Any ideas for what else we can do?

[greedychops]

We have been trying to sell this house for 3 years in May.

We bought it for £110,000 in 2006, and had an offer within a month of putting it on the market for £125,000 from neighbours, but that fell through unfortunately.

Since then we have had about 40 - 50 viewers, and probably 5 fairly seriously interested parties, but they either couldn't sell their own, or had personal reasons for pulling out. We reduced the offers over price with a new Estate Agent in Nov 09 to £100,000, and then last week reduced it again to offers over £87,500. Home report values it at £120,000.

There are a couple of issues with the house - nothing major, but could do with a damp proof course in the back wall, and the bathroom could be doing with re-decoration, but Estate Agents told us not to do the work, and reduce the price instead as people would prefer to choose their own bathroom etc.

Is there anything else that anyone can think of that we can and do to try and get it sold?

Qunitesessential - I am really trying not to rise to your messages as I think they are unnecessarily confrontational.

I am not ignoring or explaining away all advice - I have taken a lot of it on board, and am going to do a bit of painting, change the kitchen table and chairs, and ask for new photos to be done. I just don't have anywhere that I can store our sofa, and can't afford to get rid of it and buy a new one when we eventually. In addition, not everyone on this thread actually agrees with you anyway - there are a few different views. But thanks for your take on it. I do absolutely want to sell, or I wouldn't have dropped the price so low.

Thanks Ivykaty for your further explanation of the house - I do get what you mean about the outside - it's partly what I was saying earlier about people wanting there to be a front door - it's not a conventional cottage, and would be more attractive if it was.

I also agree with what you say about the Estate Agents - I don't feel they are doing anything for the money they will get at the end - we have a viewer tonight so I will speak to them after about what else can be done, and about new photos.

Pinkcushion - the idea behind dropping the price to £87,500 was to bring it to more peoples attention (Estate Agents idea) but it's more directed at people who are looking at about the £100,000 mark - probably still firs time buyers, or moving up from a house, or even holiday home people.

We do have a quote for the damp proofing which we can show people - I will make sure we have it out tonight.

The bathroom is not awful - just the tiles don't really match the rest, and if we do go ahead and do the damp proofing, which will happen in the next month if we have no more interest, we will definitely do the bathroom at the same time. Neutral before any of you ask!

The front was taken on a pretty damp day, and the wood etc has been repainted since, so it would definitely be worth an new picture - I agree it looks a bit damp and dingy.

Thanks again for all the constructive advice.

Crossed posts quintessential - more good advice from you there - we have bought a table and chairs for the garden so will put that out.

I will get the clutter taken away from the kitchen and other areas and see if that makes a difference.

Well, considering the amount of time I have taken trying to be objective about your house, when you clearly are unable to (and I dont blame you, it is bloody hard detaching from a house you still have to live in), I actually feel quite upset about your last post to me. Unnecessary when somebody is only trying to help.

Good luck selling your house.

Thanks quintessential - I very much appreciate your advice - I agree with a lot of it. I just thought the tone was very accusatory rather than advising, but I do appreciate it. It is hard not to get offended when it's your own little home, but being honest, I know most of the place could do with re-decorating, and we just need to get on and do it now.

If this viewing doesn't come to anything , could you take it off the market do the decorating and remarket afresh ?

Yes possible Lizs - the Estate Agent wants to start charging us an additional fee every three months that we are on for, and I don't think that gives them an incentive to sell, so I think a new Estate Agent may be the way to go ( after some re-decoration of course).

I think our sofas are probably too big for the room, but they are the confided sofas in the world, and double up as a spare bed when we have family etc staying. I just can't think where we could store them, and where we could get a new set from that wouldn't be wasted when we move. I think if we knew it would result in a sale to do that sort of thing, that would be fine, but we've been on for so long, and with no definite prospect of first time mortgages improving, it just feels like we could move our lovely comfy sofas out, and then have to sit on tiny ones for another three years.

But maybe we need to do what quintessential says and be a bit ruthless, and go all out to sell.

