Would *you* view this house? And if not, why not?

[NameChangePropertyAdvice]

Name changed as this is outing, but I'd really like to know what you think about this property and the way it's being marketed please.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-92534111.html

For the price, the kitchen is not big and the bathroom needs a complete refit. Saying that, if you wanted that where I'm living, you could double the price, which is madness.

OP I've NC so I don't out myself. We aren't looking in the Suffolk area but we are looking at houses now, our price range is up to £800k and our house is sold.

If we were looking in the Suffolk area we would look at this house.
I've skimmed the thread, some of my comments are duplicates but I've kept them in anyway as I'm looking as a genuine potential buyer.

Don't know the area, how competitive is the price?

We're taking it as read that any house we buy we'll probably have to decorate and may need to replace the kitchen and bathrooms. Carpets and curtains don't bother me because we would change them immediately unless we were walking into a brand new home. Does the price reflect the fact that the photos make it look like it needs a new kitchen?

The outside photos are good, is that all of the front garden? Most people want a house that is as far back from the road as possible. If the photo could be taken to get even more of the front garden in if there is more it would help for the sake of a fair perspective.

Looking at it by far the worst photo is the kitchen, if I was the vendor I would take everything off of the surfaces and get the agent back to photograph it again, from more than one angle. It would help if the kitchen could be photographed directly facing the window as we might consider an extension or conservatory.

I know that floor plans aren't to scale but the kitchen in the photo looks much smaller than the floor plan indicates.

The bathrooms look like they might be nice but the photos aren't good and it's difficult to tell.

As PPs have said you can't really see the fitted wardrobes and it isn't clear where the annex would go.

Ultimately it's a lovely home but I'd get the agent back to retake all of the photos, particularly the internal ones. If there was a photograph of every room that would be useful too when considering how to use the space available.

I wouldn't view as it's not the sort of house I'd go for.

There are lots of things I like but I don't think the estate agent has done a very good job.

I think the house could be staged better; people lack imagination.

I wouldn't view it, mainly because it just isn't my taste as I like older houses. It doesn't have much character.

The living room is really odd and it feels like you can't decide what style you want in there, it's a mish mash and it does look a bit 'care home'. That shouldn't put people off but it probably will until you get people through the door.

The layout is strange and the rooms don't work for me especially the kitchen. With a house that size and price I'd be looking for a lot more kitchen and space to sit in there.

I think you could style it a bit better and the agent could take much better photos, especially making much more of the outside space.

I agree with pp that in photograph 3 first furniture layout looks like a care home setting. Maybe rearrange and start with pulling out one of the sofas to sit across at right angles.'ll

Did I see an ironing board up in one of the rooms. It's late and I'm too tired to go back and double check.

But it's a nice house, I'd look at it.

It's fairly large, but plain and lacking in "soul" I think. It looks to be a house filled with things, but has zero sense of style. I wouldn't buy it

I think you need to focus on the kitchen.. Less clutter, maybe better photos?

It looks very nice indeed and you would certainly get quite a lot for your money. The area is lovely.

No. The kitchen is way too small for us and the house feels a bit unbalanced. I would need to totally redecorate and extend, plus put in a new kitchen and bathroom. If I could get a similar property where some of that had been already done I would pay more.

I love the garden, but as much as I like gardening I wouldn't want a huge garden and a small house. Plus I would also need to do loads to the garden. I also do think it all feels cluttered too. Sorry.

Kitchen is tiny for the size/price of house. I don't want to pay so much and use an oven in such a tiny space with no decent worktop close by.

Also The annex thing confuses me. It says annex potential but photo/description shows it exists/is built? The 3 bed description and the stuff about paperwork and potential just makes me think that the back cloakroom/reception/bedroom part isn't up to code and would be a huge issue.

[quote Teenangels]@PickAChew

Always look at the floor plan first discount houses without one![/quote]
Agree with all of that! No floor plan then what are they hiding?

With this house I would be looking at price and what would remodelling cost. At the moment there is a lot of slightly awkward layout which I would want to change. I would also be looking at extending to get all 4 bedrooms upstairs.

So for me it would come down to price, location and my budget.

Photographs arent great and tend to emphasise awkward room shapes possibly making them seem more awkward than they actually are.

The outside photographs are too contrasty. It is worth doing these yourself. Photograph front and back at different times of day so that neither the front or back are in shadow. Photograph in good light but no so bright that you have to squint.

The photographs and description are very workaday and come across as though the agent couldnt be bothered.

It's a Beautiful house with a beautiful garden but the downstairs layout wouldn't work for me. I would have to knock down some walls to make it work as the kitchen is just too small. The curtains are a bit off-putting too!

