Feeling brave, critique my house please MNers!

[passmethewineplease]

Ok so we rent from DPs mum and dad, we want to move so they've offered to sell this house and buy another and we continue renting from them.

House been on for just over a month, one viewing, no feedback been left as far as I'm aware.

Here's the link:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47734199.html

The bathroom isn't on there, in all honesty it needs updating but don't think there's money to do it. Also have a downstairs toilet and shower, again not pictured as it is quite difficult to get a good picture. Quite modern though, nice shower.

I personally think the price is a bit optimistic but I don't think they'll mind dropping it a bit, already been dropped by £5k.

Any help greatly appreciated!

I would take it off of the market until you are actually ready to sell it. Putting it on higher and waiting will just make people wonder why it hasn't sold. It's not a good strategy.

There are a lot of little things you could do to improve the pictures a bit, but to be honest, they're actually fine. One man's 'fix' is another man's 'fail'.

It will only be the price that stops it selling.

[I don't suppose the inlaws would consider keeping this place as a rental and lending you the deposit/part of it on another so you can buy your own place? Or going halves with you or something? Unless you are paying well below market rent, they're getting the best deal out of it this way!]

I agree with poster on P1 about the kitchen photos. I don't understand why the 2nd photo of the kitchen isn't by the first photo of the kitchen. I'd already decided I didn't like the kitchen (too small from looking at the photos) then, much later in the slideshow, the 2nd picture appears which changes things completely....possibility people might have already been put off by then?

I would definitely cut the hedges at the front - looking overgrown just reminds buyers how much hassle it is having a hedge. Don't know how much you could do about the trees next door, but, as someone else said, might put people off, even though nothing you can do.

Deliberately not reading other peoples' comments until I've put my own:

My main one would be that the floorplan needs dimensions.

Scooter on the drive is a little careless.

I hate the letters (love, home etc) - sorry, each to their own etc - but they leap out at me in the photos and distract from looking at the room. I know that is ridiculous and they wouldn't come with the house but it makes me feel negative towards a house before I've even looked at all the details.

No bathroom picture = something to hide?

Second kitchen picture much better than the first. Something odd a out the extractor fan hood, perhaps the photo from a slightly different angle would be better?

Sitting room and garden look good.

Like the children's' bedrooms, but the master bedroom looks a little unloved (despite the 'love' sign!).

A great house through that someone can move into and not need to spend much money on. If the price is right it should be snapped up!

Overall it looks really good. The kitchen tiles aren't great but I think most people would see past that. I didn't spot the office blinds but definitely get rid if there are any. They're really ugly.

I know it's only cosmetic but I really hate 'purple match-matchy' sitting rooms. It looks cheap and dated I'm sorry to say. Lose the rug.

Bonus points to you for not having an Audrey Hepburn/Marilyn Monroe print in your bedroom though!

I recognise your house as it's the same style as a number of other barratts homes on the street where I used to live in a different area of the country. If it's anything like our old home it could be quite difficult to sell as there were always several other identical homes for sale in the same area. It was all about the price and plot when selling because the houses were largely the same. Can you do anything to really make yours standout such as sprucing up the front garden, or painting the front door?

Sorry that should have read back garden.

Thanks all, will have a play around with the accesories, I only really got them to add a bit of colour as it was all painted in cream/magnolia not long ago. I think our best best is taking off for now too, we are round the inlaws tonight so I'll put these suggestions to them and see what they say.

Would it help if I posted my on pic of the bathroom?

Nice house, but the problem is one that you can't change. I wouldn't dream of buying a house with those huge trees next door.

I'd get a pond cover and remove and paint all the wallpapered feature walls. They're things that I would be thinking were added irritants to sort out. I'd also seriously consider retiling the kitchen. And add photos of both the bathrooms. Then lower the price to what houses nearby have sold for.

The house is well presented and although I don't like the kitchen tiles, it wouldn't put me off.

The huge trees next door would stop me buying your house. They are overpowering and cut out so much light.

Its a lovely house. The only thing that makes me wince are the kitchen tiles. It will be quite a big job to get those off the wall and would put me off if i were the buyer. Painting them would be even worse.

If this were mine to sell i would have to rip those tiles off and plaster the walls. If i were pricing that job for dp to do id say about £300 to remove tiles and prep walls (based in taking two days so maybe less if they fall off the wall) £300 for plastering and £150 to tile the splashback using plain tiles about £75 fir tiles so about £825 (im in the south east so poss cheaper where you are?)

