Something not right about this 'news' story

[WallaceinAnderland]

70 year old woman claims to be unable to sell her house.

'I reluctantly dropped the price from £860,000 to £750,000 six months ago because I was desperate'

But if you look at the house on Rightmove, it's advertised at 850k. So she's only dropped it by 10k in all this time. Did the paper make the 'typo' on purpose do we think? Surely reducing your asking price by 10k in 18 months, is not news?

She's just asking too much for it.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/at-70-i-m-trapped-in-my-850-000-family-house-i-can-t-sell-it/ar-AA21m6md?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69e8bdc7025d4e0ea96d196da0becc8b&ei=56

Yeah, I agree... I don't think I am buying this story. As a pp said, the last sale was only 6 years ago. Why would a woman in her mid 60s buy such a big house, only to whine that it's too BIG 6 years later? At 64-65, (which she was when she bought this house,) most people will be downsizing to a small, manageable 2 bed home - probably a bungalow.

Also, I don't 'get' why ANYone born in the mid 1950s (which was when she was born) would have a house decorated/presented like this. It's giving 2020s design and decor vibes, and no-one I know of that age would have a house that looks like this, all black, white, and grey with nothing in it. No ornaments, pictures, collectibles, paintings, photographs, nothing... The place has no soul.

Not buying it. I don't believe a 70 year old owns this house.

I know - which is why I think the link in the article is not the link to the lady's property. It's "gone" from Rightmove because it's SSTC and that would spoil the story.

Oh I see what you mean @CheeseNPickle3 You could be right. Shame that the article advertised the wrong house as we'll never know now.

Houses like that are bought to be flattened and redeveloped where I live. And are priced accordingly.

I don’t understand why if someone can’t sell their house it’s national news? One house near me was on sale for 4 years. Of course it was sold eventually for the asking price because a lot happened on the market and with inflation in 4 years…
If something is not selling for some time - price reduction usually helps.
There is always an element of luck as well and some areas/ types of property are generally more popular than others.
So there is nothing unusual in her situation

This is what I thought - I don’t know many people in their 70s with double screens and gaming setups. But then I thought maybe I’m being ageist. There is something fishy about the article too, almost the vibe that one of her kids wrote the article and is trying to sell the house from under her for as much as possible. Also £150pm for energy doesn’t sound that steep for that house

Funny you should say that....

DH just came back from a residents association meeting and asked if I'd be interested in buying a neighbouring property (he knows I loathe our current cottage).

The single lady owner (never been married, no partner, no kids) is 74. She purchased the house for 700k in 2022 when she was 70, having sold a 50 square metre smaller house in the same street. She'd owned that one for six years. The one she's thinking of selling has four beds and three reception rooms - she's now decided it's too big and is looking at buying a flat around the corner...

So it does happen, although I agree there's something off with this whole story!