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

The middle sitting room thing would make a lovely dining room. I picture it with wooden floors, off white walls and a nice dining table in the middle with low hanging lights over it. The living room is just cosmetic too - get rid of the wallpaper (new buyer, op shouldn’t have to do this), lay wooden flooring with a nice big rug, a few plants and nice furniture ...

The 2 bedrooms are a decent size and the third room upstairs could be used as a nice office/playroom.

Thanks IvanaPee

We can't change the stairs without a whole new staircase, stairs and landing carpet and that's just not worth it for us.

You can just board the underside of the existing stairs. That is what most people did with those stairs when they went out of style. It will reduce light in the room below, however.

OP you do need to maintain a clear access from the rear door of the 3rd bedroom into the main bedroom. If there was a fire on the stairs and the occupants of the third bedroom had to leave via your bedroom window how quickly could you get them out?

The 2 Vs 3 bed debate may rage on but our stand point is clear.

But your house is not selling. Ok, the 6 viewers might not have mentioned the bedroom specifically because there are so many other things that need improvement. That’s fine; you’re aware of those and are rectifying most of them.

If however you’re STILL not getting any offers once the other improvements have been made, you’d be extremely foolish to stubbornly insist that your house is a 3 bed when so many people (including previous vendors and - I assume - other agents?) have told you that it’s a 2 bed.

I like it! It has space and looks clean and new. The bathroom is a work of art.
BUT: the garden is awful (seriously, do you not want to have at least a shrub there? what's the point of having a garden if you don't grow anything there? I guess one has to be thankful you didn't put concrete over it) The stairs are a bit odd (looks unsafe, like one would catch a foot in there :)) and I am not a fan of those wood burners. I prefer an original fire place. A burner shows a conformist who follows trends.

The price is wonderful. I don't know any houses which are that cheap, but then I don't know Nuneaton. Good luck if you decide to sell.

No one with 2 children already will buy that house as a 3 bedroom, as even by your own admission, you wouldn't use that 3rd "bedroom" beyond age 6 or 7, so it has no future as a family home, without needing a whole lot of money spent on it. Personally, I'd not be prepared to use it as a bedroom at all, its far more suited to an ensuite bathroom or dressing room. So it just isn't suitable for the majority of those who are looking for a 3 bed.

Since its being marketed as a 3 bed, it will be predominately looked at, and presumably dismissed by people who need 3 proper bedrooms.

Market it as a 2 bedroom, and you'll have people who only need 2 bedrooms looking at it. They will no doubt be blown away by the extra potential in the extra space - so many possibilities - study, walk in wardrobe, ensuite, extra storage etc.

It's not remotely comparable, kerb appeal, condition, layout, decor and presentation wise with the mid terrace next door. You can't price at the same level as them.

That said, it is a perfectly nice house, marketed as a two bed, at the right price, I am sure that it will get snapped up by another family who love it as much as you clearly do.

P.S. the third "bedroom" is not a bedroom. It's a geek den room, would be perfect for it as it has no windows. Might be ideal for someone who hates sunlight and want to be walled in. Could be used as a wine storage.

The loft - it's already boarded and has a window, so how about putting a mattress made up as a bed up there, with a lamp, a rug and a couple of bits, and include a photo of this?

This would actively suggest potential that might help mitigate the things you can't do anything about. Take the photo when the sun is window-side.

You could even quickly paint the rafters white - or staple fabric or cheap cotton throws to them.

This has been a great idea of yours asking for feedback - we're all looking forward to the makeover pix!

P.S. You wouldn't have to paid all of the exterior side wall - just an 18" vertical strip round the corner from the front. Doing the front would make a massive difference

The loft - it's already boarded and has a window, so how about putting a mattress made up as a bed up there, with a lamp, a rug and a couple of bits, and include a photo of this?

The problem is the loft hatch is in the third bedroom, as that used to be the hall. So they would need to have the ladders into that room

Op, it seems you've spent a lot of money in required but invisible things, the full rewire, new windows, and I'm not sure why it cost 1800 to recommission your stove, installing a new one from scratch would cost half that. But anyway. The house must have been in a hell of a state when you bought it,

You just need to tidy it up, viewers are telling you it's the general appearance, and that's the predominant feedback on here.

The video tour shows things like bare bulbs or hanging wires in the upper hallway, stuff half hidden under the table, big marks on the conservatory floor that actually looks like mould in one of the corners, scratched and aged paintwork, things lying about or barely hidden, a table up against the utility room doors so you can't even go in, large cardboard box in the conservatory, random armchair in the third bedroom.

Just tidy it up, don't hide the clutter under things like chairs or tables, even if you put them in your car or the shed, deal with anything obviously marked or shoddy, and add a little warmth with rugs and plants. But mostly make the price reflect the condition and market.

The problem is, a lot of the work you've done isn't really going to excite viewers, or counts as measurable improvements in their eyes.

