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Original poster

Lots of viewings but no offers

42 replies

lottielou02 · 01/04/2013 17:15

Hi,

I've had my house on the market since August and have had lots of viewings but no offers as of yet. I dropped the price by £5k at the beginning of the year already to account for the fact I don't have central heating, and am offering to have it fitted depending on offers, but I'm not sure what I should do now. The general comments have been positive, that people like the house but they have found another they prefer. I would really appreciate any comments anyone has...

The link is www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34862005.html

Thanks!

Lottie

OP posts:

Alwayscheerful · 02/04/2013 08:35

I agree with Dizzy and the other posters have also made some very useful comments. Your Estate Agent has been lazy, if they can't up there game seriously consider installing central heating and moving agents. First impressions are important does it feel cold when you enter the house? It looks cramped round the front door so Important to rearrange the furniture in the sitting room and remove the little table by the front door. Good luck.

ILikeBirds · 02/04/2013 09:02

It states they're back to back terraces, none of them have back gardens. I would think people looking in that area are fully aware of what that means and it would put people off viewing, rather than getting views which aren't turned into offers.

yani · 02/04/2013 09:17

Could you move sofa by front door to where tv is in window area instead?

You mentioned a cat, do you have a non-cat-loving friend who could honestly say whether or not your flat smells of cat. Smells can be off putting.

I'd ask the ea to come back for better photos, or could you wait for a sunny day & take some yourself?

Good luck

ILikeBirds · 02/04/2013 09:39

If there are plenty of viewings the problem is not the photos. Something is putting people off at the viewing. I think the central heating situation is a little odd tbh. Either there would be none and the asking price reflected this or it would be installed already. Saying you'd put it in is meaningless to someone who doesn't know you from adam.

BalloonSlayer · 02/04/2013 09:41

Lots of people on this thread are saying to change the Rightmove entry, but you say that you have had lots of viewings, so that can't be all that off-putting.

I think the main thing that would put me off (I think it's lovely, by the way) is the bedroom with the pine bed. It just doesn't look big enough to have that double bed in. Is there any way you could change it round just for viewings - move it so that you can have small bedside cupboards on either side. You could make these out of some of the boxes on top of the wardrobe/under the bed with a cloth on top. I would really also strongly recommend getting rid of all the visible stuff under the bed and on top of the wardrobe, you are just advertising a lack of storage.

I was going to suggest swapping round the bedroom with the pine bed and the white bedroom with the single bed then I noticed that that one is a double as well! So again, I'd say can you put the bed so that it looks like two people could share it.

I notice the measurements of the place being much the same as my old house. Except that the pictures make it look really big, hugely bigger than my old house! I expect that is normal with EE pictures these days but it does make me wonder whether people are disappointed when they come in as it looks so much smaller than in the photos.

sweetiepie1979 · 02/04/2013 09:51

Hi well done asking and taking advice. It needs colour colour colour. I'd pull the kitchen table out a bit and use some colour in to that corner. A clock , a picture, cushions for seats. The white goods all in a row don't look good I'd get them to retake angle in the kitchen.Evrrythings at the same level in living room you need some height/ balance things out and it's so drab (sorry) get a bright throw for the sofa and cushions pictures on wall. If you can invest in a new tv stand do that one is very 60s looks dory of mdf too. Try and invest in a real wood one. Space for some books or DVDs underneath. Move the dolls house. You need brighter curtains too.Sctually the tv is in the wrong place you could make a nice window seat and book shelf in that corner. Put tv somewhere else? That fire is massively dated too can you afford to change it or get rid its very odd in the middle of the wall. If you wanted to keep it there you could knock through to the original fire place and stick a fake fire in if that's the only heat in that room. Or is it an option to put a real fire in let your visitors know that. You might want to cosier a coffee table in that room too. I'd whoosh the carpet out and put some good rugs down instead.The bedroom that looks like a nursery is a little odd too with salmon walls I'd get that painted and if it's an adults room use bolder colours again pictures/plants. Clear out under beds looks messy. Bathroom needs a plant with a hint of colour don't know about eating area out the front maybe just a wooden bench would be nice and fill with grass rather than stones get some flowers in. Good luck hope you get to sell soon. And hope I haven't offended.

Longdistance · 02/04/2013 09:52

Take the teddies off the shelves in the living room, and get some cheap candle pebbly shit to display on it.
I agree with moving the sofa forward.
The fridge and freezer that are next to each other look very odd IMO.
That spare bedroom needs de junking ie, move the boxes, move the position of the bed if you can.
Gonna have another look....

