To be so frustrated selling house

[GSD20]

3 years we have been hoping to move.

3 years ago we first marketed. It took 2 agents and a lot of hassle (40 viewings) but eventually sold once which fell through thanks to the rubbish UK selling system just before exchange. We removed from the market and saved up more money over 18 months or so and tried again. Can’t sell. We are priced as low as we can afford too.

In this time we have seen 3 houses we loved and lost them all. Now I’ve stopped looking as houses are flying out the door and ours is stuck. Now there’s pretty much nothing to buy even if we did sell as we have dropped so low to sell we can’t afford to buy what we want.

Things that are putting people off are things we can’t change, downstairs bathroom and ex council mainly. The house is immaculate otherwise but we can’t afford to move bathrooms etc as we have barely any equity as it is.

We can’t stay here as we need to move for work and also our house is tiny, no garden space and there’s no room to extend anywhere so we can’t even make the best of a bad situation. We have no storage space, it’s a house designed for one person and there’s a family crushed into it, it’s suffocating.

I’m so fed up, it feels like it’s easy for everyone else but it’s been THREE YEARS since we originally decided to move and it’s driving me nuts.

I know there’s nothing can be done and it’s a very first world problem but I feel better getting it off my chest. Please someone give me some hope I won’t be stuck here forever

Next door sold last year for £113k, I just don’t get it!

Were you on at the same time? Have you asked new neighbours why they didn't buy yours? If the houses are the same, then there must be something in yours.
Sadly it looks like you paid too much for yours of it needed work. Decorating isn't a recoverable cost as everyone has to decorate.

Could you part exchange with a new build company?

If you've had 40 viewings then you've got past the difficult bit. There are two obvious problems it could be, it may be one or both of:

1 - there's something about the way it's being marketed that is making viewers think it's something it's not. They're arriving at the viewing with false expectations.

2 - there's genuinely something wrong with the house you're not seeing.

If next door sold last year, have you been able to find a copy of the brochure/details to see what it was that's different compared to your house?

Are you comfortable sharing the RightMove listing link?

Put the price up and change estate agent. Maybe you're priced too low and so people aren't viewing it as they assume there must be something wrong with it and that's why it is so cheap. You've literally got nothing to lose by putting it on for £115k.

With 4 pets the property will have a smell that you do not notice.
Try asking the agent/s to be honest about why they think the property is not selling.

If you're all crammed in, then maybe it looks cluttered?

Best way to make your house interior look saleable, is to repaint every room a neutral colour, maybe replace all carpets (As cheap as poss). Make it look a fresh, blank canvas. 're-gloss woodwork, freshen up all grouting, power wash patio/paving slabs outside. If kitchen needs updating then maybe even stretch to a respray?
No advice on other aspects of selling but thought I'd suggest it as I've seen it work many times....

As your neighbour why they bought next door and not your place?

But really posting the link will get you the best feedback

It’s so frustrating isn’t it? We’ve been in the same boat. We have lost out on three houses which we all fell in love with because we weren’t proceedable and cash buyers snapped them up.

After 2 years, we’ve now just accepted a good offer on our house and we’re going to rent for a bit so that we can jump on the right thing when it comes along.

Don’t give up - we were so fed up and about to take ours off the market when these buyers came along.

Post the link for feedback then ask MN to delete?
Can You honestly think of any differences between yours & next door?

If it's identical to next door in layout then you are clearly not seeing something that's obvious to everyone else. Having a downstairs bathroom isn't the end of the world. Loads of houses sell with downstairs bathrooms and potential viewers will be open-minded about that otherwise they wouldn't even bother to vote the house in the first place. I second what others are saying about posting a link. I do get what you're saying about it being outing but there's no way we can help you otherwise.

@IamtheDevilsAvocado

I'm finding this - the ones that need a good 40k spending on them are on for about 10k less than the immaculately done up ones.

Some are probate and some look like ex rentals. They sit on the market for ages, so assume the seller isn't desperate to sell.

This may be one of your issues OP - people might assume that you are holding out for asking price and have perhaps rejected reasonable offers, so just don't bother.

The downstairs bathroom can be a selling point:"look:visitors/workmen etc don't have to invade your bedroom space to use the loo!"What are viewers looking for,can your agent show how your house will work for them?Get the agents to do the viewings,it's their area of expertise- or should be!
De-clutter as pp's have said.It must look like a show home and be photographed like one.(put the loo lid down!No sign of pet bowls)Watch out for smell,not just pets,but avoid overwhelming room "fresheners".They are off putting and can raise concerns at what is being masked.
What feedback has your agent received from viewers?Ask every time.What are they doing to attract buyers for you?Are they marketing it actively?What interest is being shown on their website(clickthroughs for your place) What search price band is it falling in to,would a slight change bring it to a wider pool of searchers?
How long have you been with this current agent ,maybe it's time for a re-launch and change agent.If not,sit down with your agent and have a full review.
Negotiate with current/new agent:move it within x time frame and get x on top of commission.
There's a buyer out there:it just takes one.Good luck.

Thanks to you all!

New build part exchange is an option although the main reason we want to move is for garden space and they all seem to have postage stamps.