When I bought a car with a cracked windscreen, I had the price of doing it deducted from the sale. It didn't improve the price of the car, because people take 'uncracked windscreen' or 'house without damp' as a given. Not necessarily correct logic, but fairly unshiftable I'd say in some people.

My house had a conservatory added by the last owners, and we're able to make rooms bigger internally - both of which are transparent (literally in teh case of the conservatory) improvements to the space.

The problem is the loft hatch is in the third bedroom, as that used to be the hall. So they would need to have the ladders into that room

Yes - a desk could be put under the ladder and the room staged as a study

Please don't attempt to stage the loft as a bedroom. It hasn't got appropriate consent or building control sign off. People will also think that it is the current third bedroom and be .

You could, if you really wanted, show a picture of the loft as it currently is to show the potential, but I think just stating it in the particulars is sufficient.

I'm looking forward to seeing your new photos. At the end of the day it is a nice, quirky house, which is going to work for a lot of people. Do you definitely have your heart set on moving, or would you be tempted to convert the loft yourself and stay?

Why would anyone force a child into a windowless, dark room with no natural light? It's a cupboard! How depressing. I can't actually believe anyone would do that.
Worst case is you'd put two single beds in the 2nd bed and make the third room into a storage room.
And I just can't get my head around £15k having been spent when it looks the same, no idea what flooring you did. The floors need redone.

@minty80 that's a really emotive unpleasant comment.
The OP loves her children, you make it sound like she is making the baby sweep chimneys like in Victorian London.

@BruceAndNosh you can seriously imagine a child in a small cramped room with no window? Do you think the op would like to have that as her room? I couldn't. It might be emotive but it sounds horrible to me.

Op I'm looking for a 3 bed similar to yours. I would totally discount it due to the window thing. Nothing else about the house would put me off.

I would have loved your house when I purchased my two bed house, which again is very similar to yours.

You can maintain it's a 3 bed all you like but I bet everyone else is discounting it because of that.

You know, I’m warming to this house! I’ve looked at it a few times now and it’s definately a grower.

The living room and middle room (dining room in my eyes) have great potential. The kitchen is s decent size as are the two bedrooms.

So realistically if I was looking to buy a two bedroomed house in that area, I’d definitely go for it as it has so much potential. The cupboard thing would be turned into a study, en suite or a walk in wardrobe/dressing room.

But - if I was looking for a three bed, I’d see this as a waste of my time and I’d be a bit annoyed at the false advertising.

Can someone put the third bedroom pic up I seem to have missed it.

@notsosureaboutthatthough

Just imagine a tiny windowless room that you wouldn’t want your worst enemy to have as a bedroom

Sorry to be brutally honest but your house is being miss marketed as a 3 bed house when it is actually a 2 bed house , it needs considerable work done to bring it up to date consequently the asking price is too high by around £30 - £40 k

The recently sold next door house cannot be used as a comparison for pricing as it is very different , it is fresh , modern , 3 bed , good floor plan and with good kerb appeal

The 3rd bedroom you are describing as a bedroom can not be considered as a bedroom without a window of sufficient size and structure to comply with building regulations as a fire escape

The fact that you have insurance on the property as it being a 3 bed is not validation to it actually being 3 beds , to get insurance it is just a case of filling in a form using your wording the subsequent insurance may on inspection not actually be valid

The stairs are non compliant to building regulations as per photo on right move listing but I believe you have stated that this has been rectified

I would do some neutralising decor , white paint is good , the conservatory might look better completely empty or a rattan set and a few leafy plants
Then get another couple of agents in to assess and value

notsosureaboutthatthough It is on, earlier in the thread.

Right op, some people like an invitation to be brutal, so I’ll be nice. I’ve skimmed the comments, but read all your updates, so forgive me if I miss anything.
I absolutely would be bothered by the stairs, and would expect the price to reflect me replacing them.
You’ve already ordered the rug for the conservatory, have you taken the curtains down too?
Personally I wouldn’t want to cook, then carry the food through the living room to the dining room. I do like the family room, but I’d have that as the dining room. Also more natural light in the living room, for daily living. I suppose as long as viewsers can imagine this you will be fine, but I’d be tempted to make that change now if I wanted a quicker sale.
Tidy the bedrooms up.
I’d probably use bedroom 3 as a playroom, study, and get the kids to share bedroom 2, so some people could get around the issue. It’s about making it appealing (considering putting mine in a windowless room to stop them waking with the larks)
Now I’m off to look at next door 😂

I've noticed people are commenting on the decore, that is something that can be changed with peoples own personal touch. I honestly wouldn't want to pay that much for a end terrace as there are detached with drives and garages for around the same price. I live in Nuneaton and I also think the problem is all the new houses that are being built. It's just waiting for someone to come along that wants to have a project to work on as with all old houses

£155k is what we need to help family out and complete onward purchase, hence asking for how we can improve

OP, your personal circumstances are of no concern to a potential buyer. You need to think what the house is worth, not how much you want to sell it for