Help - 15 viewings and no offers. (Is that bad? It feels bad)

[Ladybard]

Any constructive advice appreciated. Our house has only been on the market for just over a month. We have 'priced to sell' and had what I think are a lot of viewings, which tells me we are probably at the right price point, but no offers. It is a bit more cluttered than in the brochure/pictures online, but I have three kids under 7 though I do do my best for viewings (clean, hoovered, smelling nice, couple of bunches of fresh flowers, the basics). We live in a village and don't have parking (only parking nearby) and I suspect this is killing it for a lot of people (in fact I know it is) but WE bought it, and don't find the parking close by a problem. Also, if it did have a drive or other parking it would be up at a much higher price. ANYWAY, I am getting paranoid now that it is other stuff - does anyone have any tips to make a house look like a must buy?? Am I forgetting something? It's a period cottage, pleasant without being chocolate box on the outside, really charming inside, completely renovated by us 5 years ago. Many thanks...

Which secondary do you feed into? If anyone is looking with older children, the recent fall of CN into 'Inadequate' might be an issue?

(Used to live relatively locally, in another 'oh my word that is an odd floor plan / relationship with other houses' house. It did take a fair while to sell, after quite a lot of viewings, and we did have to hold our nerve for a long time on price. It had the opposite problem - lots of downstairs, not much upstairs...and trying to sell a house with a river at the bottom of the garden in the summer of 2007 was interesting!)

Kids around here go to Chippy or Marlborough in Woodstock, and a couple of others - state wise. But Chippy is the main one. And their problems are quite specific, and likely to be remedied in the nearish future, as anyone doing their research would probably be able to see...well, hopefully.

ah, 2007 - I remember those floods in Oxford!

Ladybard, what type of person or family are you aiming for to buy it?

That's why the footpath bit to me sounds v romantic and sweet but actually who wants to put wellies on to get to your front door? And no parking and a footpath! People with that money and possibly f/t jobs want to hear " fully renovated with no work needed and fully garunteed"

And the garden is at the back- not the front? I wouldn't buy a house with only a front garden unless it was properly landscaped with privacy.

You can jolly your garden up quite quickly anyway, pots, etc - and blurb " garden is a blank canvas, ready for you to create your own personal country cottage garden of Eden"

Well, the line "The academy’s leaders have an inaccurate view of its strengths and what needs to improve", which start the report, and "The
overall progress made by pupils by the end of Key Stage 4 has been consistently significantly below national averages in recent years" wouldn't have me leaping for a house in its catchment - it would scream 'complacent school with poor leadership' to me, but perhaps that's because of the business I'm in!

2007 ... yes, by the time our viewing for the day after the flood arrived, the water had receded from the garden and the fallen apple tree it caused had been sawn up and removed...that day was hard work after a long night!

Lavender - footpath is predominantly gravelled. i am not sure who we are aiming at, maybe that is part of the problem!!

(I realise that you cannot do anything about a school's woes - but just adding an extra issue into the mix.)

A few additional comments to my above.

I don't think your house has a front and a rear. There's only one access and therefore the approach through the garden is the front and the door is the front door. I don't see that as any kind of a problem, it's more secure that way

Reference the above, what direction does the garden face? is it particularly sunny? if so make sure you emphasize that.

About the table, just move it for the photo, when people visit and can see the room for themselves, its presence demonstrates that the room's big enough to dine in. For viewings I would agree with adding an oil cloth or other cover and perhaps an attractive bowl of fruit to drive home the wholesome lifestyle rather than that vase

The only other thing I can think of now and please don't take offence at this, is that as your neighbour seems to have a damp issue, so make sure your house is well aired and fresh smelling before viewings. Old places are prone to odours and sometimes that just become part of the fabric of life. It could be cooking smells lingering because of the low ceilings, or just everyday family life and the kind of ventilation you have, but people who come from crisp March air, may just be ultra sensitive. That may well not be the case at all, just something to check out.

