House not selling?!

[carolinep3]

We put our house on the market a few weeks ago, had a few viewings to start with but that has been it. we have had over 3,000 views on right move but no more viewings for a while now.
We have already reduced the price by 10k, and based on the properties of similar size etc in the area it seems to be priced right?
I had it valued by a few estate agents and it is now priced lower than a few valued.
I feel like the photo and advert is good? but just no-one seems to be interested.
I don't know what more i can do?

My ExPil live in a similar house where the garage has been converted although they use it as a 2nd reception room not a bedroom.

It's a difficult one because that room won't be big enough to function as a lounge but a lot of people don't like having their lounge and kitchen on different floors - my exMIL has spent 20 odd years constantly running up and down stairs. It's especially hard when children are little because you can't, say, park them in front of the tv while you cook dinner, because you're on a completely different floor.

So I think town houses are a harder 'sell' than a more conventional layout.

I also think that the pic of the wardrobe room will confuse people. When I saw it my first thought was 'wow what an amazing walk in wardrobe' then I looked for it on the plan and realised it was a bedroom. And as a buyer I would have thought how much hassle it would be to take it all down to use the room as a bedroom. But you're taking it all with you so is there any point in a photo of it? Are the wardrobes on all walls? If you could take a photo of the room without all the wardrobes on show that would help I think.

And yes I agree the outside is a bit drab. However round here houses are selling quickly despite many more imperfections - the key as ever is price. Honestly I think if a house without the garage conversion is 320, then yours can't be more than 340. Sorry, that's probably not what you want to hear.

Actually, looking at the pics again the converted garage is the dining room. So this 4 double bedroom house only has 1 actual bed in it!

Whatever the estate agent says it isn’t a four-bedroom house. It is a three-bedroom house with a converted garage which you are using as a dining room. You might just about get away with it if you were using the garage as a bedroom, but calling it a bedroom at the moment is like doing a loft conversion and describing it as an extra reception room. I think your house is beautifully presented inside, but I think what people see - having presumably entered search criteria for a four-bed - is two bedrooms and one that has been given over to storage (suggesting there is not enough room for storage if configured in the usual way). If you want to market it as a four-bed you need to persuade viewers that it can function perfectly as four-bed by faking it for the photos and for viewings. I still think there are people who wouldn’t want a downstairs bedroom next to the kitchen with no access to a bathroom which is why people are suggesting you market it as a three-bed and leaving the dining room as you have it which makes more sense.

It's the ground floor bedroom. A lot of people looking for 4 bedroom will
Not want a bedroom on the ground floor. So market it as a 3 bedroom potential 4 bed/ 3 bed with office. People looking for a 3 bed will then see it as a potential bonus extra bedroom. The current ground floor bedroom should be presented as a dining room/ additional sitting room. This Would be the same layout as my house. There's 3 storey houses in my estate where 4th bedroom is downstairs and quite frankly they are overpriced for having a bedroom on the ground floor and no one quite gets the ground floor bedroom layout.

When I was buying last year, I wouldn't view any house on the market with companies like Purple Bricks. I learnt very quickly that they are impossible to deal with. Try calling them yourself to set up a viewing and see how it goes.

So, unless it was my dream home, I'd just swipe on past a house on the market with them.

As well as all the totally valid advice above, in your shoes, I'd go with another, local, estate agent.

The current ground floor bedroom should be presented as a dining room

It already is. But is being described as a bedroom.

By which token the gym and office we built onto our property is another 2 bedrooms, and the double garage could be another 2, we could fit a bed in the kitchen diner and another in the living room so I live in a 10 bedroom house with 3 actual beds.

A similar 3 bed (same layout) on the same street sold 10 months ago for £325 k and you’re asking for OVER £360 k?

It’s over priced. Plain and simple.

You need to remember, unfortunately your house isn’t worth what an EA says it’s worth. It’s worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Oh I didn't realise it had a converted garage and that was the current dining room. I thought that was the original build.

So that means originally it was kitchen downstairs. Lounge upstairs and three bed?

My immediate thoughts: the front door shot makes it unclear which house is for sale, and could look brighter / cheerier (hanging basket?) The garden lets the house down, I’d try and cheer it up with some flowers (pots you can take with you?) and improve the lawn. I think a lot of buyers would be put off by the prospect of a lot of decorating, if the current paint/paper is not to their taste. You could look to tone down with a few coats of magnolia. I think the dining room looks dark and very small - might just need a new photo or it may need the furniture rearranging

The pictures are really poor- the 1st shot of the house is on an angle- not sure which house is for sale. The bathroom pictures are also really unclear and you cant see the bath. Agin with the kitchen- is their room for a table? is there a window in the kitchen? Does it have a view?

You could probably make the toilet into an ensuite by moving doors but then there is no toilet on the ground floor.

Is there access at the bottom of the garden by the shed?

Oh and the pictures make it look like a flat roof?

Paint the lounge a neutral colour.

The lawn can be saved- no need to re-turf. Get some lawn restorer/greener and put it on now. Evergreen or similar

As you have the bathroom above you could take a slice off the dining room to make a downstairs loo - it would be very easy as the main bathroom loo is just above it- so you could go into the same pipes.

You could then make the current loo into a full ensuite for the master by losing the corridor . If you are not moving that would probably be worthwhile.