Sorry - comfiest

I think you've had some constructive advice that you've taken the wrong way. You did ask for advice and opinions.

Your house is to your taste. It isn't to the taste of anyone who's viewed it over a three year period. That's not a value judgement. It's a message that you might be able to sell it if you swallow what other people say and make changes.

We sold our house in 9 weeks. We had to move about 80% of our childrens' toys into storage (for example). It was a horrible inconvenience but selling a house is like that. You need to move a sofa and not worry about what that entails. If you want to sell your house, you have to be inconvenienced.

what feed back do you get from each viewer / Does the agent telephone the viewer afterwards and ask what they thought and why it wasn't correct?

it is ok sending 50 viers over 3 years - but where they questioned up front as to whether they where right for the property either?

i would push for feed back from people after they have viewed internet and inside your property as to why they don't want to buy?

detach yourself a bit and remember you are selling a product and with that product is a lifestyle you may want to ponceyfy so find out what it is people that have viewed your house are looking for - ask the agent and nail them down

I think itslovely and Im not easily pleased I think the photos arent doing the rooms justice and you need some colour in the garden but I looooove it.

Ivykate - totally agree that more feedback would have been useful. Sometimes, it's a random thing like somebody thought the stairs were too steep - I think they are pretty normal (and that is being objective).

I have pushed the Estate Agent before for more feedback and they give a little, but quite often they just say - it's not for them. We have had at least 5 who were serious and got to the discussing offers stages, so it's not like everyone has hated it, but about three times, their own houses hadn't sold, once they were going to rent to a friend and that fell through, and once it was a personal thing - we think one of them lost their job.

Dh has been around the house this morning with big boxes collecting all the knick knacks from surfaces, and most other things like toys fit in cupboards, so we are taking your advice seriously.

We have also phoned again about the damp proofing, and had a quick look online at bathrooms, and will do the painting once the damp proofing is done (although may do the bedroom sooner as have been talking about it for ages).

This thread has been a good kick up the backside. If the EA won't come out to do new photos once the work is done, we will definitely move to another one.

It might sound like making an excuse but I do think when it's a buyers market, there are probably more people looking for a modern house than an old cottage like ours.

I remember asking the MN jury for advice on my kitchen and then being pretty taken aback at the well-meant grilling I received on my lovely blinds I made and my ornaments seen by others as clutter. ouch!

Agree about asking for feedback, but (speaking as someone who lives in one) people who are interested in buying a cottage, want character. I think you should pander to them and inexpensively stage it up a bit. No front door - well then paint the one there is, put up a number/name plate with a flower on, put hanging baskets at the front and decorations on the window sills that can be seen from outside

The interior decor does look dated and the peeling paper is offputting but everyone else has pointed that out. I can see you have some nice things but then other factors let the house down in the pictures like the dirty fireplace, the bedroom showing its odd window. Also I'd wonder about the state of the 2nd bedroom and dining room, that are not photographed, when there are 4 pictures of outside. Picture 7 doesn't add anything although I think your garden looks lovely (great in summer I guess).

Personally I would spread a few (co-ordinating) gingham-heart and cath kidston-style bits around the place, I don't like the totally empty look that a lot of houses have in estate agent listings. Your house is only going to sell if it is completely Charming and selling that whole tiny-country-village dream lifestyle otherwise people will just go for a new-build starter home in the estate up the road. Heck if it doesn't work you can put it back to how it was!

Aww thanks nickschick - you can have it for a bargain price

Greenlotus - thanks for that - guess I wasn't expecting such strong opinions away from the AIBU threads, but once I got past that, it has been very helpful.

We have painted the close door since the photo was taken (yet another reason to get new ones done) and the EA said that they prefer not to photograph every room, so that it's worth people coming out to see it rather than just judge online (but I guess I have discovered today that quite a lot of people may do just that anyway, so it's worth having as much info as possible on there).

The fireplace gets used a lot in the winter, but we do always clean it up (and usually lay a fire for people coming round - but I agree, again, the photo let's it down a bit).