There's a good reason that lifestyle features and hotel brochures describe 'fresh' 'crisp' and 'airy' Why opulent scented candles and aspirational features set a scene so well. I can't see your home calling to people who need laminate floors, clean lines and a set of goals in the garden, so again - play to its strenghts rather than apologize for its perceived (to some) weaknesses. It's very lovely and someone will want it, it's just not generic and so you have to appeal to the right people. You only need one person with the money to want it

(further comment on the school - by going with a Woodstock agent, you may get people who are considering the Marlborough. On realising where you are, and that CN would be the nearest school, they may take a quick look and see the Inadequate headline. If it was sold through a CN estate agent, they might be quicker with the 'it's only a temporary blip' line because they would be dealing with it every day as an issue, and prospective buyers may well have done more thorough research on CN school as you suggest)

Enrique, some apposite points - thank you! I am a scented candle lover and I like nice smells, so hopefully it is ok (a few people have said it smells nice so this is one area I feel safe!) Oh gosh, is the vase bad?? Some people have admired it!

I think I have got to up the 'country lifestyle' ante.

Teacher - yes...it's a concern. We nearly went with a Chippy agent...they are fairly equidistant but I think we are more identified with CN....

Op I'm in same boat 12 viewing in 2 weeks and no offers 3bed semi corner plot parking to rear conservatory decorated to good standard integrated kitchen BUT storage heaters and a small 3rd bedroom. Dropped price by £5k yesterday despite a much shabbier house 2 doors down going on market for £10k more than we now at.

We bought it despite the 3rd small room we've been here 10 years been very happy just ready to move on have offer accepted on a 4 bed house in nearby village and now can't shift it.

It was just thoughts Ladybard and I certainly didn't mean to insinuate that your house is less than fragrant, but you know, when you live somewhere all the time you overlook things that strangers are more critical of.

Of course the vase isn't bad just that in the photo it's tall and very dominant and as such take the focus away from, as others have said, the good range cooker and other features that are more a selling point. No one's going to want to view or buy your house because of one attractive vase but they might envisage themselves and their family sitting eating a nice healthy breakfast at a table in the kitchen, hence fruit bowl, glossy magazine and coffee cup left artfully for viewers on the day.

You seem on the right page. None of this is personal and none of it's critical about your home or how you use it. It's a bit like being pre and post bridal I suppose. The woman is loved. She's loved for who she is. But on the wedding day and for the congregation she presents herself in a special way. After the marriage it all settles down again and she goes about her day to day life, which is her own day to day and not any other bride's day to day.

That might not make much sense. There's

Anyway, whatever. The last three houses we've sold I styled for the market and made sure to have all the positives at the forefront and answers for any negatives. They all sold very quickly and any furniture or furnishings I bought to make the house more attractive for sale, were sold on at extra cost to the buyer, or useful to take with us.
Where we live now suits us very nicely, but if we wanted to put it up for sale I have a list as long as my arm for the things I'd need to tackle.

Figgygal all the same advice applies. Present your home to its best advantage for the most likely purchasers. If that's mostly young couples then turning the smallest bedroom into a dedicated dressing room seems to be a very appealing option at the moment (and not too costly to do)

Where I live, apartments particularly, seem to be embracing storage heaters again. Get your facts and figures handy for the running costs/pros and make sure your agent's clued up about it because a lot of people will shy away by historic prejudice.

Great metaphor And you are totally right, I reckon.

I fear I have been going about this slightly the wrong way, and need to turn a corner sharpish! This thread has been extremely instructive and quite inspiring - if a bit painful at times!

I am impressed that you can style a house like that, Enrique. I find it hard to think beyond my own taste somehow. Also, I don't know what might attract my target buyer. But I am going to gorgeous everything up a bit and zap any remaining clutter.

Figgy, thanks for the solidarity and remember - SOMEONE will buy our houses. We bought them! We can't be unique! Wishing you tons of luck.