The house could have a dog smell, although I’ve asked lots of honest family and they all seem to think it dosent smell soggy. We don’t have carpets in the rooms the dogs live in, wash everything regularly. We don’t have dog beds/bowls lying around although it’s probably obvious to most that we do have a dog or two.

We were not on at the same time as next door. They have a bigger garden but other than that the layout isn’t much different. We are on the corner and they are in the middle so our drive is more difficult to get onto as it’s on an angle.

We’ve had lots of positive feedback but a fair few non procedable viewers and some that have clearly just come for a look. I feel like the house would be best suited to an older person being honest as it’s a very ‘elderly’ street if that can even be a thing, the other non owned houses are bungalows with elderly people but 90% of the viewers have been young couples. I suppose we just need to wait for the right person but it’s taking an age!

Why isn’t your house up for £115 if the next door neighbours sold for that.

Could you be too cheap? People thinking there is something wrong with it.

Presumably you NDN is ex LA and has a down stairs bathroom and has the same or very similar floor plan.

What sort of rent would you get.

Not necessarily for you renting but for an investor

I had a flat that kept falling through.

Spent 9 months having 3 FTBs getting to within days/hours of exchanging contracts and then they pulled out.

Stuck £20k on the price and it sold to an investor straight away

If you are all piled in a small house could that be putting people off.

Is there anyway you could de clutter and take virtually everything to a storage unit.
(Almost live out of the storage unit) having only a couple of outfits in the house for everyone, couple of pans, bare minimum plates and kitchen stuff, take wardrobes and chest of drawers etc to the storage unit so you have just a bed, a bedside table and a small chest of drawers or wardrobe in each room at the most

Toys apart from what will fit in the bedroom storage go to storage

Clear every surface, no ornaments, nothing left out, maybe one picture but not in every room.

If you are saying it is too small and you are all crammed in then this is what is coming across and it is making a small house seem even smaller

Ours took just over a year to sell, and I’m guessing we started in the same market as you as it’s just over 2 years since we moved.

If your decor isn’t neutral - it needs to be
But don’t make it sterile, a pop of colour, a plant, flowers
Kerb appeal - what does it look like outside, you’re selling a lifestyle not just a house.
What are your reasons for moving? Those will be what puts off buyers, so think how you can neutralise them
Like it or not, if it isn’t going part of it is price (add on Brexit, although it’s all meant to settle down now we’re ‘out’

If it’s too outing there must be something very distinctive which may be the root of your problem....

s it a 2 or 3 bed house?

Are bathrooms downstairs common in the area/other houses in the street?

With your update, I'm wondering it's there's something you're not seeing that is hindering you.

I know you say you're worried about being outed but honestly I've seen amazing threads where the poster posts their rightmove link and has had amazing, spot on advice. It's worth considering.

We were on for 115k originally but dropped after 6 months or so of no interest.

This time we marketed again at the lower price to hopefully sell quickly but it’s backfired as now we can’t really reduce much more.

It’s a 2 bedroom house.

I feel your pain, OP. Our house has been on the market for 18 months and we’ve reduced the price substantially, we’ve been chasing the market down to an extent during the Brexit period. Houses are moving very slowly round us, market almost dead.
it’s also difficult to get buyers through the door because our house is A/ not v. pretty outside and lacks “kerb appeal”.We have tarted up outside as much as possible but B/it’s a Tardis — much, much bigger than it looks.
EA emphasises this strongly in brochure etc but we think people drive past, have a gander and think No - plain house and quite small too. 😔
Sigh. We don’t dare to look at properties yet and have decided that if/when it sells we will rent for a bit and start looking then.
Ours is on at the same price or lower than comparative properties; I do not think it’s down to price. Ok, we could knock 100k off it and it may sell but that would be ridiculous - we’re already well below all the EA estimates and have been guided by them throughout.

All we can do is wait and hope that now that Brexit has happened people might be a little braver about house purchasing!
I don’t know what the answer is, OP. Wishing you luck too.

I’m in the same boat. It can drive you mad, wondering why.

I’ve asked two agents what I could do to improve (other than 20k of work) but they don’t want to engage on the subject.

Maybe ask a friend to go round the house and advise. Even just putting a few coats away can make the hall look much bigger, for example.

do you have gas ch & double glazing? What kind of kitchen do you have -& is your bath furniture white? Does any of your tiles have mould marks? While you need to declutter rooms still need to be presented right (competition I am afraid) so cushions on sofas & matching soft furnishing (which you will take with you) Are your rooms to dark & could your furniture be better positions to make it seem a bit bigger look at your neighbours house what did they do differently? Re smells - trouble is we cant smell our own houses - air your house before viewers come & use polish (not just to clean it gives a good smell) & put coffee on or bread maker - that should get rid of any doggy smell

& bloody Brexit has frozen market - it might be an idea to take house of the market & get fresh photos in a month or so - The market is tougher & so is the competition

If you don't want to post a link op, post pictures of it. Then we can see what the issue might be.

Why not try the estate agent next door used? They managed to sell it for more after all.

It’ll be the dog there’s literally no way the house doesn’t smell