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Original poster

Trying to sell - totally fed up!

136 replies

Gabity · 03/01/2011 23:40

We have had our house on the market now for 7 months. We are desperate to move. DH bought the house 3 years ago on a whim Hmm just before we met. We are now married complete with baby and dog. We are looking to move to the country side beside my parents and are so fed up waiting.

Please please, can you have a look at link to house and tell me what you think? Be brutal and honest. We will do/change anything if you think it will make a difference?

Had 4 viewers in 7 months and not a sniff of an offer. Obviously can't do anything about the area, its not great, but is okay. Quiet and excellent schools/parks/shops/train station close by.

As you can see we are now 20k below home report value and really can't afford to go any lower.

our house

OP posts:
Original poster
Gabity · 04/01/2011 16:48

Yes, will do that when we take more pics nymph I can see that now. The bedrooms are actually all a decent size, certainly room for a double bed in them all. Both our beds are king size which doesn't help!

Would all these little things really stop you going to see a house though? We have found houses so different when we see them in real life compared to advertising pics? We have a very limited seach area though so have been to see everything that has come on the market in it.

Forgot to say that house is also being advertised as chain free which is surely a draw to buyers?

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nymphadora · 04/01/2011 16:53

First impressions & all that!

lalalonglegs · 04/01/2011 17:29

I really don't think the photos would stop anyone viewing - as I said, they're not great but there's nothing offensive about them. I would wonder how big the garden is since you can't see from the photo and there's no length specified in the details.

You can set reserves in auctions and since your report values it at 105k, 85k seems reasonable. They vary from auction house to auction house but generally terms are about 1-1.5% of sale price plus, sometimes, a fee for insertion in the catalogue. Generally it is 4 weeks between hammer fall (which is exchange) and completion but, as you still live there, you could specify a longer period of, say, two months to get yourselves sorted. You open the house for viewngs perhaps 4 or 5 times for half an hour each time before the auction (specified times and days). You'd have to find out if you needed a new homebuyer's report - whenever I've viewed at auction, all the information has been well out of date or missing.

Original poster
Gabity · 04/01/2011 18:07

Going to look into that tonight lala thanks. I still wonder if it would get any interest though? The estate agent had an open weekend in September, was so well publisised, basically you could go and look round any of their houses without making an appointment and we had no one turn up.

Pretty sure its more than 1% we have to pay the estate agent so sounds like a good option.

My gran sadly passed away a few months ago and her house is sitting empty, the plan is to move in there if we ever do sell before looking for something ourselves (or possibly buying and extending her house) so we can be out our house in no time. I would be itching to get moving asap!

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dizzeelizzee · 04/01/2011 18:10

Really interesting! Ours has been on 10 months, I might put a link to ours and ask for comments!

I would say more photos, spruce up outside, and the bedrooms look quite cluttered.

Other than that I think it looks nice!

Best of luck x

dizzeelizzee · 04/01/2011 18:11

Just to add I would also like to see more of the bathroom x

Original poster
Gabity · 04/01/2011 18:15

10 months oh dizzee have you had many viewers?

Its total crap isn't it?

OP posts:
NellieForbush · 04/01/2011 18:16

Is the agent giving you feedback from the viewers that you have had? A good agent should be doing that. If not insist they do in future and chase them after a viewing if they don't.

dizzeelizzee · 04/01/2011 18:18

1 viewer in 10 months!!!

We have a crap estate agent though, who admitted the agent in charge of our house was sacked for incompetence!!

This is us... www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-15166725.html?premiumA=true

Any thoughts???

Original poster
Gabity · 04/01/2011 18:22

Yes we have had feedback from them all:

Viewer 1: Loved the house, but had one child and one on the way and didn't think the garden was big enough.

Viewer 2: Loved the house, was hoping to rent out her flat and buy the house. Realised that when she properly enquired about it that it isn't as easy as it used to be to get a mortgage when your renting out another property. I see her flat is on the market now so you never know.

Viewer 3: Seemed quite interested, said they were impressed by the house then disapeared never to be heard from again.

Viewer 4: Liked the house, but weren't really in a position to put in an offer at the moment Hmm

And thats that. Last viewer was in September when I think house was on the market for offers over 95k. Then it was reduced to offers around 90k and now 85k.

