To ask for your opinions on my house?

[StylishMummy]

We're in the stressful and expensive process of moving house, next door have just sold for £170,000. We're on for less and have slightly less space and less than all agents suggested (165-170). But we're not selling!

Collective brain of the vipers nest is my next place for feedback - be as brutal as you like!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70481371.html

Looks like previous owners moved the stairs to a different place to create the extra small bedroom you have in the middle.

Do not put an enormous rug down in the conservatory. It has a flagstone floor because the previous owner has designated it an all weather indoor/outdoor space. A rug doesn’t work in that context and as a buyer I would see it and assume there’s something dodgy about the floor that you are trying to hide (not just that it’s fugly which is what I think the issue is here? It’s not actually leaky or anything?) No buyer is going to get down on their hands and knees and roll back the rug at an open home, they will just think “dodgy red flag” and move on.

@Philosykoss

Your link didn't work. just went to a map of houses for sale in Nuneaton!

Unless I am doing something wrong.

@Bluntness100

Yep, you click on the blue dots to get into various rooms.

Thank you.

Haven’t read all the previous posts but my suggestions would be:

Paint the front of the house and put a couple of pots/baskets out.

Lose the table in Front of the log burner (love this room though!)

Make one of the living rooms a dining space.

Buy some house plants and low level lamps to soften/warm it all up a smidge.

Nice house though, hope you sell quick 🤞🏼👍🏻

To the posters being fucking blunt to the point of rudeness... DFOD. We live here and are moving for family reasons, if we could take this house to a different location with us we absolutely would.

To everyone else, thank you, we're going to look into having the rendering painted, we didn't put it on but it's in great condition and could be tarted up. Plants, prints and rug ordered and due to arrive over the weekend.

Decor wise I'm a bit sad to hear you all think it's so hard, as we've spent £15,000 on having the place reworked, replastered, new flooring and decor throughout. I've updated the listing details now but agents have been adamant we keep it as a 3-bed. We're having the week end to do as much work as possible - front room is already home to a new (second hand) table and chairs.

It's a working progress but appreciate all the tips, especially those who RTFT & understand we're not doing anything structural

Depends how much work you’re prepared to do. As a minimum I would ditch the Dentist’s blinds in the front room. Paint the brick fireplace white, add a couple of pictures. The second lounge is really nice, but you’ve nowhere to eat! Ideally people want to see the dining area next to the kitchen but your nicest room is that second lounge so you might want to keep that. Get rid of the coffee table. It’s just in the way. Possibly you could turn the conservatory into your dining area. A big table. Lots and lots of plants and lamps so it looks fresh and inviting. Currently it looks cold and bare but I think you could really improve it and show it as an eating area. If you could afford to lay a different floor that would help. You can buy wood or tile effect laminate for relatively cheap. If not then maybe a very large rug from Ikea.
Does your littlest bedroom have no window? Doesn’t seem to have one from the floor plan. Not much you can do about that. And if you can afford, like others have said, paint the outside render and get some planting some pots! And yes, redo the photos on a less gloomy day. Certainly the outside ones anyway.

I’m late to this thread but I think your home is lovely! I would add a rug to the conservatory and a dining table (as has been mentioned) and definitely list as 3 bed. Why wouldn’t you? If it can fit a single bed and furniture then it’s a bedroom. Don’t go overboard. The decor won’t be to everyone’s taste but some buyers will want to put their own stamp on it anyway.

Don’t replace the flooring! That’s madness.

I think your decor is fine 🤷

To the posters being fucking blunt to the point of rudeness... DFOD.

Oh dear...

Sounds like you’ve made some really good improvements already and used the feedback constructively. Sure you’ll have no problem selling it.

Ps. Nothing wrong with your decor you can see you’ve spent money on it 😊

Sorry OP, didn’t see your last message when I posted. Sorry if people have been rude. How rubbish! It’s a nice house and with a few little tweaks I’m sure someone will buy it.

Sosidog
"Also if the gaps between the stairs are more than 10cm it’s actually illegal as well as dangerous"
We have original 1970s open tread stairs with over 10cm gap. Is it illegal?

OP I think you’ve been really brave posting on here and taking the comments with good grace. It’s important to remember that there’s a difference between what works for you and your family as a home to live in and what’s needed to sell the house.

FWIW I think Hawkins are wrong on marketing it as a 3 bed, but then I’ve noticed quite a few Hawkins sale boards being replaced by boards from other agents recently, so perhaps they aren’t as in touch as they used to be.

A new staircase (or one installed since the regulations were implemented) can’t have an open gap of more than 10cm between the risers. I don’t know where you stand with staircases that predate the regulations. I think it’s allowed because you don’t have to bring an older house up to current regulations.

@StylishMummy

Don't get upset and angry.

The consensus on here is that your house is lovely inside, well decorated, and generally nice, but not keen on the look of it from the outside, and the conservatory and back garden.. Could be why it's not generating so much interest.

I am sorry if I was rude at all. I tried to be honest without being nasty/brutal/rude.

Take care.

Just a bit of proof that stairs are 14 month old proof

can you add more pics? The virtual tour gives a better idea as it shows more rooms and also the size of the rooms.The pics themselves seem to miss a lot out.

Could the baby/toddler not fall off the side though when they're say, two thirds of the way up?

Sorry, not trying to have a go, just can't see any banister.

OP said waaaaaaay back at the beginning of the thread there's a bannister installed which is painted gloss white. The EA pics obviously predate that.

OP, are you updating the description to include all the work you've done, eg the new flooring and plastering? All selling points, along with the 4 working fireplaces – the dream! I still think your EA is doing you a disservice by marketing as a 3-bed; would be better off pushing the 2-bed with potential for loft conversion angle/

Sorry, I have looked again at the virtual tour, and there is a banister. It is a bit gappy though - could toddler fall through?

then again there is a baby gate anyway.

Honestly I don't get where your agents are coming from. It really isn't a 3 bed amd shouldn't be marketed as such. My concern is that once you've got a buyer, their mortgage valuation might come back saying it's only a 2 bed so worth less/ affect how much they can borrow which may lose the sale. Honestly better to describe as 2 beds plus dressing room/ study - which also offers the opportunity to go into the loft (big selling point if loft is already boarded esp as it already has a Velux window).

I wouldn't bother touching the pebbledash, most houses local to me are pebbledashed and sell at the right price...the first house I owned was part pebbledash, part stone clad when I bought it in 1997...it's been sold twice since then (most recently for £375k which is at least the going rate for the area) and the exterior hasnt been altered at all.

Drop price to £160. Advertise as 2 bed plus extra room. You will get a buyer, it might just take a little longer than for a more 'standard' property.

@VelvetSpoon I'm a mortgage adviser by trade, this has been mortgaged with 3 high street lenders as a 3 bed with no issues. Most recent mortgage valuation was £167,900

Proof of the elusive bannisters!

I wouldn't worry about the stairs...this is probably because my aforementioned first house had a spiral staircase with wooden open back treads. I only fell down it twice in 4 years. My DS who was 3 when we moved was an expert at clambering up and down from about 18m. When we moved to a house with 'straight' stairs he didn't know what to do