I really think thats where id spend my money to get the place sold. Could obviously shave £300 off that if someone could remove those tiles!

Tiles need to go for sure - painting that huge area would be horrendous - its only good for small areas.

I would definitely be put off by the pond.

I think it looks like there is one small double bedroom and two tiny rooms you can't fit a full sized bed in. I think the master bedroom looks cold and "unloved" if that makes sense.

Yes, the kitchen tiles are hideous but there isn't a lot you can do about those :)

No viewings usually indicates that it's overpriced I think.

It's funny, I didn't even notice the trees. Everyone around here has them - no one would ever move if people thought about that

How did it go with the inlaws?

Yes if/when you have it on the market you should include a picture of the bathroom. If you leave it out it makes people think it must be really dire, so you might as well have a photo of it and people can decide if they can live with it for a while or if it needs doing immediately, how big it is etc.

Also the downstairs toilet/shower room. It doesn't matter if it's not a good pic, at least people know it's there. If people are looking they'll often just flick through the photos rather than read all the descriptions.

If you take it off of the market, there are quite a few little things you could do to improve the photos next time around :) Nothing hugely expensive or much hassle.

In the meantime you could get the kitchen a bit more sorted out. Removing tiles is great fun and plastering it should only be a few hundred. Splashback etc all for under £1k.

The second photos of the kitchen and the conservatory make them look so much bigger - the first two seem cramped and poky.

YY to getting rid of the tiles completely, they are horrible (although again, not as offensive seeming in the second pic).

The bedrooms all look very tiny in the photos, I had to read the description to find out if there were fitted wardrobes or not, as it would put me off if I thought I had no room to put my clothes away.

It's a shame to have what looks like a new kitchen with what looks like 1970s tiles. Floor to ceiling tiles are really only done in bathrooms these days.

Apart from that it's a nice house.

Testing the market with a high price isn't the best strategy

Its a nice starter home, that may be the issue if people are struggling to get mortgages. Lovely big garden, decor not to my taste but wouldn't put me off, is easily changed, looks a great house for first time buyers, what are the school like?

I think it looks very clean and well presented and what you would expect of a house of that type and where it is etc.

It does not appear to have a side gate, with the back garden open to the front.

The garden looks very stark and bare. I would get some shrubs (look at pittosporum, choisya - green and variagated, Cotinus - purple ones, Euonymus, Skimmia Japonica, Dogwoods - Elegantissima, Berberis, Ligustrum) Check the labels carefully for height and plant in curved triangles at the far corners and maybe front left to soften the straight lines and make it look spacious. Put pots of flowers by the places you want to emphasise.

The first kitchen photo I thought made the kitchen look small but just about ok, and was surprised by the later photo with the cooker in it! The tiles would be nice, but they are overwhelming. Consider taking them off one wall or taking them down to working height and painting (may need skimming). I think they look nice round the cooker. Herbs in the window as described above and a nice pot on the stove would look more homely.

Overall, I think it just needs a bit of gentle softening in places. I would agree that is probably better to take it off the market and put it back on when you want to move. Is it worth visiting at 2 or 3 properties that you would consider the same, and compare them to see if your price is right? It is probably worth making sure you are happy with the price before it is on the market, rather than putting it down.

Overall, its very nice indeed. I like how it is totally clutter free - you've done a great job.

The kitchen tiles are a bit overpowering, as are the wall colours of the kids bedrooms. Maybe a little box of plants by the front door? I think plain gardens are fine though but we bought a house with a lot of plant/shrub borders and they take a lot of time to maintain - i'm no longer a garden person.

I dont know your area but an EA told me easter to October are good selling periods around our area.

i would have to say too, the tree thing wouldn't even enter my head as an issue.

Thanks again guys, in laws agreed about the tiles and also the trees, I don't know how we'd go about asking the neighbour to trim them back a bit? They are quite erm massive. Though having said that I've not personally noticed it blocks out the light too much.

The side gate was supposed to be going back on, no idea why it hasn't yet tbh!

The photos all seem to be chopped to make it look really small?

In laws I think are speaking with the ea tomorrow. They are quite easy going and don't like having to be assertive, but for the money they are paying I think they need to be!

So they're leaving it on the market at an elevated price then? I really can't see that being a good idea. It's a shame if it stops you moving when you are ready.

I think they'll mention taking it off. MIL did hint at it, I think the EA will try and persuade them otherwise though!