AIBU to wonder why our fairly priced new-build house is not selling?

[Housesellinghelp]

We have a 5 year old ‘new build’ is a very mumsnet ‘naice’ area in the catchment area for some of the best state schools in the UK. A big 4 bed with four bathrooms, decorated very neutral and fairly high end - it’s definitely a nicer than usual new build. Garden isn’t overlooked, triple driveway, neighbours are staggered so not cramped. Three large doubles and a single bedroom (that could get in a double at a push).

We had our house valued by 3 separate agents. All valued the house between £675-£700k. We listed at £675 as we’d like a fairly fast sale. That was 8 weeks ago. 4 weeks ago we reduced to £649k as we’d had 8 viewings and no offers, and we’ve since had a further 2 viewings but that’s it.

I’ve looked at houses for sale in the area and also houses that have recently sold. We aren’t priced above what seems average. We had our house for sale a couple of years ago very briefly and received an offer for £690k but we changed our minds and pulled out of the sale.

The estate agents have no feedback for us either. They say nobody looks around and criticises anything. The only after viewing feedback we’ve had is that a couple of viewers wanted something a bit bigger/a 5 bed.

Any ideas as to why the house isn’t selling?!

@Housesellinghelp You need to name change and put the link up on a new separate thread. Then you will get specific advice.

There is probably nothing wrong with your house.
I think the estate agents have given you unrealistic expectations of how much to expect. This is happening a lot. You managed to nearly sell in 2022 at market peak. It's clearly not worth that now that the market has fallen. The Iran war has caused a big rise in interest rates and is speeding us into an even worse recession than we were in line for anyway.
How desperate are you to move? How much of a positive thing would it be for sure family? If you are really keen to move, perhaps wait for another 2-4 weeks and then consider a further reduction if no offers. The positive thing is that the larger/more expensive house that you want is also likely to have dropped and probably by more.

In that case I would hold fire if you can.

Are you on three floors? 1700sq feet is a good size but not enormous. Perhaps two sets of stairs take up a lot of room plus the bathrooms and the house doesn't feel big inside?

Unfortunately you can't do anything about this.

If you did put a link you are opening up the house to a huge potential audience. Just saying.

It sounds like it is with a load of other houses, so with near neighbours and no privacy but without the benefits of a town or countryside and a bit soulless. I occasionally drive through an area like this and wonder what it would be like to wfh home in one of these. There is nothing of interest around the houses. There is no town, no shops, no nature, no public transport.

Is it near a busy road? Is it a long way from a station or a good town?

Broadly agree, but also thanks to the birth bust families with the youngest children may not need to worry as much about catchments. And of course, there are fewer of them than there used to be. Over a 15% drop in births between 2012 and 2024.

Because its not a first time buy and its an uncertain and expensive time to move up the ladder.

The war is impacting mortgage prices, cost of living is expensive, costs of actually moving are high and that'd before you get to the glut of ex-rentals coming to market as a result of Renters Reform.

In addition, if I was looking to spend that much, I'd be looking for a rural property with more space rather than a new build (not a slur, I love a new build and I'm sure it's priced well for the area, but my point is that my property search changes at those figures)

New builds depreciate in value over the first few years by 10-20%, due to losing the ‘new build premium’. They will regain this over time and appreciate in the long term, but since you’re only 7 years in, I would expect it to be closer to what you paid.

I don’t think it’s true that houses in general have depreciated since 2022 – we bought in 2022 for £795k and sold in 2025 for £885k. But that’s a period property that will always appreciate.

I suspect you’re facing new build premium lost + buying at peak + current terrible economy.

I hope you get an offer soon. There will be someone that wants your lovely home. You jus have to wait for them.

Is any of it open plan? Do you have a separate living room?

Exactly. And houses that sold in December or January did so in a different world. But that's also going to be true of the sort of property OP wants to buy.

Completely agree with the other comments. We were considering moving and looked at a few houses, but with the current uncertainty and not knowing how high mortgage rates are going to go, we’ve shelved the idea completely for now

And not aimed at you OP but this is the reality of "making houses more affordable". In the current climate, it means people won't sell at the price rhey expected and will.yherefore be stuck where they are. Unless its too expensive because someone has lost their job and they need a rapid sale.

House builders are facing rising costs so "more affordable housing" simply means existing owners pricing lower because they desperately need to sell.

Yes. In all honesty, it sounds like a lovely home, so many positives. However, she's moving for a reason, which she may or may not share with us.
I suspect a variety of reasons, but unless we see the house and understand the location, it's a bit tricky to give advice.

Are there lots of new "new" builds around? I think pay a premium for a new build to get it tailored to what they want. A second hand "new" build isn't really the same.

“…….a house slightly bigger than ours sold for £750k a year ago…….” You post @Housesellinghelp
That was then. This is now.
We are living through uncertain times and the energy crisis caused by the US attacks on Iran is impacting. The cost of everything has gone up and will continue to rise.
People are hunkering down I would say. Probably only buying if absolutely necessary. Yours is not a standard first time buyers style house.

It's always the price and the market.

Your house might be priced about right, but if potentially buyers can't sell their house for the right price, or get a mortgage for the right rate, your pool of buyers reduces.

Prices are stagnanting at the top end, so downsizers may be waiting it out, so that market is reduced.

My sister is looking at new builds and there are offering good deals which reflects the market as a whole. Also, people may be willing to travel further for a good deal on a new build than pay more in their desired area.

Post the link, respectfully. You can't ask why your house isn't selling and then give no one an opportunity to tell you.

There might genuinely be things on the listing that you're blind to.

Warwickshire border.

But the name housesellinghelp was probably one made up for this thread so doesn’t link to any other thread anyway.

We tried to sell a large 2 bedroom flat (£300k) in a desirable area in the south east in September last year. Nobody even looked at for three months. We then decided to put it up for rent with a letting agent at the market rate as we needed to move. We had 4 viewers the next day and one of them secured it the day after. In our case it wasn’t that the flat wasn’t attractive enough, or that the price was unfair, it was just that there is very little demand at the moment. Similar flats at the same price point are still on the market 6 months later and many of them have been reduced but still aren’t shifting.

Yeah, I thought this. A lot of new builds are tall and thin on small plot. Lots of bedrooms with tiny en suites but not enough living space for that number of occupants.

Yes, that's a good point.

Is it the size of the garden? I’ve been looking at new builds a similar sounding size to yours and I’ve been constantly disappointed by the corresponding garden size. They’re always far too small for the size of the house. With two small children I want a decent garden.

It's always the price.

The question about have a downstairs loo or open plan or garden size or an en suite are irrelevant - the house is what it is and you should be suddenly trying to fit in an extra loo in the hope of getting your asking price.

If doesn't matter what a house sold for in December. It doesn't matter that the area you want to buy in is not getting cheaper (although I would guess that prices are stagnating in the last six weeks everywhere, thanks Donald). It is just the price now for the buyers are available and willing to buy now that matters.

If you are getting no offers at or around your asking price, your asking price is too high

That's it.

You need to recalibrate your expectations and onward move (although again you might find that prices are recalibrating above as well so the 5 bed you want to buy is not worth what it was last year)

Yes this is a v important point. We’re in catchment for a highly sought after secondary where usually only those who lived extremely close to the school would get in, but that area has been widening in the last couple of years due to declining birth rates.