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.

People are looking at the fields and saying "Future development land". Plus it's very close to next door. Virtually a semi. Anyone wanting a detached house wants one with a good amount of land on all sides. I'm sorry but I would not pay the asking price for it.

Video great idea in theory but show up all flaws. There are so many things I found after I moved into our house. In the scheme of things they are small because I love house.If I had not seen house and only video I wonder if I would have been put off.

Looking at the video it looks like the house needs a lot spending on it. If you viewed the house you might not see the underneath of the bedroom cupboards. However, you can see paint is uneven on the view. The ceiling looks like there is a major plumbing issue. If I was a buyer I would get the feeling that a lot of things would need to be done immediately and cost a lot of money. People are seeing a doer upper and it is not priced as such. If you did a few bits perhaps people would think we can do bits at time.

The loft room does not look like a master. Given the shower I assume it would be that room. It seems a bit cramped with the bed on one side. The wall with screws in feels unfinished.

Think the garden seems smaller with patio. Think it either needs to be a patio (set up with.table and chairs) or grass. I don’t think people will be able to see themselves sitting out there in the summer. Perhaps pots to brighten up.

@Bluntness100

Op, I’m curious. This pic is really unusually placed. Is it hiding something? I can’t think of any other reason someone would put a picture there.

No, I just have an odd husband that puts odd pictures in odd places. I wanted to throw it out but he likes it. So he put it next to his bed.

This is becoming very weird. I’m starting to wonder if this is some kinda wind up.

Is this actually your house op?

What are the agents saying ? They are experts here
Sherborne is a desirable town and houses don't stick around normally , the new builds does mean more around but personally knowing where these are positioned and what else is on that estate etc they wouldn't compete for me with wn older house , but it needs to looked lived in and the estate agents know how to sell
Have they mentioned garage with option to re model etc to give people an idea
You would need to move in and spend and things like cheap neutral carpet can only help

But yes still seems overpriced for what can be got

ok it doesn't have a garage

Whenever I've viewed a house with a garage, I've always worked out how the garage can be converted to be part of the house because I'd never be bothered putting my car in it and otherwise it's just a waste of space. So the house where they've converted the garage appeals to me.

The other house looks loved, OP's like someone said looks like someone has had to put furniture in it and has stuck any old stuff in and then rented it out.

This is becoming very weird. I’m starting to wonder if this is some kinda wind up.

it's odd there is no acknowledgement of the price issue.

I’m assuming the OP doesn’t want to drop the price as that’s the money they need to buy the sort of house they want.
Fact is though it’s not going to sell at that price.

it's odd there is no acknowledgement of the price issue.

Especially as it's the answer to the OPs question.

OP - Why won't my house sell

Almost everyone - It's the price / Overpriced

OP - Maybe i'll girly up my house and put a bed in the office...

Fact

That's why Im starting to agree it's a wind up. How can you have your house on the market for 2 yrs & not look at the price or what's been sold around you.

If OP wants the asking price, she needs to spend £20K+ doing major work to make it more like the other house on her street.

I think the video would be better removed, it just shows up flaws and viewers have the opportunity to go over it again and again and this will affect their offers as they see more work needs doing.

Obviously they are a thing now due to covid but I dont think I'd want one, certainly not in the house we just sold as it would have shown up all the flaws we'd not dealt with!

OP after watching the video tour, it is clear that your house is a fixer-upper. From the bizarrely dated ground-floor bathroom, tiny & dated kitchen and dining rooms that most people would knock through, horrific carpets, bedroom high cupboards that need removing, strange shower-but-no-toilet-or-sink in the loft, water damage in many places, cracks in walls, questionable loft work etc....it will require substantial work from top to bottom for whoever buys it. So you can either do the fixing-upping yourself (£££) or price the house at a fixer-upper price. I'd do the latter, less hassle. Either way, get new photos done in the sunlight and write-up (probably new esatate agents) or use your own photos, they are lovely.