OP posts:
nymphadora · 04/01/2011 18:32

Nothing stands out dizzee

lalalonglegs · 04/01/2011 18:40

Hi dizzee

I think the garage doors need work, the garden looks a bit scruffy and the bedroom with the mirrored wardrobe looks very narrow, could you swap one of the single beds into that room and put the double bed elsewhere? Flat roof may put some people off on extension. Kitchen looks great, living room maybe needs focus taking off TV unit a bit, bathroom perhaps paint paneling and find somewhere to put all the gubbins in the holder under the shower.

But like Gabity, there's nothing really wrong with it apart from garage doors and a quick tidy of garden.

lalalonglegs · 04/01/2011 18:44

Gabity

Is the economy really slowing down for you locally? Could you investigate possibility of letting it out and taking on your grandma's house (sorry for your loss) until the market picks up?

auntyfash · 04/01/2011 18:47

dizzeelizzee, your house looks very familiar! I'm sure I've seen that link somewhere before. Nice house, especially the colour on the kitchen wall. It's cheap too for a 4 bed semi!

Gabity, I can't believe your house hasn't been snatched up for that price! I do think that inside looks absolutely fine, but the outside does look a little grey and jaded.

Original poster
Gabity · 04/01/2011 18:52

I think there would be a great chance of us letting this place out but DH is dead against it. Says it too risky and he is probably right. Plus we want to settle down together and buy our 'forever' house, not be worrying about this place.

There would will be a whole other thread to come if we do sell, trying to decide what to do. We could buy my Grans house for next to nothing, but it is small, but could be extended and it is in the right location. Anyway, gave up thinking about that for now. Sad

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auntyfash · 04/01/2011 18:55

Hopefully once spring is here the property market will pick up.

dizzeelizzee · 04/01/2011 20:10

Aunty fash are you a bmcer?? Wink

Thanks for the comments! It is helpful to see things from a fresh pair of eyes.

MummieHunnie · 05/01/2011 04:45

The Scottish house external walls need painting, and pictures of front need to be added. It is lovely, I think once things pick up it will be snapped up. I would ask for new photo's.

The Sheffield house, the garage door needs painting. The child's name needs to come off the wall. It is also a lovely house, again once you have painted the garage door, get new photo's.

Restrainedrabbit · 05/01/2011 04:59

One thing that I've noticed is that the written text fdoesnt mention the garden?! that would put me off as a potential viewer.

Original poster
Gabity · 05/01/2011 10:13

Never noticed that rabbit thanks. Also to the front of the house is a large grassy area shared with all the houses. Its totally enclosed by houses except for a footpath leading to the backs of the properties so its ideal for the kids to play out in the summer as they are visible from all the houses and no danger of traffic. Probably worth mentioning too?

Thanks all for the comments and hope you get some good news soon Dizzee

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awubble · 05/01/2011 14:12

Have a look at the prices for your street,

www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detail.html?outcode=G72&incode=&streetName=Teviot+Place&locality=Cambuslang&country=scotland&buildType=1&propertyType=3&yearSelection=7&columnToSort=DEED_DATE&sortOrder=ascending&summaryIndex=825

Between 28K and 110K in the last 4 years, and yours at £56K in 2004. Any reason for sucha variance ?

If you really want to sell then there really is only one thing you can do......

Get a vase with twigs in! Absolutely NAILED ON GUARANTEED to get more viewings!

awubble · 05/01/2011 14:20

dizzeelizzee

Have a look here

www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detail.html?outcode=S25&incode=4GJ&streetName=Windermere+Court&locality=North+Anston&country=england&buildType=1&propertyType=0&yearSelection=7&columnToSort=DEED_DATE&sortOrder=ascending&summaryIndex=0&originalIncode=4GJ

Obviously you have an extension which add's value but your place is more expensive than any price gained for a house on your street in the last 7 years.

Original poster
Gabity · 05/01/2011 15:46

awubble would query how accurate that is as OH bought it in 2008 for 96k?

OP posts:
Original poster
Gabity · 05/01/2011 15:47

p.s the one that sold in the summer was an at the end of the road with a fabulous wrap around garden.

OP posts:
artyjools · 05/01/2011 20:06

I feel your pain! Maybe we shall all have a better understanding about what is happening in the market in a month or two Hmm

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