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.

[Escapetab]

It's a sweet house and the view is pretty. I don't think it's small at all, but then my parents raised ten of us in a three bed with box For me, the field would be an attraction rather than put me off viewing, because it looks used so I wouldn't have thought about it potentially being developed (naive perhaps, but naive people view houses too!) What would put me off is that it looks so much part of an estate. I think that's marmite to some people honestly. Could you take the photos from the front closer in so that you just see the house itself? The back with the garden doesn't look too development-y and the inside to me strikes a good balance of liveable-in and plain enough to put my own stamp on, but the front shots of rows of identical houses would be off-putting to me. Obviously you can't change the fact that it's in a development, but maybe de-emphasising that could get wider range of people through the door, one of which might fall in love with it?

The other thing I think is that it looks cold, and that can be off-putting. (Not saying it is!) I like a bare house and I can see that some of the rooms have good light, but I think to some people it will come across cold. Throws, cushions and candles could help? Just for the photos I mean.

Good luck OP, I hope you manage to sell, I think that will be a great home for someone.

[unfortunateevents]

The order of the photos is all wrong. As someone else mentioned, the first photo needs to be the front of the house. Instead, your current first photo screams potential development at the back and the second photo says - oooh! loads and loads of houses in front. Your house also looks as if the front is permanently in shade from the first photo? The house photo itself doesn't look very welcoming, could you get some large planters or flower pots out front? In general, the house doesn't have any character, it looks as if it might be rented, rather than a family home. When I see a house like that for sale, it always makes me wonder if the owners would have bothered very much with maintenance and improvements to the fabric of the house (like extra insulation, guttering etc) as it looks like the house isn't very loved?

The details say en-suite but it's a shower in the corner of the bedroom isn't it which is actually off-putting to some people, rather than the bonus which an ensuite should be?

And at the end of the day, if you have had no interest in two years it's the price! We have just bought in the south-west and the market last summer was crazy which should have filtered down to all levels so if it hasn't it just too expensive! It doesn't matter if you think it's good value, it needs to represent good value to a potential buyer.

[Brownfrown]

You’re basically a ‘new build’ but not new. The result is whoever buys it needs to do a load of work and spend a load of money to make it look good, but at the same time paying a premium for a house that isn’t an obvious fixer upper.

If you want to sell it then you need to bring the price to £310,000-£325,000. You need to be the ‘best in class’ so yours is the obvious choice.

[WheeshtTheNoo]

Photo's are bland, it needs updating. As a pp said it looks like a rental. It looks like it would need a lot of money spent to make it more modern. Also this on the ceiling would put me off...

[tonytiy]

You’re basically a ‘new build’ but not new.

Yes & if I was looking for that I would just buy a new home development.

[redastherose]

As pp's have said possible development to the rear and all that disruption that can bring will be one major factor. The second is that your house doesn't look homely. You need to spend a bit of money and dress it properly to sell.

Think of the properties you like when you look at them and you will see that most are nicely decorated and warm and inviting with nice soft furnishings etc. You could decorate and dress the house for a couple of thousand pounds and remember any soft furnishings can go with you.

[Macaroni46]

The other house you posted a link to is not comparable at all. It's in a whole different category. Sorry OP, yours is overpriced.
I do understand how you feel. In the end I had to drop mine by 18% in order to sell it.

[feellikeanalien]

@ChameleonClara

My personal first thought when I see a house backing onto open fields is 'when will the field be developed'.

This!

[viques]

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the house OP, it looks clean and well maintained, and if I was looking for a rental for six months or so I would snap it up. But as a prospect to buy , well it didn’t make my heart sing, I can’t see a way to add any value and there is nothing about it to make me fall in love with it. No special features, no character, no views, nothing exciting in the immediate vicinity apart from more houses.

[CattyCactus]

I agree with PPs.
From the first few shots - which is your house? It’s just not clear. Choose one good shot and scrap the rest.
Then follow @Handsoffstrikesagain advice.
You also needs shots of all the bathrooms.
It just looks a bit too stark at the moment.
Good luck.

[warmandtoasty2day]

the location looks too crowded and the fields whilst nice to look out on it would bother me incase more houses were built on them.
i live near an estate that causes itself a 'village' it's nothing on the sort, just 100's of houses packed in like sardines.the houses are nice but give the impression if you walked out of your front door you are pretty much on the opposite neighbours door step.

[BalladOfBarryAndFreda]

It looks very unloved, basic and therefore a bit studenty, the price seems ambitious in light of that. The photos are in the wrong order too. A drone shot is all very well but it should be at the end, unless there’s something amazing to show off like a 360 open aspect. Unfortunately, your drone shot shows a crowded 1990’s housing estate for miles as well as a nice field.

If the conservatory/sunroom bit is a dining room, furnish is it as one. Borrow a dining set if you have to or you can pick up reasonable quality furniture from charity shops or on FB marketplace for not much money.

That said, two years is a long time for a bit of set dressing to be holding your house back. It is ultimately a price issue, the price is too high for what you’re offering. People are finding a better deal for their budget elsewhere.