Agree that this house needs some love and attention. When considering price though, do bear in mind that it is clear that this is a small (only just) 3 bed with an extra bedroom extension. The living space, kitchen, garden and bathroom situation all reflect that, so I think competing with actual 4 bed detached houses is a bit unrealistic, even if didn’t have damp stains!

Interior designer here.
There are two ways you could go with this, either drastically reduce your price and market as a renovation project or do enough work required yourself and sell for closer to the price you are wanting now.
I have had a quick look and this is what I can see would need improvement:

1. Fix the leak that is coming through the lounge ceiling, hire a plasterer to completely remove the Artex, replaster and add coving
2. Hire an electrician to remove the single wall light in the lounge and make good.
3. Box in the exposed pipework adjacent to the lounge window and redecorate. This would have been better to sink the pipes when they were installed but unless you want a huge job now then this isn't possible so its best to make them as unobtrusive as possible.
4. Dining area - again, box in pipes and redecorate.
5. Kitchen - box in pipes adjured to doorway and redecorate.
6. Remove tiles in kitchen as they are very dated and replace with something much more modern.
7. Repaint all wall in utility to white and replace strip light with something more modern.
8. Remove clutter from top of cupboard in utility.
9. Remove Artex from hall ceiling and replaster.
10. Repaint all woodwork downstairs with fresh white paint. I am not sure if its the video quality but the paintwork looks quite worn and stained.
11. Paint stair banister and associated woodwork white or replace with something more modern.
12. Paint woodwork on stairs white.
13. Replace doors upstairs with panelled doors to match downstairs.
14. Paint ba
15. Remove wall cupboards in bedroom as badly painted and repair leak above ceiling in this room and make good.
16. Remove single wall light in this room.
17. Remove Artex from bedroom with mirrored wardrobes. Also remove small pine chest from adjacent to doorway (and the picture from above it) and place next to bed as bedside table (not the picture though).
18. Study - Remove Artex and replaster.
19. Attic room - has this room been plastered? I can see the studs int he wall, it almost looks like the dry lining has just been painted over? It really needs to be plastered properly and repainted.
20. The shower room in the attic room has serious signs of damp and peeling paint on the ceiling. To be honest, I would actually remove this room altogether and have fitted wardrobes.
21. Remove wall light at top of 2nd set of stairs.
22. What is the tall cupboard at the top of these stairs?
23. Damp patch on ceiling at top of these stairs needs addressing. In fact his whole area needs redecorating. (Also remove the odd picture hook that is on the wall at the top of these stairs).
24. You need window dressings at all the windows as it just looks very bare at the moment.
25. Replace loo, sink and tiles in downstairs cloakroom.
26. Jetwash the front drive and replace hanging basket and planters with fresh bright ones.
27. Cut grass in back garden and full tidy up.
28. Replace chicken wire fence with something more substantial and smart (current fence would concern me about security).

Few ideas:
Kitchen- dress it up, put up nice blind and add some flowers and kitchen decor.

Dining room:
Get rid of the table cloth a go for a lovely table runner- again add some flowers and set the table for photos.
I would recommend to change the ceiling light as well.

I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to go for a wee before I go into the shower. In this house, you would go downstairs into the full-size bathroom (which contains a shower), have a wee then go back upstairs and have a shower in the cupboard...

Sadly I think people might just wee in the shower. Which for me would be reason enough to remove it. If there's no toilet in there I see no value in having a shower.

The ceiling are artex and/or cracked.
The stains on the ceiling
The shower is in a cupboard
The kitchen is too small to fit in all the kitchen things, where's the fridge freezer?
The garden is too small
The drive needs cleaning
The woodwork needs sanding and reglossing
The windows and doors need replacing
The 4th bedroom is not a bedroom

Its depressing, dark, unloved, no character or homeliness

It reminds me of a house relatives are trying a sell of a long deceased Grandpa

Having seen the link that StanfordPines posted, that is the same price.
I am thinking, let's retire to Dorset - which I love.
Practical head says thatched roof - maintenance!
Other head says - Milly Molly Mandy had a thatched roof!
Practical head says is it a conservation area?
Other head says, I am short, I will fit through all the doorways...
I can fall in love with one house, but I am sorry but it's not yours.