Honest opinions needed please!

[Slowlybutsurely]

Desperately trying to sell our house and need some honest advice. How can we gain more viewings- and obviously an offer? We have had viewings with very vague feedback- never anything we can do anything about.
Not sure if I'm brave enough to do this but would anyone be able to look at the link and offer some honest advice?
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?searchType=SALE&locationIdentifier=POSTCODE%5E163182&insId=1&radius=0.0&minPrice=&maxPrice=&minBedrooms=&maxBedrooms=&displayPropertyType=&maxDaysSinceAdded=&_includeSSTC=on&sortByPriceDescending=&primaryDisplayPropertyType=&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=&oldDisplayPropertyType=&oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType=&newHome=&auction=false

[loveareadingthanks]

I don't understand why people are so effected by decor/furniture and can't imagine it their own way, but the fact is, most people can't.

Really just reiterating what was said above on those. Especially the dining room.

Things that would put me off as more to fixing it than just a pot of paint:

I didn't realise there was a blind half down the bedroom window as it's the same shade as the wall, and I looked at that picture and thought 'what a weird shaped window'. Not nice at all. I looked at it for some time and still didn't twig. I even looked back at the external shot of house to see if they were all like that, and concluded that maybe front windows were normal but back windows were weird ones. That would put me off.

Purple garden fence is definitely not most people's taste and I would assume quite a bit of work to sort out. I don't mind repainting a room but the fence as well?

[RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog]

I agree that the pics are not doing your oroperty any favours - at the very least they need thinning out so there are no duplicates, but also blinds need opening, table moving to centre of room etc.

It's very de-cluttered, but in some cases this leaves it feeling soulless, so some art on the walls, a throw on the bed will make it look homely without cluttering it up or making it look too much to your personal taste.

The fence colour is rather a marmite type of thing - also, why not paint it all?

Some planting in pots would brighten the front elevation.

For me there are two main issues -

Firstly, the second pic should be a reception room or kitchen shot, not a bedroom - and on that subject, are those damp patches on the wall behind the bed? If not and it's just patchy paint, this needs addressing imho.

Secondly, the price - I'm not familiar with your area and compared to the areas we've lived in/currently live in it does seem very inexpensive, but having a quick scan of RM, it does seem a little overpriced and if something isn't selling price us usually the main issue. Anything will sell at the right price.

I think removing the offers in excess of and the stamp duty incentive and adjusting the price slightly, having first had the pics retaken and the house relaunched may do the trick.....

Good luck OP, it should make someone a lovely home!

[pinkdelight]

Definitely see if you can get the schools info fixed. It's a family home and the Rightmove tool shows it's not in catchment for any primary or secondaries. Very frustrating for you if that's not the case as some would dismiss your house immediately as a result. If that tool is inaccurate, it's gonna cock things up for a lot of vendors.

[SquidgyMaltLoaf]

OP I can't remember if they do Eastham but Constables agents are fab if you're thinking of changing. They do accurate valuations and sell houses quickly. They're very efficient!

[ElsieMc]

I think your house looks great and is a good price, or at least it is compared to where I live!

I had my mum's for sale at the same price and it was really old fashioned, clean but spacious enough three bedroomed property with private parking. With the first agent I got no viewings at all, changed after a few months and it went in three days. The bad news was I sold for £124,000. I did this because it was to a cash buyer who could complete in ten days.

I am not for a moment suggesting you reduce like this because your house is basically what DM's would have looked like with £15,000 spent on it.

This house should have sold so perhaps if you reduced to say £139,950 for a quick sale this may be the push you need. You agents need a kick up the backside.

[VolumniaDedlock]

no advice, but i like the wall colour in your sitting room and dining room - which paint did you use?

[EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard]

I'm pretty much in accord with almost everyone else OP. You have a lovely home.

For an advertising critique though the first photo of the exterior front is not well shot. All the blinds should be up and the house shot from the opposite angle which, as an end terrace will make it look bigger and remove the shadow. Not sure if you want to remove the toys from the garden just while it's photographed, but I would do that and also have a look how the garden appears if the shot's taken from one of the upstairs windows. It may give a better look.

Your furnishings are mostly grey and neutral colours, but you have quite a bit of pink and turquoise blue, so I'd go with only those shades and change your sofa cushions, towels and toiletries to match. This leads the eye through the house with a sense of flow and continuity. Introduce some of those colours to your main bedroom and also the hall. I'm not talking about a lot, just some subtle touches. The hall could be made to look more attractive and welcoming rather than functional.
Outside the front I'd plant a climber by the trellis and put a nice pot of pink flowers to go with the interior pink, by the side gate.
All in all, those ideas are not difficult and nowhere near as much work or expense as it might sound.