Was discussing selling the dream with dh just before coming back on here cause we were trying to remember just what it was that we first loved about the house, and I am to say, that apart from the stone wall, we loved the woman's kitchen table - so it's definitely going to be the first thing done.

Sorry for the stray apostrophe there.

greedychops - would you dare to take a photograph of your bathroom and put up on here? Then we can see what you could do without putting a new bathroom in? possibly if you are game?

Onwards and upwards and start afresh with a positive plan

get onto agents: about feed back, photographs, not sending losers around make sure they check circumstances first, having an open day

get rid of soem of the colour, the green in the lounge and the blue in the kitchen, sort out the patio so it looks inviting, sort out the kitchen so it looks inviting get rid of the stuff on the tops of the cuboards.

creat a home that is stylish that people want to buy the style you have, fresh coffee in a cafetie, green plants int he kitchen which is lovely, a warm fire in lounge to come home to and fresh linen on the beds to sleeep in - sell your life ponceyfy it to the hilt.

then sit back and wonder why on earth do we want to move from this fab home and life - why do you want to move by the way?

Lower the price Seriously all the money spent on paint and cafetieres is a waste in a downturn. An artfully placed hanging basket won't work.Sometimes if a property has been on too long people are a bit suspicious about it.maybe take off for a month or two and put back on with open to offers? All the tv style presentation is a phenomenon of the last 10 years and tbh most buyers are wise to it all.When I renovate now I just show the bare bones in good clean condition with all the electrics etc in top condition.

Are you getting viewers who aren't offering, or are there no viewers at all?

Sounds like you are on a roll!

Dont forget the bunting.......
And fresh cupcakes next to your cafetiere....

can you tart up the front a big am guessing hanging baskets not doable becuase of the footpath what about window box from teh front it looks drab

The only advice I can give is this:

I had a 1 1/2 bed flat to sell; it was lovely - I thought, my friends thought...colourwashed walls, books, pictures on walls (this was in 2004). We also had to damp-proof one of the walls. We had a sale agreed after 2/12 which then fell through.

We left it a few months then did the mother of all clear-outs, everything was painted in varying degrees of white/cream, no books/personalised items. I had a 3/12 baby by this stage. We sold in a week.

The point is, you have to detatch yourself mentally and physically from your property. You have to transform it from a 'home' to a 'showhome'. You have to really mean it when you sell. It has been a ling hard 3 years for you, so you need to have a major re-think.

Your Agents are having a laugh. Get rid of them.

Take it off the market for a month. Clear everything out, be ruthless. Paint everything in neutral colours....believe me, it will help you to detatch from it!

If things have changed (like the cot in the bedroom) then you need to update your photos. Find an Agent who does 360 degree piccies.

You also need to re-define the garden area - if there's not much grass then sell the easy maintenance aspect, borrow pots from your friends if you have to.

I also know that you can 'rent' smaller furniture for a couple of months, though you'd need to research this option.

Go the whole hog, all that coffee & bread smell for viewers. Wanky I know, but you need to pull out all the stops to get that sale.

Good luck!

That was 2004 though at the moment and in general the whole show home phenomena is not working. The differential in price between a refurb and an unmodernised house in the same road is narrowing all the time. You could paint it all White for the feeling of space but I really think it would be better to calculate the cost of a mini refurb Inc materials and labour and see if the agent thinks a price reduction will work. Do people really bake bread? I have sold 13 properties in the last 9 hrs and no bread or hanging baskets!

Yrs not hrs that would be good going.

Yes, I know it was 2004, but the decluttering/neutralising does work. If anything the competition is far greater now, so you have to pull out all the stops. And FWIW, I stuck a french stick into a v. low temp oven -far too busy to bake my own bread!

People can't be arsed to look beyond what they see; they are thinking 'how much is this all going to cost'. Not many people have the money to renovate these days.

Hanging baskets, pot plants, you need the whole lot if your 'kerb appeal' is tricky....

Your house is lovely

I am going to disagree slightly about the cosmetic side of things and feel that a damp issue is highlighted by the first picture and could be causing concern to buyers.

Despite estate agents advice, I would rectify that problem first.