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.

The photos emphasise how tightly packed the houses are - would put me off straight away. Obviously you can’t do anything about the closeness, but if you take pictures without the other houses, you might tempt more people to at least view the property.
The front of the house can look a lot more loves with some hanging baskets, pot pants etc. At the moment, it looks rather sad.

I’m afraid the fields behind would also put me off - partly the potential to build on - but also because I used to live next to an oil seed rape field and it was awful for my hay fever. I think many people wouldn’t see a dull, flat field of arable crops to be that great.

Big cracks in the ceiling of one to the bedrooms too. Artex in another bedroom, with cracks too. Cracks all over the woodwork in the master. Looks like serious damp in the shower cupboard, screams ongoing mould issues.

I've just done the house tour as recommended by PP.

The huge damp patch and stain on the living room ceiling would make it an automatic no.

From looking at the houses in the market yours is comparable in price but not cheap. Dropping it by 5-10,000 might make a difference.

My first impression was it's small, though the aspect is lovely.

I think though although immaculate, it's almost too plain. Is there any way you could borrow some furniture, ornaments or can you give some rooms upstairs a paint?

The garden although lovely outlook has little landscaping- this might be a big expensive but maybe spending some money on some strategic plants might help.

It is a lovely house, and I don't understand why it has been on so long- the things I mentioned above are nit picking not huge issues!

Also an unfinished wall in the master?? Did you just board up a hole?!

@Bluntness100

It does look a bit unloved, but I’m not sure to an extent it won’t sell, it’s just a bit bland. The price, was it on for 350 for the last two years?

Yes. Prices have gone up in the meantime.

The photos are terrible! I’d ask the agents to remove all photos showing the fields and the whole street, and just concentrate on your house!

I’d probably do something with the garden/back fence/shed .... then get another photo taken. Everything else to me is ok - but I guess people want show homes nowadays 🤷🏼‍♀️

I've just done the house tour as recommended by PP

I did too. Honestly it just put me off more.

I’m not quite sure why you keep posting incomparable properties to be honest. Looking at the recent sale prices and what else is for sale Ie the new builds, I think the price is likely to be about 300. Not 350.

I’m guessing it’s been on for higher also than the 350.

It also needs some work, as said, the carpets have visible dirt (I mean that politely) and as much as it wouldn’t stop someone buying it’s not pleasant, ans generally dirty carpets don’t smell good.

I think you need to reduce the price if you’re serious about selling, patch up the bits that need patching up, Ie the ceiling, and get the carpets cleaned, add a few pots outside. You don’t need to spend much money but there is no point just sitting for years on end.

The market may catch up with uou, but any house you want to buy will also increase in that time frame.

Having now done the video tour I think it's pretty clear that it is in need of significant renovation. I think when you live in it you get used to it, but fresh eyes see the artex, peeling wallpaper, grotty downstairs loo, old radiators etc. The loft room you can't walk around the bed, and what ever is going on with the wall panel next to the bed?

Drop it 50k and sell it as in need of modernisation.

Sorry just seen it was on for 350 for the two years.

I wasn’t keen on the photos but when I did the video tour is made me realise the real issue—your house is in very very poor condition. Sorry to be blunt but it’s 20 years old, there shouldn’t be leaks, cracks, holes and mould issues all over it.

I agree with @dotdashdashdash

The video isn’t selling it at all, it’s actually probably putting more people off as they’re falling out of love with it before even seeing it in person.

Like a lot of new builds, it is very "square" and doesnt have character
I feel. sorry, it know its your home.

what id that round thing in the garden?
a manhole cover 'artfully' disguised?

It just doesn't look warm and cosy and homely. Needs pot plants, flowers, pictures, cushions etc to make it look homely. A little bit of money spent could go a long way

Is it the house in the far left hand corner of the cul de sac?

If you look on street view it seems to be.

That is a really cramped position as you need to almost drive over someone's drive to get to yours. Where would anyone park 2 cars?
I'd not buy it on that basis alone.

You might not care but others do, there's a reason why show homes sell, they have perfectly placed furniture in the right colour schemes and without the other homes even being built yet people snap them up, if people wanted a doer upper they'd go for a cheap home as they'd have money to spend doing it up, yours is not a doer upper as its to expensive. You need to look at the bigger picture.

@Blindstupid

The photos are terrible! I’d ask the agents to remove all photos showing the fields and the whole street, and just concentrate on your house!

I’d probably do something with the garden/back fence/shed .... then get another photo taken. Everything else to me is ok - but I guess people want show homes nowadays 🤷🏼‍♀️

I only buy do-er uppers. The OPs house on the photos is too done for us, but the video tour shows it's actually in a bit of a state, not "immaculate" as per a previous poster said.

Also, if there are 2 houses at the same price and similar in size, but one needs £20k spending on it and the other doesn't it's a pretty simple choice for lots of people.

I wouldn't fancy trailing up and down those stairs to go to the loo in the night and the shower cupboard just looks odd.

As a PP said, I'd investigate whether it would be possible to put in a proper en-suite in the loft conversion.

I can't comment on value & price as I have no idea about your local market. Your house looks clean, tidy & uncluttered, it must be nice looking out onto those fields.

However, as a prospective buyer I would be thinking:-
Why are there so many photo's of the house & field (& next doors garden)? Is it about to be developed?
The loft extension flat roof:- Is that going to cause future trouble?
Will there be access issues with the street layout/cul-de-sac positioning?
No bathroom photo's is that something we would need to spend money on?

I agree with what a few other PP's have said.
The front of the house looks quite austere- a hanging basket, tall pot plants and a jet wash would lift it a bit.
It may benefit being 'staged', you wouldn't need to spend much- some bits from B&M may even work- some cushions, rugs, pot plants. All things you could take with you or not spend much on at all. It needs softening.

Could you consider changing the layout of your living room- my initial thought was that is seemed a little disjointed, with the chair in front of the TV in a command position & the sofa of to the side.

Sorry op, I did the video tour too, it’s in poor nick, you can see all the marks on the walls, the threadbare bits on the carpet, dirty marks etc. And it’s a three bedroom house, not four. That office is not a bedroom. I guess it’s not been decorated for well over two decades?

You need to drop the price. It’s really obvious why it’s not selling. It’s substantially over priced.

Imho it's a lovely, bright, clean, spacious house but .....the kitchen is too small and the decor is drab, it needs presenting properly. Get someone there to sort it out & present it properly , the TV in the front room dominates the room, it really spoils it and the fact it is in front of the window makes it worse. I don't think it will take much to sell it you just need a few tweaks and Bobs your Uncle . Good Luck

Sorry OP, I think you either need to considerably drop the price and make it a "fixer upper" (the damp patch and peeling paper suggests there could be some serious damage), or spend some money fixing it yourself.

I wouldn't pay 350k for a house with those ceilings and that kind of damage. Our home came with some issues but it only cost 55k.

You need to either put some work into it or drop it by a hell of a lot as a restoration project. You’re on another planet if you think that house in such terrible condition is comparable to the other ones you were showing.

It’s not just a stylistic thing, it’s safety. Very few people would be ok with using a leaking sitting room until they have time to fix it, or having a giant boarded up hole in their bedroom.

Unless sold as restoration project its unsaleable.