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 live in this area so know it well and I’m currently helping my friend who is looking for a 4 bed house. I’ve seen yours on rightmove and I think the photo from the back shows that either side the houses are bigger with bigger gardens. I know you think it’s not over priced but it is - literally everything is selling in days in our area and the only ones still on the market are the over priced ones. Your home is lovely but it’s a 3 bed that’s been extended and your matching it pricewise with other 4 beds. The downstairs is not the space you’d usually get with a 4 bed and the layout means you don’t have any separate rooms - you have to walk through each room to get from stairs to kitchen and back. You can’t change that but the price doesn’t reflect that. Sherborne currently has lots of shiny new builds so that impacts too I’m afraid.

Final word from me, OP.

The description is very breathless, and needs re-writing by someone who can use words to sell things.

Every single reference to the house "boasting" things needs to go, as do the exclamation marks.

The worst offender is: "[the house] boasts uPVC double glazing".

Just no. Ask them if you can proof-read it again...

Price

viewers are idiots who need a lifestyle forcibly thrust at them to even contemplate looking

This is true. The exception is developers, who expect a discount for the work needing done. If something has needed explanation here then it needs to be better presented in the listing. Eg, put a bistro set (£50 from argos) on the round patio so we know it's not a trampoline.

I don't actually think you have to do a massive amount of work - staging the house a bit, and making sure the floor plans and photos show the house to best effect, will make a huge difference.

Photos should show the front of the house first, and all the rooms on the floor plan.

Mow the lawn and jetwash the patio and drive before the photos are taken. Put a cheerful planter or two at the front door

Get some lighter-coloured cushions and/or throws for the living room, and lighter tablecloth with a plant or a jug of daffs.
Ditto the conservatory - possibly a rug to give warmth. Red accents rarely seem to work well on listings.

Bedrooms - i cant work out whether you have well-hidden blinds or have removed the curtains. Unfortunately that can make the rooms look more stark so you need to soften them. You've said you don't like nick-nacks. That's fine but it's not about you, it's about selling a vision to the buyer. Don't have a reed diffuser as the one thing on display in 1st floor bedroom because it suggests the place smells, and it looks plenty clean enough!

Need photo of main bathroom. Put some nice fluffly towels out, and a green leafy plant

2nd floor: sort the damp and repaint the ceiling. Put some proper fluffy towels on the rail, preferably white with a matching mat.

Good luck!

@sunflowersandbuttercups

It's not missing a wall. And the shower is just like an ensuite except there's no loo in it. Does your ensuite generally stink, mine doesn't?

Most en-suites have a window. That just looks like a cupboard with a shower shoved inside it. It wouldn't be a selling point to me - I'd want to rip it out.

We could do that but would only leave one shower. Would that be preferable for most people?

Those photos are stunning, much better than a soggy field.

I always think we'll make sure we sell our house in the summer, it just makes everything look better.

@MrBullinaChinaShop

Change the lino on the downstairs toilet floor to something much lighter too. It looks like something out of Only Fools and Horses.

They are tiles but yes, we could change them.

@Tittyfilarious

You need to present the room you are using as an office as a bedroom we have a really small room and when we viewed the house It was presented as an office and difficult to imagine as a bedroom it looked far to small but luckily we knew someone who had the same style house and the room was used as a bedroom and I made a huge difference.

We did think about putting a bed in there so we could do that.

The whole area looks dull. The houses look like grey blocks very close together.

I would get rid of the drone photos.

It lacks curb appeal. You need colourful pots and plants outside, a bright welcome mat... that kind of thing.

The inside is bland. You need to add colour and life - eg throws, cushions, flowers, fruit.

If you want to make the most of the farmland behind then have a little outside seating area at the bottom of the garden by the office. Add a little deck if you can.

Love the sunsets, your loft room and like the kitchen. Carpets and paintwork around doors and above shower look tired. The link to a comparison is v nice and a step up from yours. I would feel lots needed doing to yours and would not view it

The photo you've just put on of the back garden is 10 times better than the one on the website.

Right, thanks so much for all your comments. I am going to show it all to dh now and see if we can come up with a plan.

@StopSearching Your own garden picture is much nicer, use your own pictures if you can get some good ones, just send in an email to the EA. Take pictures of the front when it is in full sun, same with back garden.

Jet wash the round patio and put the fire pit back so it shows how to use it.

I think you have taken all the comments even the nasty ones with good grace. It's not a terrible house, just needs a bit of TLC.

Good luck.

@sunflowersandbuttercups

The photo you've just put on of the back garden is 10 times better than the one on the website.

That’s what I thought!

My lord, I’ve never seen so many fluorescent tube lights in a home!

Don’t know how practical this is but the furniture in the lounge looks too bulky for the room. Can you get rid of one chair?
Also can you change the red table cloth to something more contemporary.
The conservatory doesn’t really feel like a space that would be used with just the sofa in - what do use it for? Could you give it more of a ‘purpose?’
It may seem silly things but when we sold my parents house people needed to ‘see’ themselves living and doing things in the rooms. It took ages to sell until we made it more obviously liveable.
You would think people can see through it but so many people can’t.
Obviously you don’t want loads of clutter but it just looks really unloved (sorry!) And I’m not sure the rooms really show people how they could live there and enjoy them.

I don’t think you should put a single bed in the office op. It I’ll just show it’s not suitable as a bedroom.

@StopSearching “We could do that but would only leave one shower. Would that be preferable for most people?“

Yes but the point is you’re competing against others, who have this. Hence why people are saying that you need to drop the price. There’s a hell of a lot of work you can do to make it better, but you’re also facing the fundamental issue that even in great condition it’s not worth what you want.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I didnt notice the downstairs loo on the floor plan. You dont have any pictures of any loos/bathrooms.

Yes I thought it was one bathroom too - it is confusing

agree about there are no bathroom pictures

I'd also like to be able to see in the room that's in the garden

I think you are very brave. I’ve only had a quick flick. I hate the photos the aerial shots are pants makes it look really built up, next to grey blocks with no character. Garden looks poor and not well maintained. The house looks cold and Uninviting. You need proper stagers in - I paid £100 and they staged and took photos - they are show home pictures. On a cold rainy day.

Op have you thought of getting someone in to dress the house for you ?

I live in Cumbria and even here that service is available. They advise and lend stuff to improve the look of the house to buyers.

I would automatically think those fields are prime building area and expect to have builders there and then houses right behind you. Also small kitchen and only one toilet (may be wrong about this)

The house looks ideal. I agree with the others that people may worry about development in the fields behind the house.

Again OP, you continue to completely ignore the comments saying it’s overpriced. Including the one from someone helping her friend find a 4 bedroom house in your area, who has found your house in Rightmove during their search.

Ooh and get them to remove the shouty capital letters in the description! It's so off putting to read.