House not selling (with listing)

[Houseadvice26]

Posted here for traffic. Thoughts welcome please!

Purchased for £360k in 2023
Heavily renovated
Reduced gradually from £495k last year
Now on with a new EA for £400k

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/165327158#/?channel=RES_BUY

Oh dear, you’ve massively devalued that house, it looks awful. In terms of what you can do to improve it a bit I’d say 1) get rid of the weeds, improve the kerb appeal with some planting, maybe a mature tree or some very large pots. 2) Do something about the back garden, take that terrible paving back up and lay a lawn or at least dress it as a seating / outdoor leasure area. 3) Take up the horrible dark grey carpets, dress the inside with some decent furniture to make it look like somewhere people could imagine living.

Although having seen the stairs in the old listing, you have improved on them and if all the wiring has been redone (new boiler and cental heating system too?) that is a positive for anyone looking at it. Things like that should be highlighted in the listing.

Exactly. It is usually younger folk - as I said in my post 30 to 40-ish. (Probably did the grey decor within the past 3-5 years.) I am gobsmacked that anyone exists who has never seen/known of someone with a house all GREY!

The first photo does it not favors just shows weeds and dirty brick maybe consider getting it power washed and add some flower pots and get rid of the weeds. The back garden also looks full of weeds. The whole house whilst has big windows feels very dark lots of black whichis a bit off putting dark carpets etc. The third photo mainly shows the back of a chair and is pointless and photo angles and lighting aren't great. As other posters have said either stage it or remove all the furniture it just feels awkward. In terms of the kitchen I dont think its too bad just get rid of the purple boxes etc shoved away and put our a vase and some bright colored flowers on the work surface. clear the what looks like canvases in the bedrooms and again try some flowers in a vase or if u can afford it lighter carpet
No photos of the back garden which I dont like for paying those prices id expect to be able to view the full house online including the garden. As others have said also no front door seems to be showing the side of the house and it feels dark in the outside rather than warm and welcoming

I thought we were talking about the bathroom suite!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tRN3ijeprdkBvVt4A

edit to add context: link for house on google maps. Not that I’m a professional stalker or anything 😬

Oh thank you. I did manage to find the street view.

wow it’s quite different!!

I do think the first view really lets it down. Needs brightening up, splashes of colour, love and photos and greenery!! And a garden of course.

It's not selling because it's on for too much money. It's always, always, always the price.

Any old shite will set at the right price.

You need the pull the weeds up at the front, they look awful.

Give it more curb appeal. Get rid of the weeds and put some lovely pots there instead. It’s not the time of year for many flowers but something like winter flowering pansies or primulas would work.

Try and put something inside to brighten the place up. Brightly coloured cushions on the bed, the chair or anywhere else and some brightly coloured rugs. Anything to make it look more homely.

But you haven't and you also haven't done 'Heavy renovations' you have redecorated, maybe changed the staircase and for some unknown reason put a bloody big bathroom downstairs instead of really doing a reno and changing interior walls etc.
Sorry OP but it is now ugly, you'd have been better just decorating and banging it out, we do many renovations, for ourselves and for many other people and this little work was never going to produce £££ in a flat property market.
Also were are the photo's of the garden?

Yup. And in this case they’ve spent money making it look worse, destroying the front and back gardens, removing half the kitchen, making it look older than it is by painting it a hideous green colour and whacking 150k on for the privilege.

It needs properly staging. I can see it looking amazing with the right staging.
two details:
the outside needs weeding and kerb appeal
replace the kitchen handles. It looks like you did everything else but then couldn’t be bothered to finish the kitchen well to be honest..

I can see it has potential but the photos and lack of staging are costing you hugely!

Is the back garden full of weeds as well? Where’s the grass gone? Why’s that fence just broken and falling down?
Get the weeds sorted front and back, mend the fence, tidy up the front. You may hate plants by the looks of things, but the front aspect could be seriously improved by some pots and greenery!

I don’t think it’s the price in this case although Zoopla reckons it’s lost £59k in value since last year. It’s totally unsuitable for its biggest market, ie older buyers looking to downsize and future proof.

Yes it’s changed a lot but these photos are MUCH better and the garden and outside look much nicer on those than the more recent ones.
The kitchen is also very small too for a 4 bed house - I’d be looking to take some of the living space to extend it and have a breakfast seating area perhaps?

also I agree with people who said it could do with dressing and some accessories it looks really bland which is a shame as it’s a nice house.

Unlike most others, I love the house on the inside and would buy it. BUT it's ex council, isn't it? And I assume it's surrounded by LA authority housing. Which would put me right off unfortunately.

Edited to say I've looked now at the CORRECT street view (provided by another poster).

I'd say it's the incorrect street view putting others off. If I lived there, I'd buy it. No, I don't like all the grey/black. But that's just a bit of paint.

Not sure what you can do with even the constructive feedback in this thread, as sadly 'insta worthiness' has made the house look bizarre and has stripped it off all charm and character. Haven't read the full thread but also it's unclear if there's a garden at all, but I'm guessing even if there is one it'll have been paved over or astro turfed or something 😕 Honestly I feel for you as it seems likely you'll really really struggle to sell, although I suppose bizarrely laid out houses do eventually sell. Change the 'cover' photo and hope for the best? Reduce further? Have you had any viewings or offers?

The garden has been covered with some awful black thing. Ready to be made into a gravel cat litter tray for the local cats presumably

This.
And "Never listen to EAs particularly in small provincial firms - they are clueless."
But as someone said op has disappeared - so many people pointing out the same mistakes - but she did ask for opinions.
She'll have to think where to go from here - maybe sell cheaply and learn from experience. Sorry op (if they're still reading).

Most definitely not ex-LA. Actually a desirable location.

I don’t think you need to ‘dress’ the house with furniture.

It looks to be done to a high standard and surely to god people have enough intelligence to know how to make it into a home.

I like the paved area (practical), BUT you need to keep it totally weed free.

Good luck, I’m sure it will sell soon 💐

I don’t for a moment think this is your / your ‘hubbys’ project OP, but just in case it is:

• shocking photos, get them re done. With a new EA preferably you’ve been woefully ill advised
• repaint throughout. Grey is passé now as PPs said you are confused in terms of your tonal palette throughout and it jars
• restage with real furniture, show like you care, people need help visualising room use
• Bathroom looks badly done, it would put me off (what else have you done badly)
• you have a cheek painting the kitchen units and calling this a renovation! The green is hideous and such a weird out of keeping choice
• front needs attention, the black is too stark for mid century and bring plants back in to soften it. Pots will do.
• lay a lawn in rear as per all PPs

you need to adjust your expectations on what you will realise for this house. It won’t get £400k, never. If you realise what you paid in 2023 plus you costs, I’d be surprised.

Out of you and hubby, who is the Homes under the Hammer fan, and how many episodes were watched? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

on HUTH this would be a "before" not an "after"

I hate to pile on, but the photos look a bit like crime scene cleaners have been in and stripped it bare…there’s no one living there I assume? Because it’s so so empty. It could almost be a bachelor pad.
The kitchen is a horrible colour, I am actively looking at buying right now and kitchens are my number 1 thing - you seem to have acres of space but nothing using it? That’s really confusing.

It’s criminal what you’ve done to the front of that house, removed every ounce of kerb appeal and character. The back garden was once beautiful too. The Reno is basic and we’re so over grey. I’d start by changing the front to a natural wood from black and get some greenery outside and furniture. Bet the residents of that street love you.