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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

House still on market over 2 years later

293 replies

lonelysadfedup · 07/10/2024 15:33

Hi our house has been up for sale for 2 years and 3 months. We had lots of viewings, no offers. My husband then reduced the price this year, more viewings and still no offers.
My name isn’t on the mortgage and deeds due to my bad credit rating.

mortgage in principle ran out ages ago so we don’t know how much my husband would be able to get a mortgage for and how much a month it would be. We have equity in this house. 22 year mortgage with 14 years left.

I’ve made different suggestions to my husband such as listing it as a 4 bed rather than a five with the bedrooms not been big. I’ve suggested decluttering to see if that helps. I’ve suggested going with a different estate agent and lowering the price. Then today I’ve tried to talk to him about it. Mentioned lowering the price and he just dismissed it.

im fed up of it all now and it’s not fair on our children. I’m now at a lost as what to do

OP posts:
Original poster
lonelysadfedup · 07/10/2024 16:40

Which rooms do you think are cluttered. I know uitlity is. I actually don’t like clutter especially as living with a parent growing up who didn’t like to throw things out or get rid

OP posts:
redboxer321 · 07/10/2024 16:41

Few things you can do to the house:
Massive de-clutter - rent a storage unit if necessary
Paint all rooms a neutral colour
Possibly paint the kitchen cupboards a lighter colour.
Take it off the market, re-list it in early spring and at a reduced price.

But your main problem is your DH. Agent should be doing the viewings, not the owner. I have to agree he does sound pretty controlling too and possibly doesn't want the bother of moving.

lonelysadfedup · 07/10/2024 16:41

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

SoupDragon · 07/10/2024 16:42

Bedroom 5 is not big enough to be a bedroom. I think this will have put off people looking for a 5 bedroom house.

Nafd · 07/10/2024 16:42

If it makes you feel any better, my house has been on the market since March 2022 and has "sold" a number of times, but the chains have broken (upwards and downward) 10 times now. Never my direct buyer pulling out, always lower in chain or higher in chain selling whilst we were trying to re-sell.

So maybe the market just isn't in a great place right now?

Original poster
lonelysadfedup · 07/10/2024 16:42

Bathrooms and kitchen work but I think they need updating

OP posts:
VivaLaSpag · 07/10/2024 16:43

You gotta get some dimensions on that floor plan-not having dimensions immediately puts me off because I assume that the rooms are small so I would just carry on scrolling.

Oblomov24 · 07/10/2024 16:43

It just needs a good declutter and a clean. Even then it's not too bad and most people can see past this, so it must just be the price.

GettingStuffed · 07/10/2024 16:44

We're in the process of buying a 5 bed and TBH yours isn't particularly big. We're also selling our house as a 4-5 as one room is only available through another so this is listed as a wask in wardrobe/ office/ nursery.

It does look as if there isn't enough storage too. Dump some of the kids toys in the garage and park the car close so the door can't be opened.

Oblomov24 · 07/10/2024 16:45

Plus the bedrooms need proper beds in them, rather than just desks. And the green sheet in the child's bed hiding the toys, could be got rid of and just put a child's bed there. But all that is just nitpicking.

loulouljh · 07/10/2024 16:46

A massive tidy up...the utility room for example looks like there is no storage as there are bottles everywhere! I would take it off for now and relist with better pictures in the Spring..

ComtesseDeSpair · 07/10/2024 16:46

There are no room sizes on the floor plan - it’s likely that people are coming to view without realising how small some of the rooms are and then it being a let down when they view. Get the agent to add measurements. They might be in the description, but you want them on the plan too.

It looks quite unloved and could definitely do with a good clear out and tidy, and probably a coat of paint. If people are arriving and immediately totting up how much work and money they’d need to put in to make it more liveable, that’s putting you at a disadvantage considering there are properties in better condition in the same price bracket.

redboxer321 · 07/10/2024 16:47

Also I think buyers might think you aren't motivated to move. If you can't find time to present a property properly, how are you going to get it together to actually move? I understand you have health problems @lonelysadfedup so definitely not having a go. Just thinking as a buyer. I didn't offer on one I saw the other day for that exact reason.

Hayley1256 · 07/10/2024 16:47

Those are really bad photos - did an estate agent take them? The picture of the kitchen is especially bad as it only shows a little bit of counter space. The floor plan clearly shows 5 bedroom but I would probably label the 5th as a bedroom/office. I would also declutter the garden. If I was buying I would be worried about all the garden stuff been left. Get nice storage baskets etc for the stuff in the utility room

Original poster
lonelysadfedup · 07/10/2024 16:48

Thank you everyone for your comments. I agree with posters who say my husband isn’t working with me. I’ve suggested letting the ea do the viewings.

OP posts:
LemonyCoughSyrup · 07/10/2024 16:48

It’s not that bad OP! Just get some nice storage boxes, wicker or with lids for the utility or put shelving up. But it’s really not that bad. I think maybe the price is also an issue?

Is your husband subconsciously sabotaging viewings? Just as he’s doing the viewings

BarbadosItsCloserThanYouThink · 07/10/2024 16:48

You need to declutter and get your photos redone. Picture 3 in particular serves no purpose but to put people off. You need a nice picture of the garden clear and tidy with the pool down. Its a nice house, the presentation of it is not great though.

MugPlate · 07/10/2024 16:49

Did the agent just use an iphone for those photos?
People can obvs see past them as they've bothered to come for viewings, so what has the feedback been?

Ozanj · 07/10/2024 16:49

This reply has been deleted

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

It’s too small for a 5 bed. It looks too small for a 4 bed too. Do you have 4 double rooms? If not then you will struggle in the area. For 290k you can get some amazing houses there - eg for 299k there’s a much larger 4 bed detached on the market.

LemonyCoughSyrup · 07/10/2024 16:49

Agree with others about the photos! And get a new EA

OnePeachCrow · 07/10/2024 16:51

It's too cluttered and the photos are awful. It's almost as if the estate agent didn't want the house to sell. They have even managed to make the garden look small and cluttered.

Take it off the market for a few months and declutter, then get a new estate agent,

AegonT · 07/10/2024 16:51

Some photos look cluttered and might be worth shifting the stuff and re-doing. However I would want to do no work when buying and even I can see past the clutter here. Have you looked and compared prices with similar properties that have sold in the area?

Original poster
lonelysadfedup · 07/10/2024 16:51

They used a photographer. Looking at the pictures, I agree they don’t look nice

OP posts:
ChampaignSupernova · 07/10/2024 16:52

The photos are not great. The one of the washing machine/toilet makes me assume the bathroom is so tiny he couldn't get in to photo. Which is fine if its downstairs but then just don't photograph it. The conservatory looks cluttered with the huge toys. The photo of the plastic draws filled with stuff adds nothing of value but makes me assume it's a tiny storage room

Octavia64 · 07/10/2024 16:52

Ok, so looking at your village:

There's a fair few houses up for sale.

Yours is technically a five bed but without measurements on the plan I can't tell how big the fifth bedroom is and it looks small.

You've got a lot of competition - this is only 10k more (although a 4 bed) and the photos are so much nicer etc.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/139055486

Also most of the houses around your price mark have got reduced on them, which suggests none of them are selling,

There's also a 4 bed semi which doesn't look as nice for 230, so it has repainting etc priced in.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151300379

Your house isn't key turn ready (at least by the photos) and there's a much cheaper 4 bed also in the village.

I suspect lack of demand plus price.