Why won't my house sell

[StopSearching]

My house has been on the market for nearly two years. Recently we took it off and remarketed with new agents. No viewings. We've been so patient for two years but it's getting me down now.

I just want to move on. Nothing wrong with where we live, it's a lovely little town but we have plans and this is all that stopping us. I've stopped looking for houses to buy as they are sold before we even get viewings.

Anyone else having similar problems? It's so frustrating.

I think the Ariel photos are a bit confusing, people just do google earth if they want to see around it. Especially with them being the first photos people don’t know which house they’re looking at. Flowers in tubs by the front door always improves curb appeal. Dress the house a bit more. Cushions on the bed etc. You’re selling a life not just a house.

I think the difference in these comments is due to the difference between the pics, where it jist looks a bit bland and unloved, where as the video tour shows it’s in really bad condition.

If you’ve not looked at the video tour you’d think it was fine. If you look at th video tour it is a very different story.

Honestly get a magic sponge clean up all the wall marks, have the carpets cleaned, and then fix the holes and peeling plaster. I’d also get the hall carpet replaced, it’s basically got holes on the stairs ans is thread bare. Put a cheap oat coloured one in. I’d also get some tins of paint some of the worst rooms, and paint if you’re capable.

Becayse when you see those sort of issues in the ceiling caused by water damage you’d be scared of structural damage.

It’s never ever going to sell op at that price in that condition. It’s going to have a significant price reduction to shift, and that’s with the improvements mentioned,

In this condition I can’t see it fetching more than 275. On a good day.

Yes, do the minor repairs as well as knocking through the kitchen. If a house has that many little niggles it makes me worry that major things have been neglected as well.

Have the Estate Agents not discussed with you why the house isn’t selling?

Why do you want to move? Perhaps that might give you an indication as to what’s missing in your house for others too.

Personally, I think you have two choices.

1. The money that you’ve saved for your new house you invest in your existing home - knocking walls through to create an open plan lounge/kitchen/diner - it may as well be as you have to walk through the lounge to get to the kitchen. Try to put an en-suite in, garden re vamp, house front re vamp (this is clearly a thing now, so many houses are being turned from bland and ugly to really quite lovely with open porches, sprayed windows, new door, landscaped fronts etc etc), all artex be gone, new flooring and after all of that you’ll need to redecorate! This plan also helps to see how the land lies literally in the fields behind you, there may be more clarity by the time you’ve finished renovating and even if there isn’t, your house will be infinitely more saleable due to you creating a beautiful but practical home.

2. The money that you’ve saved for your new house, you reduce your existing house by, get it sold as is and move on to your dream home, you’ll have to make compromises because your budget will be reduced or you have to increase your mortgage to get exactly what you want.

It must be so demoralising just waiting to move, you’re in limbo, you need to take control. Good luck!

I didn't think it was too bad from the photos, a bit unloved and the kitchen is small, but then I watched the video tour...

Honestly OP it's way overpriced considering the amount of work it needs. You seem in denial about the amount of renovation that it requires. However, those who are viewing the photos and especially the virtual tour have fresh eyes. Potential buyers see the problems and know considering the condition it's massively overpriced, which is why it hasn't sold.

@Woebegonad

Gosh, those video tours are very unforgiving aren't they?

Yes, when we bought this house, we viewed so many that looked good in pics but when you went it, they were in quite poor condition.

When we saw this one, I said to my husband, the one thing they can’t mess with is the video. It will be real. Pics hide the faults and they also get stretched etc to present it at the best. And can be very misleading.

Video tours tell the truth.

@Bluntness100

I think the difference in these comments is due to the difference between the pics, where it jist looks a bit bland and unloved, where as the video tour shows it’s in really bad condition.

If you’ve not looked at the video tour you’d think it was fine. If you look at th video tour it is a very different story.

Honestly get a magic sponge clean up all the wall marks, have the carpets cleaned, and then fix the holes and peeling plaster. I’d also get the hall carpet replaced, it’s basically got holes on the stairs ans is thread bare. Put a cheap oat coloured one in. I’d also get some tins of paint some of the worst rooms, and paint if you’re capable.

Becayse when you see those sort of issues in the ceiling caused by water damage you’d be scared of structural damage.

It’s never ever going to sell op at that price in that condition. It’s going to have a significant price reduction to shift, and that’s with the improvements mentioned,

In this condition I can’t see it fetching more than 275. On a good day.

Exactly this. I went from ‘just needs a bit of dressing and better photos’ to ‘god no’ after viewing the video. Sorry OP but I don't think you will get anywhere near asking price as it is currently

My first thought was the potential to build on the field behind. This would definitely put me off

Further to my comments above - the green carpet would really put me off, sorry OP, as a buyer I would be adding the cost of replacing it to my calculations.

as an aside why do people put pics so very high up on walls

Someone has already said this thankfully because I felt bad saying it, but it does look like a rental property rather than an owned and loved family home.

I’d get rid of some of those aerial shots because it looks like they’re implying they’re short of any nice pics of the interior. I often see houses advertised like that and you ‘know’ that’s because it’s not nice inside.

Even if you can’t afford new furniture, you could get some nice soft furnishings - for the sofas, the beds, some pretty curtains. It all looks so bare and unloved. Also, the kitchen looks spartan. I know you don’t want clutter on the surfaces but, again, they just look so stark and bare. Same with the walls. Add some colour, add some personal touches.

I’d make the back garden prettier too. Again, it looks bare and stark.

Just my opinion. I think you could make a lot more of it without spending too much money.

Get rid of some of the furniture in the rooms, you don't need all that, keep the nice stuff chuck the rest!

