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

Things that would put me off viewing-

1. Its cramped. Tiny kitchen and straight into the front room.
2. It's dark.
3. It looks like it needs lots of cosmetic work just to make it a relaxing place to be.
4. The windows need replacing.
5. The externals need work.

I'd discount it because who wants to live across three floors?

The pictures do absolutely nothing for the place And I'd be ashamed to have put no effort in and then show photos to the world.

is there parking?

Like others have said - massive de clutter. I'd also present the basement as a living room and create a dining room upstairs. The current living room looks cramped and as if it doesn't have enough space for usual furniture.

Paint the front door, nicer pots, get rid of the gate thing at the basement entrance and move playmats and toys etc. for the pics.

@TattiePants building regs are irrelevant because the house pre-dates them. There is no obligation to bring things in line with current regs.

That said, the presentation is woeful and the photos are poor - from the order to the composition to the lighting. Bridgfords are hard sell merchants ime and they value high to get business. I would be put off viewing a place if it was on with them. Did your friend talk Keenan's at all? They use a professional photographer and know how to market this kind of traditional property.

I've just checked and the map reference and Streetview are wrong: they are for the next street. Sloppy work by the EA but why hasn't your friend checked the listing and got them to put it right?

Declutter, the stair gate is unappealing, move dining table up to ground floor. Dislike red curtains with purple floor.

Then add a vase of flowers on dining table.

Reduce the price a little bit eg 98500.

(I would love to be able to afford a house when I move but it is unlikely. This would have been perfect and I would have been able to afford it, unfortunately I live in south east so prices are sky high).

Add a vase of flowers? Yeas, that'll fix it.

Dreadful kiddy plastic tat everywhere puts me off immediately.
Clutter.
Remote controls hanging about like someone's just left the room.
Weird curtains in bedroom.
Sofa in lounge is too big and makes it look tiny.
The dining room looks like a dismal play centre rather than an entertaining space. Flagstones need a power wash.
Bathroom I'm sure is fine but the photo is dreadful. No attempt to dress it to make it look nice. Curtain, bath mat, toilet seat horrible.
Kitchen photo makes it look like anyone with any thing other than a size 6 arse is going to struggle to manoeuvre past the fridge.
Outside photos on a damp dark day are not flattering.

If you spend a lot of time you can see it's a beautiful character cottage but... hell you have to work at it.

@wowfudge cellars were never intended to be habitable rooms so if it was still storage or even a utility room, no building regs are needed. It's had a change of use and as a now supposedly habitable room, head height, stairs, ventilation, ability to escape in a fire etc become necessary. I'd also wonder if it's been sufficiently tanked.

I rather like it, but in that area that sort of price can get a good bit more.

If they can’t budge on price they might be stuck.

What's going on with the shower?! Showers are a Daedalus breaker for me and it looks like someone has washed their hair over the bath and then left it stuck in the bath.
This is a beautiful house it it's owners haven't even tried to make it presentable.

Erm.. DEAL breaker.

Same house wih different agent. MUCH BETTER listing!
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73456250.html

For me there would be a couple of things:
Lack of off road parking.
Lack of garden

Both are standard for northern terraces lile this, but with new builds offering both of those I think it limits the number of people who'd be interested in this property or similar ones. It might be worth your friend looking at what new builds are going for in the area but I would imagine a similar price. A quick Google threw up a shared ownership for £60,000 (50%).

Is the basement certified as a room or not? I wouldn't want to be going down to eat each mealtime. Could your friend have a lounge finger on the ground floor and make the basement a chill out space?

Then get rid of the clutter. The rooms are small and the impression is they aren't very light, so any additional clutter won't be helping.

Is it one living/ dining space or is the small room with the fireplace separate?

Do those stairs have a bannister? Are they safe with little kids.

What is on the dark wall behind the toilet. Bathroom looks generally shabby.

Why is the dining table pushed against the wall? Make it look like a nice space to eat without being squashed.

Just seen dining space is in basement, no way would I want to carry plates of food up and down stairs.

Unless the house was significantly cheaper than similar locally I wouldn't look at it.

I have no idea about the prices in that location, but I love the house!

For those who need to see a property as more of a blank slate though, it could do with a major de-clutter and neutralising of the strong colours.

But, yeah, gorgeous house.

Love the dead Christmas tree still in the back yard in the new listing

ImpracticalCape
Erm.. DEAL breaker.

You must have the most intellectual autocorrect in the world

It feels very oppressive with the dark wood and clutter. It's too small if you want a family-I can see even with one baby you would outgrow the house. The clutter is very telling that there is not enough storage space and this house is bursting at the seams.

It feels very unloved. Doesn't appear to have had much work done on it- patio in need of a power wash, no curb appeal at all at the front. If the people who lived there CBA to tidy up and scrub for the photos, I'd wonder what kind of condition the house would be in on closer inspection.

We recently sold our flat- entirely decluttered with enough stuff around to look lived in but not enough to say "we're only 2 people and we have outgrown this place". Took professional photos in sunny weather, making the most of the positives of each room. Could they do this?

House looks outgrown. Declutter hugely.

Could they sell it to a developer as a part trade for new home?

No proper garden.
Does it have any off street parking??
It looks awful from the front.
It's over three stories and that would def put me off.
Is it on a main road?

It generally looks a bit meh in my opinion. It will probably sell eventually if the price is right.

The first photo sets a scene for outdated, ugly decor I'm afraid. Most buyers would have to do it up completely to bring it up to date (carpets/walls/kitchen/bathroom etc.).

The outside photos are much nicer, looks a cute cottage but the inside lets it down. They probably don't want to do much now while selling but maybe paint the brown wall in the bedroom (something cool toned like duck egg would look nicer), get rid of some of the red furnishings and cover the sofa with a nice throw etc.

Kitchen looks very tiny in the photos compared to the floorplan, bad photos?

This one’s interesting. Far end of the same street - OP house is only just off the main road, this one’s at the dead end. (Map link is nearly correct though flags street behind)

Interior very similar to OP - small rooms, much clutter, piles of kids’ plastic stuff - no basement, but level entrance, much wider plot, and garage so has parking space.

£110K but parking & outside space easily justifies the extra £10K IMO

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73077295.html

It's a mid-terraced house in Lancashire that is shabby and dated and they're trying to sell it for £100k....the world has gone entirely mad.

Brexit...over-priced...mental property bubble...etc etc etc.

Why are there 5 houses on that one little street for sale? I'd be worried something is being built nearby that's making people leave.