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Feedback for house sale wanted

65 replies

Lisa381 · 15/02/2025 13:56

Our home has been on the market for over 6 months and we have had little interest, less than 5 viewings. It is priced right for our area. I don’t like the photos on Rightmove. I’m not very good at styling the house. What do you think? What do you like to see when viewing? What puts you off? Helpful advice wanted. Be kind. ☺️

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149995493

OP posts:
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Hotflushesandchilblains · 15/02/2025 22:50

The table and sofa in the kitchen are a little awkward looking, as is the desk in the living room. Could you remove the desk? Maybe take out the sofa, put the dining table there and put in a mobile island unit (ikea make them quite cheaply). The upstairs study looks crowded - its hard to see how big the room is. Could you take the desk with the stuff under it out? And clear out the stuff?

A little colour might help too?

OOlivePenderghast · 15/02/2025 23:07

I agree with what everyone else has said and think it looks like a lovely house. Could you get the Estate Agent to do one of this video walk-throughs? I always find them really useful to get an idea of the actual size of a house and they usually show a 360 of each room. I think this would show off how much space there is in the kitchen and the living room.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 15/02/2025 23:10

The photos of the kids' bedrooms make them look very small, especially the green one.

Is it really Band F? Seems high.

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Lisa381 · 16/02/2025 08:23

kindlyensure · 15/02/2025 14:14

I think the floorplan looks bigger than the photos.

Agree about the living room. You don't need any evidence of a study in there, otherwise it suggests that your designated study is not big enough. Just lose the big office chair if nothing else.

Also, I do agree, kerb appeal and first impressions count, and the outside could do with a bit of tlc. It looks a bit grubby and the front top windows are open. You know what that suggests to me? Interior damp or mould. I'm sure there isn't, but the combination of dirty exterior and open windows just gives a question mark.

Also (!) the interior photos seem to have been taken from ground level* which gives a kind of 'squished' feel. I don't think the agent has done you any favours there.

*edited to add - as if someone has laid/crouched down on the floor to take them!

Edited

Yes I remember the person crouching down - have no idea why! Thanks for the advice

OP posts:
Lisa381 · 16/02/2025 08:39

SerenStarEtoile · 15/02/2025 22:18

Hi OP

I know Colwinston and those houses are nice. I like yours and don’t see much to tweak but the photos by this agent don’t do the house justice.

However, I do agree with other comments about tidying/decluttering, the desk in the living room, etc.

I think I would move the sofa in the kitchen too, much as it’s probably very useful (and where can you move it to? Maybe someone will store it for you?).

I also agree about the tablecloth, if only for the photos. And put flowers on the table if you can. To replace the colour lost by taking away the cloth, could you get a largish rug in the same tones as the curtains to sit the table on?

Once the office stuff is out of the living room, what about replacing the grey cushion covers with something in more of a green to tie in with the wall - again, that would put more colour in.

For the bed in the master, a valance sheet to cover the bed base and a duvet cover more in the tones of the wall/headboard? In the en-suite, don’t use the marble towels - they look grubby in the photos. Also, is it a bath or shower? The photos don’t show a great deal.

In bed2, (the blue one) it’s difficult to tell where things are placed in relation to the door, but it looks as if the wall between the bed and chest of drawers is completely filled with furniture/units and looks a little overfilled/cluttered. Can you use the L/H wall more? Maybe for the wardrobe (if that’s what’s sticking out the L/H edge of the picture?

In bed3 can the stack of boxes go where the desk is? (I.e. behind the wardrobe where they won’t show). Also the gaming chair if it will fit! It would look better for the photos. Perhaps (for the photos, obvs.) the desk would fit under the bed? Have a play around and see what works.

A blue mat in the bathroom?

Take out the rotary line altogether (for photos) and slide. What’s behind the garage? Is this part of your garden? It’s not possible to tell.

Also, as is common, the agents put an idea of where the house is placed on a map (usually not yours, but next door or over the road). However, on a map, the agents have put a marker on the main street running through the village. I know it’s not busy, but some people (if they don’t know the area) will look at that and not like it! Can you get them to relocate that? Or are you thinking of changing the agents altogether if you’ve had it with them for a while and you have lost confidence in them?

For an idea of how agents can “set” photos, look at CPS agents (Cardiff) who always seem to make the best of theirs.

I will try and add a couple of photos from Dunelm that I quickly looked at to give you an idea of what I’m thinking.

If you want to, you can DM me.