I thought I'd got too carried away

All you need to do is keep in your mind that your viewers are going to be made to think 'I WANT this house. I WANT to live here' (regardless of any negatives) as opposed to your current 'I live here and I know how lovely it is, it just no longer fits for our family'

Ask your Agent who and what kind of people have been looking in your area. Who's been to look at your neighbour's house? Do they have stats for who's viewed online? Tell them to discount all the leads from Mumsnet

Your house is nice, and doesn't look cluttered or need redecorating or anything like that, the things that are making it hard to sell are hard to do anything about. I wouldn't buy it because:

• it hasn't got a front and back
• it is not detached
• the fourth bedroom is so small
• the arrangement of bathrooms is not optimal
• the living space is too small for the number of bedrooms. You would be hard pushed to seat a family of five, let alone if grandparents dropped in for sunday lunch.
• sloppy ceilings in bedrooms make for awkward furniture placement.

The parking is annoying too, but actually wouldn't make my list of why I wouldn't want it. The price is fair in relation to what else there is. Your neighbours house looks nicely decorated but has the bathroom in an odd place and is effectively 3 bed as you need to access one room through another.

The modern 3 beds are stiff competition - more reception space, decent size bedrooms, sensibly placed bathrooms. One of them has a big garden too. Will be interesting to see if they sell quickly.

You need someone to fall in love with it, someone will eventually.

emphasise that no work needs to be done and it's flexible living space. And more shove on schools, easy access to London/ Oxford.

The photos could be better tbh, but the estate agent might be a a bit rubbish at pics. You could probably do it better.

I sold one house to a couple who seemed a bit hmm- because I said in the garden as they silently looked round - ooh- we have hedgehogs - um, would you feed them if you lived here?:) they went from frosty to chatty - - hedgehogs! Wow and then it was a done deal. They actually offered more than the asking price as it had gone on the market the day before and they wanted to secure it.

Think who would buy it and market for them. Tie some helium balloons in the garden and set up a trampoline:)

Tell the estate agent what to put tbh, and frankly think about changing agents - they have a monopoly on the village by the sound of it and that's not great for you.

Oh it's beautiful! And it's in Enstone, I love Enstone!

Now if only I could find £365k...

Good luck with the sale, I'd be snatching it up!

Oh it's beautiful! And it's in Enstone, I love Enstone!

Now if only I could find £365k...

Good luck with the sale, I'd be snatching it up!

Good luck OP. I cannot see much clutter in pictures, if you keep it that way for the viewers it should be fine.

I have had 11 viewings (+4 tomorrow) and no offers so far and I have come to the conclusion that people want more traditional houses. Just traditional semis etc. Mine is a quirky corner town house and although very tidy, well laid out and lots of storage, that does not seem to be enough. While I am happy here (low maintenance! nothing to repair! low bills!) my next house is going to be traditional for the sake of it.

In the meantime, we just wait! It takes only one buyer to like it!

I think it looks lovely!

Your house looks lovely.

I had a house up for sale in that area last year, and same as you, lots of viewings but no offers. I know several people who experienced similar. I ended up taking mine off and renting it out. The local market just seems saturated at the moment with lots and lots of new housing developments. Unfortunately, a lot of people will go for the convenience of a new build over the character and loveliness of a period cottage.

Don't overdo the staged look. We have recently seen a house that was 'staged' to the hilt, by the owner. Expensive magazines fanned out on the coffee table, fresh coffee made (not that we were offered any!) expensive candles etc. it made us chuckle to ourselves. It was still overpriced!

We have just sold an individually designed 4 double bed roomed family house, after lots of viewings and a while on the market. Our feedback sometimes was ridiculous and if we had put all the reasons together they would have made a really strange house!

We were feeling pretty despondent and we're going to stay a bit longer, then the Agents sent a 'really fussy' viewer. Who apparently had seen loads of property and didn't want a 1960s house, but would look anyway.

You've guessed it, she fell in love with it and we exchanged yesterday.

Do make the changes, but be sure that buyer is out there. You may just have to wait a bit longer to sell. Fingers crossed!