I am more than happy to get rid of stuff but not sure which furniture you mean? It's all in use daily.

So from looking at the photos, get rid of the aerial views - unless you’re marketing a country estate they really don’t doing anything to help, it just makes the property look squashed in.

Picture 4 is your “intro” but clean the drive and maybe something to soften the exterior plants-wise.

Ditch the utility room photo.
Downstairs isn’t bad, but Add some touches to make it look like someone lives there, a couple of houseplants in the living rooms, some fruit in the kitchen or something.
The bedroom photos look terribly soulless and uninviting - plump up the cushions and get some nicer bedding. Make the beds properly - the duvet in photo 16 is on the floor on one side, the brown cushion in photo 17 needs to go. Dress the windows, there’s curtain rails but no curtains. Show how the shower in the master ties into the room.
Garden photos last - they aren’t a huge selling point for this house. If your shed is a home-office get a photo of the interior. If the sunset is amazing take a photo of that, not a big bare field.

Exactly this. I went from ‘just needs a bit of dressing and better photos’ to ‘god no’ after viewing the video. Sorry OP but I don't think you will get anywhere near asking price as it is currently

Same here. I thought it was a bit bland from the photos, but goodness me the video tour shows just how much photos can hide. It certainly needs more than a lick of paint and a few nick nacks.

I’m not sure it’s overpriced but I don’t know your area. Not sure if I’m right but fairly sure that a price of £349,950 would be picked up better on Rightmove searches?

Agree with the photos - I got fed up clicking through the aerial/ outside views before I got to the internal ones. Stage the house and ask the agent to re-take them.

Things that stick out to me:

• "countryside view" are a big muddy field at the back that comes right up to the fence. Tractors/silage/smells. Need to get rid of those drone photos, your agent seems to be more interested in his drone that what makes your house look good. Drone photo also emphasises the externally unattractive flat roof dorma.
• Garden doesn't look like a usable/inviting space.
• front of house no kerb appeal - monoblock needs cleaned as it look damp and dirty, add some details such as a couple of plant pots and hopefully a photo where it is not in shade
• Top floor master bedroom looks unfinished. I wouldn't class a shower in the corner as an ensuite - it is actually more off putting than a bonus as it gives it a bedsit feel and I would be worried about damp and I would be suspicious at the lack of photo of it, the lack of ensuite or even toilet on the master bedroom floor would put me off. The wall that has a frame/what looks like screws holding a bit of wood on all along it...what is that?
• Is your "Garden office" more than a shed? - if it is a shed with electic call it a shed.

It is a 3 bed (2 bed and small box room) with addon dorma bedroom/utility/conservatory, so small 3 bed facilities - a tiny kitchen, not enough toilets and lost the loft space, but marketed as a 4 bed. It is not attractive to those looking for a 4 bed property.

I would get some good, bright sunshine photos this summer when everything is cleaned up/staged outdoors. Then market, price, as an large 3 bed.

@WhereYouLeftIt

What the hell is that big brick/concrete circle in the back garden? My mind immediate sprung to 'access shaft' for god knows what. Which would put me off even looking at your house.

Seriously @StopSearching - what is that in the back garden?

Is that shed really a home office or is it a shed?

I guess it's a shed with power and light. We use it as an office. If you go on the walkthrough video, in the garden click on 360 and it takes you into the office/shed.

It’s an Ok house, but there is nothing other than the open view at the back, which would inspire me to view. The local plan for designated development would totally put me off.

The other things which would put me off are the artex ceilings, very small kitchen, externally unattractive garden room extension, unattractive loft conversion, lack of a proper en-suite (plan does not make it clear).
The external photos are awful and seem to highlight all the flaws.
Ultimately it is a small 3 bedroom house on a crammed-in estate which has poorly designed additions. There is nothing wrong with that if the price was right, but it feels like it’s squeezed into a higher price bracket by virtue of a loft conversion.
I would rather buy a much cheaper house with potential to do our own preferred-design extending, not done on the cheap.

My first thought was potential development on the field. Then I wondered why so many photos were of the outside. The inside ones are all ok, not wow but not awful but on the virtual tour I did think that it would ideally need a lot of new carpets.

Don't know the area so can't comment on price.

Find a way to de-emphasise that tiny dark alley between your house and the one next to it in the photos. It looks SO close and claustrophobic like you'd genuinely get stuck if you tried to walk between. The back garden is really small and dark-looking, as well.

The awkward, cramped lot and the way the houses are so close makes me think - if the builders were so desperate to cram so many houses together so close just to be able to claim the house was 'detached', what else did they do to cut corners and maximise profit? You should price the house as if it were semi-detached because it might as well be.

I think it looks fine. I wouldn’t go to the expense of making any changes. Or staging it. Nothing looks inoffensive to me.

As someone suggested, perhaps change the first photo to the front of the house.

I think it looks ok and although I don't know the area it is reasonably priced for my area, which has recently become quite expensive for the North West. I like the loft conversion and garden and the fields behind would be a plus - if it was reasonably priced I would take the risk of development in the future.

I wouldn't buy it as a family home though as one child would have a tiny bedroom and I much prefer a larger kitchen diner rather than small kitchen and separate dining room. It's these features that make it a "no" from me.

Also I think you need to market it as a three bed. It’s not a four bed, no one will ever believe it’s a four bed. On the video tour you can see that office is not a bedroom. It’s also not ok to market it as such as it is below the min size permissible for a singe bedroom and for a person to be sleep in under the housing act 1985.

@Puffinhead

I think it looks fine. I wouldn’t go to the expense of making any changes. Or staging it. Nothing looks inoffensive to me.

As someone suggested, perhaps change the first photo to the front of the house.

Have you watched the video tour?