Thank you so much for the helpful advice, and photos!

OP posts:
Nessastats · 16/02/2025 08:39

I think it looks like a nice house. The photos being taken at floor level is weird, and i was confused about what rooms i was looking at - id get the agent to label the photos and take the desk out of the living room as you have a dedicated home working space, make sure the living room is clearly the living room. I think the agent needs to arrange for professional photography.

SallyWD · 16/02/2025 09:00

It looks like a lovely house. Could it be that the market is slow? Or is there an issue with the area?
Honestly, people will pick apart your house and tell you what's wrong with it but if the price and area are good it will sell.
We sold a house a few years ago and to be honest it was very shabby and needed a lot of work. It was a mess basically and was seen as a project. I'm sure people on Mumsnet would have had a field day telling me how awful it was but we had nearly 20 views on the first day and several offers. That's purely because people liked the area and we didn't price it high.

TheElvesLongSleeves · 16/02/2025 09:07

Ah the popular gnome photographer.

Any chance you could make a virtual tour? That may help people make more sense of rooms and sizes.

Guide price suggests auction. It's not an auction so offers in region of or similar

Better pics are really needed.

Alwaystired23 · 16/02/2025 09:49

That's a great price for Cowbridge. I agree it just needs a bit of tidying up and better photos.

Addeline · 16/02/2025 09:56

Yes photos on a sunny day with better lighting. I imagine painting the outside of the house is too expensive but if not it would look better. The dc bedrooms, move out a bit of clutter for the photos. Otherwise it’s a great house.

Cattreesea · 16/02/2025 10:25

I was looking at the street view. Do you have a school opposite the house?

That may be one of the issues.

I would remove your wedding pics and other personal photographs and have some pictures redone on a sunny day.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 16/02/2025 11:06

Council band F would put me off, and also location of house is wrong, it's showing it as opposite a school?

HarryVanderspeigle · 16/02/2025 11:12

It looks good inside. Yes decluttering, but that's not going to be the deal breaker. My issue is that it looks green outside, so I would be worrying about damp and other nasties.

Are you getting people viewing or not even that far?

randomusernam · 16/02/2025 11:27

I think it's about £30,000 too expensive. You are on for the same price as a 5 bed has just gone under offer. Look at the listing and you can see what else in under offer in the area. Looking at other 3 beds in your area you are asking £40,000 for then them. Also photos are bad. So dark and taken low down so the eye is drawn to the floor. Photos make the rooms look small. I'd also take the sofa out the kitchen and move the dining room table. Makes the room look smaller.

mollycassie · 16/02/2025 11:56

I read the comments after looking through your photos and many of the things I thought are already mentioned but worth me saying again to show just how much they jump out at a new viewer.

Firstly it's a lovely house and good size, bathrooms look lovely and separate office space is a great selling point.

The living room - ideally completely remove the office stuff - into storage or a friends garage and share the actual office whilst selling. Too many cushions, blankets and photos makes it feel quite cluttered. Thin that all down significantly. Remove all the loose frames and replace with simple plant/ornament on each shelf, definitely remove the big wedding photo. Even if you can't move the desk - clear it for photos, unplug and hide all wires and printer etc. remove the chair and pull out the coffee table from the corner of sofas and turn it to match the long sofa. Also the dog on the small sofa is a red flag to me - this would make me think I need to change all carpets immediately. Hide him/her!

Kitchen - great minds with many pp I would lose the sofa and move the table to show off the great size.

Your bedroom looks good - just align and smooth the bedding more - and get the photographer to stand up 😂

Shower room - those drawers really do catch your eye and look filthy - realise this is probably just the photo but paint or move them. Also what is the red thing on the right? Cover with a white towel if not moveable. Clashes with the rest.

F's room is lovely and I don't think a bit of stuff is a bad thing in a kids room as buyers likely to be families. But ditch the photo from doorway angle - it's awful. The other one looking towards bed is good and shows room size.

DS room trickier I'm not sure how you can get a good photo but at least lose the lanyards on wall and messy top boxes.

Main bathroom great.

B's office - lose everything that can be moved for the photo! Al the bags and desk clutter. And unplug the trailing wires. Clean the whiteboard and remove the children's art.

When we had photos taken the estate agent blurred anything identifying - ie with names on or people in a photo. You might want to remove the stuff with daughter and husband's names on.

I've no idea of your area to comment on prices - hope you can get what you need soon. Good luck.

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