[StanfordPines]

5 miles away you can buy this house, which is actually the same age, for a similar price.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75048840.html

[Brownfrown]

However, you could defo spruce it up. Spray the front to clean and if possible bay trees. Get rid of table cloths and put some nice leafy flowers. More green all over the house. Just a bit more life and colour. You could probably paint the downstairs room for £50 and give it a fresh look.

[ViciousJackdaw]

The photos are terrible. Whoever has done this is one lazy article. There are quite a few things that would have taken a second to do before shooting that would have improved the pics. I'd have quickly cleared all the stuff off the mantle, unplugged and hidden leads and moved deodorant cans.

Nobody seems to have bothered to arrange them properly either - they just jump from one to another with no logical order. Surely P4 should be the lead image - it's the most flattering angle.

Get some cheapo plants for the hanging baskets - the most vivid you can find so they look good in any pictures. P17 seems quite small, perhaps removing the large headboard would lighten up and simplify the room?

Best of luck, hope you don't have to wait much longer.

[SoupDragon]

I agree with others who have said that it doesn't look bright and homely from the photos. The photos of the other house you linked to at the start are worlds apart from yours. It does look like an unloved rental unfortunately.

I think everything that I thought has been covered - kerb appeal, visual separation from next door's drive... the "garden office" just looks like a shed... the furniture in the "conservatory" isn't set up to make the most of the view really, it just looks shoved in and kind of unused.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the property itself -
I assume the small bedroom is typical of the estate really.

[Escapetab]

Also, this is a stupid tiny thing, but couldn't the agent paragraph the description in the ad?? It's such a text wall, there's some stuff in there that would draw my attention on a quick glance and maybe get me interested but it all gets lost. More of a pet peeve than anything I guess...

[minniemoocher]

We have just bought a similar sized house but would have rejected your due to no toilet on the top floor, we are of an age that nighttime visits are the norm! My preference is also to have the master bedroom on the middle floor but that in itself won't be the issue for you. After two years I would investigate the cost of having a full en-suite upstairs, then either install or have the estate agent mention it on the particulars that it would be possible to install prior to completion subject to negotiation.

[CaveMum]

You say it’s been on the market for 2 years - I bet anyone looking at it now is thinking “there must be something wrong with it if it hasn’t sold by now.”

We nearly fell into that trap with our first house, it had been on the market for a year and we nearly didn’t bother viewing it. Turned out the vendor had massively overpriced it and been forced to keep bringing the price down until it got to the point where he had to move out (new job in a new area) and try to market it empty.

Take your house off the market for a month or two. Give it a declutter and a lick of paint in the tired looking places - buy some cheap soft furnishings to brighten things up (you can take them with you!) then relook at the price, take new photos and put it back on the market.

[sunflowersandbuttercups]

When you first click on that link, it's not clear which house is for sale - opening photos need to be of your house, not a random aerial view of the cul de sac and fields.

The front driveway needs power washing.
You haven't included any photos of the bathrooms for some reason.
I think the grass in the garden needs cutting - and what's the black round thing near the shed? Is it a pond?
The picture of the field is a bit irrelevant.
The microwave in the utility area makes it feel like the kitchen is too small to have it in there.

Otherwise I mean, it's fine, but it is a bit bland and beige. Not really worth 350k in my opinion.

[Teakind]

I really like the view.

I think it needs staging a bit. Could you buy some cheap cushions, throws, accessories etc to give it some warmth?

[zzzebra]

@Handsoffstrikesagain

The first picture needs to be of the front of the house. So many pictures emphasising the fields at the back are not helpful. Many people would just see that as potential development land as your house looks like a newish build.

This is exactly what I was going to say.

The first photo makes it look really hemmed in by other houses, they should remove it.

Also the fields make be think I should be living backing onto a building site in a few years time.

Price wise having looked at others sold nearby I don't think it's a steal. But I don't think your having a laugh either.

[tonytiy]

Has it been on the market the whole time for 2 yrs as that can also put buyers off as you think no point in offering anything under asking.

[StopSearching]

@cartwheelsteel

Is your new agent allowing viewings of people who haven't sold? We moved not so long ago and found with Covid some agents were being very restrictive and qualifying buyers before viewings were allowed (by qualified I mean that you had to have sold your own house subject to completion).

A factor for me would be location. I would be nervous about buying on the edge of a development because I'd worry that the view would be factored into the price and then it would be built on, with all the noise and disruption that would entail. Even if it weren't developed on I'm a bit wary of living so close to working arable fields given the spraying of pesticides and fertiliser (I think I'm probably a bit weird on that though!).

Have you had any offers under the asking price? Would renting it out be an option to free you up to move?

No viewings unless sold which I agree with as no point if they haven't sold their own. I don't think the view is factored into the price but I agree the agents have made a big song and dance about it. I think I will just let the contract period end and take it off the market.

We haven't had any offers. I would have thought if it was price, someone would offer under the asking. I think it's more that it's just not right for them for all the reasons posters have stated here.

The thing is, the price reflects all of those things. This property, whilst lovely, is 100k more www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/100479122#/

[SoupDragon]

Ditch all the drone photos and the one from upstairs and replace with one from the garden like photo 5 but looking to the left rather than the right - less garden, more view. Maybe with a staged table and chairs on a sunny day (if you can find one!)