Is the storage off the bathroom full height? You could again put a shower in off the largest bathroom or a loo

If you really want to sell it quickly I would:
Try and give it a bit more kerb appeal outside - hanging basket, couple of pots and green up the lawn as suggested above. Perhaps put a table and chairs out in the sun on photos.
Your kitchen is great.
Nursery is great.
Try and think about the walk in wardrobe. Perhaps the estate agent needs to state it 'Vendor has set up large double becroom as walk in wardrobe. Please note this furniture is portable and will be going with vendor. Room will be restored to bedroom' I must admit I looked at it and thought about the faff of removing all of that and what state the walls would be in when I had.
I would declutter the living room- take the toys and child's table out for the photos and perhaps take out the end section of that large sofa unit and get someone to store it for you. It would open the room up
In the main bedroom, I would move the bed room against the window to against the floral papered wall. If you have it against the window it suggests thete isn't room to put it anywhere else and there is. Again it will open the room up.
Show the space you have off by decluttering anything you can.
House buyers are funny creatures and if they don't see it in front of their nose, they often can't imagine it and move on.
Good luck OP.

May be going against popular opinion here but...

The one on at 320k is crap compared to yours, it would cost a lot more than 10k to get that to a comparable standard as yours (I'm a fussy cow but think yours is actually really nice!), so whilst unfortunate it's on at the same time I'd still reckon yours was 20k over that easily.

After the initial faff of registration with PB (my fault for phoning, I should have done it online) I actually quite liked the updates etc and the local agent in our area (less than 10 miles from you so could be same guy) was the most reasonable EA we've seen in a long time so they don't put me off.
I would agree I'd advertise as a 3 bed 2 receptions rather than a 4 bed.

I'd say your price should be around 345k but to be honest being only a few miles over from you I'd say the bigger issue is no houses around 350k + seem to be selling - plenty of drops from 375 down atm and still available. That I don't know how you get around if the market is fundamentally comatose!

Those not local won't see that the massive increases over the last 5 years are mostly the Crossrail effect - it's standard over the whole area (frustrating AF for those of us not on the ladder at the point) and has been trumpeted by every EA on every advert!

No need to be offended op. We are just normal people, many of us have been house hunters and we are only saying what the people who are failing to view/buy your house are thinking. We aren't slating your house just saying what you need to hear. You can choose not to listen but that won't make the house sell.

It’s the walk in wardrobe.

At this price range it’s simply not relevant to the vast majority of your market. The walk in wardrobe is fab but belongs in a mock Tudor 2.5 million pound house. Not a

That walk in wardrobe is a standing wardrobe?

I’m that case, dismantle!!

I think the walk in wardrobe really should go - especially if it is flat packed and going anyway

Wardrobe room looks sort of lovely but only in a house with much bigger floor area and loads more storage elsewhere

Most people will think there isn't any space for any clothes to be put in any of the "bedrooms"

I also think it should be a 3 bed as it is only a 2 bed with a wardrobe and dining room

Agree about the downstairs toilet if you are calling your dining room a bedroom

Are you selling due to lack of a 3rd bedroom?

Is there room to turn your bed round backing into the flowery wall?

Please weed the driveway and put a pot with flowers in outside, it wouldn't cost very much but it would show you cared about the house IMHO

I know you are being very brave putting your house on MN and asking why it isn't selling but the opinions of fellow MNetters are the same sort of opinions that the prospective buyers are thinking

I have asked the estate agents about marketing as a 3 bedroom but they have advised against it at the moment, when we brought the house it was marketed as a 4 bedroom.
And this is what gives estate agents a bad name. They can advise you to market the hkuse as a 4 bed but it clearly isn't and unless I'm mistaken the ground floor "bedroom" is the one with a dining table in it. Far better to market it honestly. Nobody is going to believe that room next to the kitchen is a bedroom.

Our last house was a very similar layout to yours, new build, end of three townhouses. Our front room downstairs was marketed as 'study/bedroom 4'.....what was interesting was that as we met the neighbours some used it as a study, some as a (rather) small dining room, some like us used it as a playroom. Had we stayed there it would have become a bedroom for our eldest DS (but we only had two kids then, not the three we have there). So, in my experience, your current dining room shouldn't be advertised as a fourth bedroom but you could get away with dining or reception room/bedroom 4.
I agree with other posters that if you're going to take the wardrobes with you then if you don't want to remove all of them, at least remove enough to be able to put a bed in there. I know the tv shows say people can 'see the potential' but actually, they probably won't.
Apart from that just think about kerb appeal and keeping it spotlessly clean and tidy for viewings (that's the worst bit of selling a house I think), and remember that ultimately it's not up to the estate agent to tell you what to do, you're paying them! If you want new pictures or new details tell them.

I think most things have been covered. It’s not a 4 bedroom, it’s over priced - one sold for £325 and one on for £320.

Get rid of the wardrobe and make it a bedroom again most Brit’s have no vision and only see what’s in front of them and not what could be.

It’s amazing the markets Jumped that much on five years. Prices here are similar to their 2012 levels current and not back at 07/08 yet but getting there.

It looks as if one similar to yours (or is it yours?) sold in 2013 for £225k - have house prices really gone up so much in 5 years - shakes head in disbelief - I bought my cottage in 2010 and if I am lucky it may sell for 10% more this year. Not anywhere near London though.
but that is not the point - at the end of the day if a house is described as 4 beds I would expect 4 bedrooms ( I think your EA is rubbish TBH)