The bones of it are lovely which is the most important thing. It's just not decorated or staged to sell and whoever had had it doesn't have much taste. I'd view if it's the right area and right price

If it was what I was looking for yes. There are some things I'd definitely need to be able to change but mostly it's lovely. I could easily live with the fittings and decor while I decided what to do.

The colour scheme is very beige. In some photos like the lounge with lots of furniture it’s hard to imagine what the actual room looks like - in other photos being so beige it shows up not so attractive features like the beds are under sloped ceiling. Better to put some colour to draw your attention away from things like that. I would reduce the photos ie get rid of single bed photo and the small bathroom photo where the sink looks tiny and just keep photos in which show the nicer things about the house. More photos of garden too.

I always look at floor plans for potential and I honestly would view this house. The outside of the house and gardens are lovely.

I appreciate this sounds rude but your interior decor, style and furniture is very dated. In fact I can't work out what sort of home this is. The playroom type furniture confuses me as I would have said that you were in your 60's based on the rest of the house. Even though two of the bathrooms look like they have been replaced at some point they still look old fashioned in their style.

Although you always hope that viewers come with an open mind it does need to look inviting and this doesn't particularly.

But personally I would still view based on these photos as I would be looking for potential and what I can do. But the price needs to reflect all that needs doing. Only you know your local area/pricing.

I'd have liked a floor plan amongst the pictures there, makes it easier to picture the house.

And the dining room appears to be in a bedroom, with wardrobes, that's odd.

Looking at other houses within a five mile radius, it does seem somewhat overpriced - particularly as it's being market as a three bed when there are clearly four (and potentially five) bedrooms.

Yes, a downstairs bedroom may put off some, but actually it works well as guest bedroom or for older kids/teens. But if people need a minimum of 4 beds and are searching for min 4 beds your property won't show up.

Outside and grounds are beautiful, and the ground floor has a lot of space. It just needs bashing about a bit, which of course costs money.

I reckon I'd need a minimum of 50k to do what I wanted to it, possibly up to 100k, which then makes it on par with the similar local properties that are almost walk-in ready, price wise.

And actually I would disagree with including the downstairs bedroom in the number unless you write it 3/4 bed house. Many people would not want a downstairs bedroom unless they had a reason for it.

I viewed a house recently that said 5bed house with annexe. Floor plan wasn't available. It turned out to be a 3 bed house with a 2 bed annexe. Not what I was looking for.

I love it! It’s further out than I’m looking but it’s lovely.

I think it's overpriced for the area too, sorry.

I think you would be better to make the dining room a bedroom and the living area next to the kitchen into a multi-functional living space.

That way you can market the idea of creating a large kitchen/dining/living space extending out the back for bifold doors etc if wanted and the house having 4 bedrooms already.

Planning permission in place for the kind of extension people want is better than 'annex potential' for an extra 2 small rooms but no bathroom which is what the drawings currently show - making the downstairs look a confusing layout.

In terms of the agent I don't think the photographs are the best.

The house feels out of balance. There is an awful lot of living space and a very small kitchen in comparison. You would need to reconfigure to make the kitchen much larger and absorb some of the extra rooms to make a large kitchen/diner. Outside looks lovely but the price would need to reflect the need for works

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-89002652.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70864314.html
I think it’s overpriced. If I had that money I’d look at these two which both have an extra bedroom and need less work, assuming school catchment areas etc are still the same.

Pickachew: Am I the only one who looks at the floor plan and measurements before anything else?

Yes me too.

The decor, datedness and not the best pics wouldn't put me off, just as amazing pics of other places don't sell to me.

I'm only interested in the floor plan and the plot, really, unless also after character/history/architectural style.

That's why OP I think this is a lacklustre listing.

What are your best selling points?

2 lovely acres.
An interesting layout with all the scope in the world for a ground floor unit for someone who doesn't want to go up stairs, or guests, or to extend general bedroom provision.

Saying 'three further reception rooms downstairs' is just a bit bonkers. The presentation needs cohesion. It's a 4/5 bed home. Doesn't matter is some on GF. Also when people search, it won't come up if they're searching for 4* beds.

You need a headline along the lines of:

Beautifully situated 4/5 bedroomed country house with lovely gardens and two acres of paddock. Fantastic potential to adapt or extend, and great scope for equestrian facilities.

The pitch needs to be that this is an amazing plot and a great project house for someone to make their own.

Because it is a project house. To be fair it is ripe for having a lot done to it.

The land should be selling it. This is also a perfect property for a family that wants a pony or two and to build some stables. Maybe it should be advertised on an equestrian homes site as well?