tat out of the way, no one wants to look at that crap, brown is not a colour that should be on walls, the rooms look tiny and up functional, they’re fighting against everything the tiny house is, the dated decor clashes with the age of the tiny house, the photos just make it look like future residents would be crammed into low, small, cluttered rooms with no escape into any outside space.

It's cluttered and chaotic and the colours are a bit full on for a small cottage but that's THEIR stuff and THEIR taste. If I posted the rightmove pics of the house we now live in, you'd say it was crammed full of stuff, badly finished off, awful bathroom, garish decor, stained carpets and badly fitted laminate floors. It doesn't have any of these things now because we saw past them and saw instead the high ceilings, original coving and skirting boards, great light and beautiful setting. Now its light, bright, and neutrally decorated. That cottage just needs someone to see past what's currently there.

If they want a cottage, that is