Longdistance · 02/04/2013 09:56

Maybe the table and chairs out front look strange. Maybe remove them, as I doesnt look like a private garden, and I wouldn't sit out here for the tea of the neighbours thinking I'm nosey

BalloonSlayer · 02/04/2013 10:46

Blimey sweetiepie I know about staging and all that, but should she really:

buy a new TV stand,
buy new curtains
build a window seat
build a bookcase
buy a new gas fire or knock through into the original one (actually and at that)
buy a new coffee table
remove carpet and buy rugs
paint walls
buy a bench
turf the front garden

???

Do people genuinely decide they don't like a house because the "TV stand looks a bit dated" or the coffee table isn't "cosy" enough? Surely even the most naive house-hunter realises that these things are not included in the sale?

I reckon that little lot would set her back about £10,000 - on a house on the market for £110,000!

I have watched plenty of the House Doctor and I do understand about making people be able to imagine themselves in a house, but the whole point is to spend minimally to get the house sold quickly, not to rip the whole thing apart and start spending thousands knocking out fireplaces and building in stuff some imaginary buyer might like, only to have people come in and say, "oh not sure about that window seat, that'll have to come out."

sweetiepie1979 · 02/04/2013 13:09

Yes your probably right, sorry OP. can I just say I'm bed bound in pain and totally bored and using mums net as a distraction. I'm sorry I don't really know what I was talking about. I suppose I answered from a if you were going to stay point of view and you wanted to brighten it up a bit. Sorry everybody especially OP.

DeafLeopard · 02/04/2013 14:52

Have you asked your EA why people are put off once they have had a viewing.

There is obviously something that they see / hear etc when they get in the house that deters them - if your house is cold then c/h might be the issue. My friend bought electric radiators that are slimline wall mounted and cheap to get round the problem of c/h in her house. They were £30ish each on ebay - might help warm the house up?

Snog · 02/04/2013 15:37

Its a nice house. i would get some new photos of the kitchen.
Is your house south facing? If so I would mention this.
Either putting in central heating or dropping the price wouldake it easier to sell imo

Mandy21 · 02/04/2013 16:57

I agree that its not anything to do with the photographs - if you're getting lots of viewings then people are attracted enough to the property by what they can see online to spend their time coming to view it. The fact that you're not getting any offers after lots of viewings means that there is something wrong with the house / something putting viewers off once they get there / making people think it is not worth the money (but even in that case, if it was still attractive albeit not at £11ok, you'd have thought people would make a low offer).

What are your neighbours like? Are they well maintained? The photo of the front of the house suggests that your neighbours might be a bit scruffy? Is the road itself ok? Have you kept the inside of the house as it appears on the photos? Is it clean and fresh? I agree that it might be to do with the heating too, particularly over the cold weather - if people come in and it feels cold (and sometimes houses can smell/feel a little bit damp if they're cold) then people will be out off. I agree thats something thats worth doing straightaway to increase the chances of a sale.

If you think its your neighbours / the road, then I'm afraid thats going to have to be reflected in your price because those things are out of your control.

ArbitraryUsername · 02/04/2013 17:29

It could be the neighbours. Are your neighbours students? I'd run a mile from the prospect of students for neighbours in a terraced house. It's very hard if the issue is that prospective buyers are worried about the neighbours, as it really isn't within your control.

breatheslowly · 02/04/2013 19:13

It may be that dropping below £100k would bring in potential purchasers who put £100k as their maximum on search engines, so if you are advertising at £110k with the hope of getting £95k you might be missing a section of potential buyers. I did ask earlier what you were hoping to get - I've realised that answering that woud be unwise in case potential puchasers came across this thread.

Original poster

lottielou02 · 02/04/2013 20:16

Thanks again for all the tips everyone. I will definitely try and declutter a bit more and rearrange things in the lounge as lots of people seem to agree on these points.

With regards to pictures etc, I have a huge very colourful painting in the lounge, it just happens to be on the only wall not photographed. And on the right of the fire I have a chest of draws with pictures, a plant, lamp, ornaments and flowers on. So I think perhaps the photos make the room a little plainer than it is.

In terms of heating, we have electric heaters and the house is always warm when people come and view.

The neighbours are all lovely and no students I know of, its a nice quiet road.

Pricing is difficult, as its less than I had it valued at independently, and less than most of the similar properties near by. Two others on my road are on at £115k and £122k. I think I will declutter etc, try new pics and be more patient.

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 02/04/2013 20:21

If you are getting lots of viewings, but no offers, then I think the EA are doing their job, but it's when people are actually looking they don't really like it.

The photos could be better, so yes get them re-done, and do the flowers/fresh bread/coffee thing and be out when people view. Remember, people make up their minds in the first 11 seconds. Or something.

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