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

I'm really sorry but it doesn't matter that you can legally call it a third bedroom if no one wants a windowless bedroom; and judging by this thread people don't. I wouldn't. It could be spacious as you like, fit a king-size in there, and I'd still not want it without a window.

If you'd rather stay than lose money, is staying put and converting the loft a feasible option for you?

I read

But all that will do is get people in the front door and then they will see that requires fairly substantial spend of money.

If £1500 not big a deal, then go for it. Otherwise my advice is to not spend a penny, ask for better pics and describe it as “an opportunity for buyer to improve”. It will excite those looking for a bit of a project

Just because you can cram that much furniture in there though, doesn't mean you should. It's not a bedroom.

Op

I know this has been tough to read but...

It's not a 3rd bedroom BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE A WINDOW!
It's against regulations. It doesn't matter if it could fit the biggest furniture available. It's a fire risk.

As other posters have said it just doesn't have kerb appeal.
It doesn't look like a StylishMummy lives in it, though I take your word that you are stylish. Can you change the blind in the front room- they make it look like a commercial premises, unloved.

Wishing you all the best, it's heartbreaking wanting to sell and move on and there are no takers.

Auction?

How are there two means of escape in the windowless room? Do you mean the door to it and the loft door??????

At least list it as a two bed with office/study.

Have you obtained pp if needed for an attic vonversion? List it as a project for a first time buyer or developer, that might get them to bite. It’s a waste of everyone’s time to get them to view it because as soon as they see that closet being used as a bedroom, they will get a bad taste in their mouths and be on guard for other corners you are cutting!

I think it's a really decent sized house, even if the layout isn't completely conventional. There's no point in having a go at OP about shape and sizes of rooms, or certain large features (brick fireplace, conservatory floor, etc) as it would be way to costly to change and she wouldn't make that money back. I think tweaking certain things would be much more beneficial and achievable... these points have probably already been made, but this is what I'd do:

Remove the bins and wheels from the garden - even if it's just for the photos - as it will almost certainly put some people off thinking that they always live there (although this maybe true)

Paint the kitchen tiles a lighter colour to bring in some light and make it feel a little more up to date

Move the blue sofa and coffee table into the conservatory and put a big rug down (think relaxed lounge/playroom)

Put your dining table in the room where the blue sofa was

House plants, cut flowers in vases, rugs, and stuff on walls will make a huge difference even in bathrooms (big bathrooms like yours look great with plants in them!)

Good luck OP! I think it's a great house with plenty of space. I hope you get your dream buyers soon!! In the meantime enjoy your lovely home

*wheelbarrow .... stupid typo

The photos are certainly awful, really dark and gloomy. If all the lights need to be on then that’s never a good look.

Never forget that you are paying your agent to sell your house and that involves more than taking some shit pictures, sticking them on a website and sitting back on your arse waiting for the phone to ring.

I think you are right to try to get feet in the door, OP, and cosmetic changes will help a lot. They can decide after that what they want to do with the place.

However, I think you are going to need to be flexible about price, even taking Brexit uncertainty into account.

And I agree with the distinctions being made between a bedroom and a useful space that might be a bedroom in a pinch. There may be fire regs that you need to check. Your EA really should be aware of these. While one mortgage underwriter might be ok with calling the space a bedroom, another might not, and it would be a shame if someone made an offer but then got turned down for a mortgage.

Calling it a walk in closet or huge storage space/multiuse space (it could even be a home theatre or dark room for photography) and giving the dimensions would otoh whet the appetite of a buyer. you can get a lot more hashtags up if you stop calling it a bedroom.

Only 6 viewings since the 8th March??

That's terrible viewing figures for a newly-marketed property

It's not just the windowless "bedroom", the middle living room and kitchen also have no natural light. What is in the utility space? I'm imagining it's a roof over the side return attached to the fence? Can it be dismantled? If it is attached to the fence = potential issues as well.

The photo of the baby on the stairs is giving me the heebiejeebies. If your steps are further apart than 6.5 cm (max width apart for cot slats) then there is a danger of a baby's head getting stuck or fitting legs and body through

Photo terrified me too. These stairs would be illegal if built now - a small child could effectively be hanged by them. I would never buy a house with stairs like this - in fact there were 2 contenders which I ruled out for this reason when i bought 3 years ago.

That was my (ghastly) thought, Shiverrrr.

it's a nice house but it's looks too beige to me.
As some ppl mentioned some flower baskets, maybe some pictures to add contrast.

@beanaseireann how nasty. Put your claws away.

My home is to my family taste, stylish in my name refers to my business which is selling preloved designer handbags. Another thing I've worked bloody hard at.

I'm a mortgage adviser, this house is mortgaged as a 3 bed and has been with 3 separate high street lenders. Very frustrating when people don't read the thread to see this.

The stairs are absolutely not an issue and DDs head couldn't fit through them. Plus who on earth allows a baby/toddler to climb stairs unsupervised?

The utility is clearly marked as a lean-to and works for us, as did the previous owners, just a weatherproof lean to with a drain and electrics, we have washing machine, tumble dryer, chest freezer and additional fridge out there. Gives extra room in kitchen but appreciate it may not be to everyone's taste.

Conservatory is having major re-do. Shed's been sanded and painted and grass cut too, new photos to follow

The photos are still the same OP so really you need to get on to the agent to get new photos. The weather is glorious for photos at the moment.

@Mehaveit because we're in the middle of redecorating, so taking new ones over the weekend

I don’t think beanaseireann was trying to be nasty

Op, can i ask where you have spent the 15k? You've been there five years, and You say flooring and decor, but this isn't fifteen grand, it's carpet and decorating, and clearly from previous sale pics the bathroom and kitchen were the same then?

I don't mean it rudely but I'm struggling to see what you have spent fifteen thousand pounds on. Some of the paint work looks very aged if I'm honest.

I would take out the pic of the back garden. That's what would put me off viewing.

@Bluntness100 full rewiring of the whole house, replastering of every room, redecorating every room except kitchen/bathroom, reflooring every room except bathroom and conservatory. New roof on the shed, £1800 on making log burner safe and functional. Replacing blown double glazing. Repairing leaks under bath and shower.

Probably ends up being closer to £18k TBH

If you are a mortgage adviser then you are well aware that any property will sell at the right price and you need to drop yours.

It’s irrelevsnt how many lenders this property has been with. You cannot expect people to pay the price of a three bed for a two bed property!

@SlipperOrchid it's not irrelevant if several mortgage lenders and their valuers agree that it's a 3 bed.

None of the feedback has made issue of the 3rd bed