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.

It will fit a single bed against the back wall, just nothing else.

It’s not really about the legalities, the op can market it any way she pleases. She can even call her living room and dining room bedrooms. Technically it’s not a four bed, five bed or six bed.

It’s if it’s below 50 sq feet the mortgage company is unlikely to value it as a four bed. Which simply means a lower value by the surveyor than the op wishes.

Ours is four bed, we also have an office space slightly bigger than the ops office, albeit accessed via another room, narrower but longer. Technically it means I could market the house as a five bed. But it’s not a bedroom by any stretch of the imagination, I’d feel embarrassed to pretend it was then price accordingly. We use it as an office, it could be a nursery, but no more than that.

I agree. You can fit a bed in there but we've never used it as a bedroom.

This thread is going to fill up soon. Do you want me to start a new one with a link or will those who are interested just find it if I start a new thread at some point?

There's nothing new to add really so we could just let this thread end and I'll post a new one when I have any news.

Can the smallest room be labelled as a box room?

Oh, the plan so far is to do the repairs to ceilings, get new carpets, paint walls and doors, clean up the front and get some pots out there, tidy up the back garden and put some furniture on the round patio.

Not sure what to do with the living room at the moment. Possibly get new furniture.

Get a new valuation from new agents.

@StopSearching

Oh, the plan so far is to do the repairs to ceilings, get new carpets, paint walls and doors, clean up the front and get some pots out there, tidy up the back garden and put some furniture on the round patio.

Not sure what to do with the living room at the moment. Possibly get new furniture.

Get a new valuation from new agents.

Also:

1. Get better photos!
2. Find out how much it would cost to remove some walls (maybe just the one between the kitchen and the utility room?)
3. Start a new thread!

Not sure what to do with the living room at the moment. Possibly get new furniture.

I wouldn't spend money on new furniture unless you can take it with you and it'll fit in the new house.

You can buy cheap throws and covers off Amazon for less than £20.

@StopSearching

Oh, the plan so far is to do the repairs to ceilings, get new carpets, paint walls and doors, clean up the front and get some pots out there, tidy up the back garden and put some furniture on the round patio.

Not sure what to do with the living room at the moment. Possibly get new furniture.

Get a new valuation from new agents.

OP do you want to move in the very near future? If so I would seriously consider reducing the price and getting out now.

I haven't RTFT so I expect I'll be echoing everyone else (I'm not reading 40 pages, sorry!) but that land at the back would put me right off - it screams "I'm going to be built on and reduce the house value!"

Lovely house, wouldn't touch it with a bargepole for that reason.

Apologies if I've echoed a bazillion other people!

I think your plan sounds good. Your house isn’t what I would call a renovation project (re-wiring/damp/ subsidence etc!). I do think you’ll have to reduce your price as it is a very small plot but with fresh paint and carpets and a bit of colour it would look so much better. The one down the road had been on since last July so it probably is the case that the market is quite flat

I agree sell ASAP before building work starts out the back, even if it means reducing the price. Active building would put me off more than anything else

OP, I just want to say you're taking this all so very well. I wouldn't be able to hear some of the vitriol in these posts. Not the critiquethat's what it's looking forbut there seems to be a delight in telling you that your house is shit, and that's not particularly nice to hear. Fwiw, my guess is that it isn't shit at all, that it's been a place that you love, and perhaps the fond memories and general fondness of the home keeps you from having a cold-eyed view of things.

Anyway, it turns out there is a thing called the Home Stagers Association! Who knew? Not me. homestaging.org.uk You can sort by location, and they give free quotes.

I think you're right that it's going to be some combination of repairs and price drop. You, your husband, and your EA can decide what's best. But either way, as people can't come and see the house themselves, it might be worth getting a stager in if it's not horrifically expensive. And if it is? Skip it!

PS: that is not a plug. I am not a home stager, nor have I ever been a home stager! The point is more that there are lots of these companies around, and they may be able to help. I don't think they're necessary for you, but if you're feeling overwhelmed, they might be worth looking into.

@BungleandGeorge

I agree sell ASAP before building work starts out the back, even if it means reducing the price. Active building would put me off more than anything else

The building work will surely come up on the searches

It would come up on the searches but the reality of the noise, disruption and dust probably isn’t totally evident until it actually starts! (Unless you’ve had similar before). So more likely to sell

It will come up on the searches, but it’s different knowing there may be building work some time in the future to viewing a house with an active building site behind in.
My childhood home had acres of fields behind that were earmarked for building. They were honest and told prospective buyers. The work ended up not being done for a further 10 years and the people who bought it are still there now (all work completed a few years ago). I doubt they’d have bought it if the work was being done at the time of sale.