Can I ask why the stamp duty is going to be paid? It amounts to £400.
It makes you look a bit desperate to move and so I wouldn't do that, I'd remove the 'offers in excess of' remove the stamp duty incentive, put the price up by £1,000 or £1,500 if your market would stand that and then be prepared to drop to a lower sale price for a purchaser who could proceed.

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Oh yes, and open the blind in the main bedroom - at first glance I thought you had a very small window in there.

[SolomanDaisy]

The photos aren't brilliant, but tbh they aren't dire and I really don't think they are bad enough to put people off viewing. It has to be the price. Do you need to move?

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Bedroom is a bit bland. Could you put a picture above the bed.

Hall is also a bit bland. I'd put a big mirror in there.

But there's nothing that would actively put me off - it's nicely decorated, obviously well maintained, the amount of space is what you'd expect from the external picture so I'm thinking it must be price.

And despite it seeming very reasonably priced for the Wirral, it's one of those funny places where prices fluctuate wildly in really small distances.

My friend recently struggled to sell her house. I can guarantee if she'd posted it on here people would've been amazed. But I knew the road and knew she'd never get that price for that road no matter how attractive her house was.

[Variousrandomthings]

Funnily enough I love the sofas and bedroom

[NorahDentressangle]

It looks great imo. Clean, ready to move into.

Only thing is the rooms look a bit cool, might be the colour or light. But that wouldn't put me off, and painting a garden fence, though I don't mind it, wouldn't take a day.

A tasteful vase of flowers with some blue that matched the curtains would be nice on the dining table. But not worth re photoing for.

Is there car parking?

[ragged]

I hate the silver-grey sofas & the first almost empty bedroom, sorry. I usually never comment on that kind of thing (I'm not buying your furniture). They're so jarring they would make it harder for me to imagine the house as mine. Even just some colourful throws would make them more appealing. The rest was ok with me.

Are you sure that similar properties in your area are selling easily?

[PigletJohn]

if the fence was treated with a fence stain, which leaves a waxy tinted coating, you can restain it provided it has weathered. If you throw a bucket of water at it, does the water form beads and run off without wetting the surface? If so, new stain will not adhere well. However if you can borrow a power washer, the jet will take fence stain off, back to bare timber, and after letting it dry, you can treat it again. I prefer brown stains but it is a personal choice. You would need a dark one to hide that colour.

If you feel like it, you can paint the concrete fence posts with dark brown masonry paint to make them blend in with the timber. Paint them after cleaning, and before applying fence stain.

You might also redefine the price as "offers in the region of" which will tease out the market value from potential buyers.

[Popchik9]

Agree with other comments that the photos aren't great and don't do your house justice. The house is lovely, clean and uncluttered. I would hang pictures above the bed and in the hall. Have been in negative equity once when selling a house and it was heartbreaking but then the house we bought was also less in that market and things did work out for us in the end. Good luck!

[DinkyDye]

As said the photos dont seem to do it justice but l think it looks lovely and very uncluttered!

Am a bit at the price (used to London prices so that seems a bargain!)

If you're close/in negative equity could you stay put for a bit longer and chuck more money on the mortgage?

[SpecificOcean]

I think you house is presented really well.
Agree that a few nicer photos would help.
I just get the feeling that the furniture could be positioned a bit better, a bit more homely- things are shoved back to the wall - dining table, sofa and chair and the bed looks all wrong in the main bedroom.

Do you have to have the "offers over" note after the price tag ? or could you just stick to the price? I found that off putting when we were looking.

[Slowlybutsurely]

Small world doublechocchip! Thanks for comments. Lots to get on with. May take off market and sort, re launch with new photos? Re fence colour, do you think it will paint back to brown wood colour or should I go for pale, neutral colour?

[doublechocchip]

Looks really lovely and you live on the road I grew up on!

[BikeRunSki]

It is very neat and tidy, but eith so little "stuff" seems a little soulless. Except for your little girl's room which needs a tidy.

[paxtecum]

Is your estate agent only an online one?
Would it be worth going for a High St agent?

[honeyandfizz]

I agree with kitsmummy that its really well decorated - is it the price? Are houses selling in your area? Although the fence panels aren't to my taste it certainly wouldn't put me off buying the house. I can see that you have done a lot of work on it compared to the pictures of when you bought it and you've done a lovely job

The one thing that would put me off though is the 'offers in excess of' so it may be worth saying offers in the region of.

[Variousrandomthings]

In your shoes, I'd make all the changes needed and then get your estate agent to redo the photos (with clear direction). Then request the estate agents change the photo order so people may think its new on and take a look

[Variousrandomthings]

If the views are amazing, you might want a photo of them as your opening shot instead of house front. Your house front is actually bit bland sorry but a few pots of bright flowers would help

[Kitsmummy]

I thnk it's really well decorated and I can see no reason why it wouldnt sell (unless the price is out) however a couple of things struck me and I see they've already been mentioned...dining table to be central and the kitchen to have a bit more colour/not quite so stark.