Please judge this house!?

[cookielove]

Hello, my mum is trying to sell her house please give honest feedback on the house and the photos.

What can we do to sell this house???

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133383485?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Unfortunately the outside, location and garden promise rural charm but they inside is charged charms suburbia with a downstairs bedroom IE not a bedroom. I know St Albans is sought after but I wouldn't spend this much money on such a dull house. I think it either needs a price reduction or a revamp.

Charmless, not charged charms!

It's a subconscious thing though isn't it. You look at photos and think god everything is so beige and boring and potentially just move onto the next one. Adding a little colour can't harm can it.

Apart from the photos not being great, for the most part, inside didn't bother me.

Seeing the train tract right next door was a complete deal breaker.

Train track* 🤦🏽‍♀️

Get pictures of the garden in bloom

The photos aren't great.
Picture 10 definitely needs replacing - the shower cubicle dominates the photo.
I don't think anything other than a price reduction and holding out for someone who can see past the trainline will make a massive difference.

If the area is still as I remember it, the location and condition are perfect. Any new buyers will make their own cosmetic changes 🤷‍♀️

This is what I think. I go straight to the floor plan and would eliminate this immediately as being a 3 bed, not 4. We are just moving and my biggest peeve with estate agents is doing this with a listing.

Too many garden pics to begin with, made me assume the house was awful.

noy enough pics of the house, and I didn’t feel like o was being sold a lifestyle.

and it seems pricey!

Photos are gloomy OP, and not sympathetic. Internally they are taken from too low down and make everything look too far away and small. The first shot of the front should be directly front on, the oblique angle is really off putting... subsequent shots can show the whole building. Make a big deal of the entrance, it's a bit lost atm - so a nice, close shot of a cottagey front door, with really good quality planters either side, you know, bay trees or box in either, would set the scene. If that's a real fire, get it lit - again, a close up to sell the lifestyle and definitely as posters have said nice area rugs with rich warm colours. At this price you're selling a lifestyle and compared to the asking price an investment in some nice bits and bobs is worth it.

But I suspect, mainly, it just isn't registering as a four bed.

I think it’s lovely but if you’re having no look maybe refresh the pics?

neutral bedding, no patterns.
some of the lovely garden without the autumn leaves
kitchen with nothing on the sides etc

there are only pics of 2 of the bedrooms so maybe photograph all of them

I mean, some people might do that but I certainly wouldn’t. I look firstly at floor plans, then overall condition (ie what would I have to change/update immediately). If I was spending close to a million pounds I definitely wouldn’t be put off by a duvet cover, or anything else that won’t be staying in the property (furniture etc).

And having said the above, I would discount it on floor plan as I wouldn’t want a bedroom on the ground floor.

That’s crazy. It’s slightly smaller than my house and mine was 350!

I go by gut feeling and atmosphere rather than floor plans. Colour would help with that. I won't be the only one who feels like that either. Everyone is different.

Wow, such a response thank you!

The bridge cottage sign has been there since it was built, i doubt they will remove it as its a Victorian cottage. It use to be covered in ivy but that was removed and the houses, repainted.

The house actually has sold, but the buyers are having issues their side so we put it back on as my mum is desperate to move so either the issues will resolve or she will sell to someone else. Its worth more than what it is on for.

The 4th downstairs bedroom was a garage at one point which is why there is a flat roof. I agree i think the photos should be redone. And will pass on all these good ideas!!

The train line is close, they are the railway cottages for the old station master and his deputy. Can't change the position of the house and agree it is off putting for some but it is barely noticeable when you live there.

The kitchen really isn't small. The photographer hasn't done a good job.

We thought about changing the upstairs study back to a bedroom? Do you think that would be a good idea?

She won't change the downstairs bedroom into anything else as that is her bedroom and she is very attached to her space. I am not even sure what you could class that as if not a bedroom?

Pictures are terrible! Get them re-taken

A bit of colour inside would be great, The drive area looks very unloved as does the patio. A few flower pots would help lift those areas.

@cookielove for us at least, downstairs bedrooms are immediately discounted. We don’t want one of the children downstairs on their own at night or down there not being able to hear them. I think people looking for family homes generally don’t want a bedroom downstairs so it really restricts the amount of people that would come to view, it would make a great playroom though!

lovely house but I would remove the black storage unit from the office to make it look bigger and maybe rake up the leaves from the garden. I hate to say it… but isn’t there an old phrase something about if the price is right it will sell… wish you luck with it

There was only one offer? Why not go back to the other offers?

For us, looking for a family house, the downstairs bedroom would be another reception room/playroom for the kids. But then we’d want a 4th bedroom upstairs too, so would discount it. Downstairs bedrooms don’t really work for families with young children.

Yes, get another estate agent. The photos are absolutely appalling and the descriptions too vague and confusing. They charge enough, get one that is at least prepared to make an effort.That would be a good first step!

Something about the photos made it seem like a pub or commercial building. It doesn’t seem very homely. I think you could have better photos taken.