Your comments please on selling my "difficult" home

[zoesp148]

I am in the process of trying to sell my home (thanks to my divorce) and I have only had 1 viewing and offer. The couple who put in the offer pulled out after 3 weeks stating they decided they didn't want to live in the country after all!!!

The property went on the market at the beginning of September and I despair as I should at least be having viewings. The house is about 10 mins from Hever Castle and in the catchment of a good primary school.
I attach the link and I would REALLY appreciate some feedback from the photos and blurb. Please be honest be interior and exterior. If I can afford to make some cosmetic changes I will. Not quite sure what is putting people off but something is.
platformproperty.co.uk/property/?propertyID=101581000373
Thank you

[RavioliOnToast]

Your house is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Really honestly lovely, I agree with PP though, the front of the house should be the first photo and it should be on right move and zoopla. I've never heard of the one it's listed on.

[Isitjustmeorisiteveryoneelse]

1. Is the price realistic for the area?
   
2. You seem to be in the area where DFLs will likely look to move to upsize/ruralise themselves so are you on Tepilo and Purple Bricks too?
   
3. Agree with other PPs, expect to see frontage and kerb appeal first. After going through your other pics, it's unfortunately obvious why the frontage comes last. Just doesn't match up with standard and quality of the rest of the house. In particular the front door. Get a new front door and as for the bland off road parking area, how could you pretty it up?
   
4. Inside pics do seem to focus on your fab decor and not the room proportions. E.g. Your family bathroom looks lovely in terms of fittings but I'm not sure from the pics how big it is. Bedrooms too much focus on the beds and gorgeous bedding.
   

That was all meant to be constructive, hope it comes across that way because frankly you have a flipping gorgeous home, I am sorry for you that you have to leave, I hope you are reconciled to that and I wish you the best of luck. Hever is bloody gorgeous.

[user1471549018]

I would view your house (assuming it was the right price for the market) it's on budget with 4 bedrooms. However, I don't like the layout (master on a different level, have to walk through lounge, stairs in kitchen, no hallway), there's hardly any storage and I'd rather not have a modern bungalow. It's not ideal, but it wouldn't 100% put me off. It may just be a case of waiting longer for a buyer because of these issues...

[wowwee123]

the photos look like theyre off the fixtures and fittings rather than the rooms if that makes sense.

it is lovely but as others have said a bit 'show home'.

[PotatoBread]

It looks a lovely House but the website it's advertised is shit. It took forever for the photos to load and then ages to scroll through. I gave up so still have no idea what the outside of your house looks like!

[domesticslattern]

The Platform Property site is not working for you. The photos are only showing in extreme close up and they are difficult to scroll through. I am having the same experience as previous posters here.
The Rightmove listing is better.

[FlamingoSnuffle]

Your house is beautiful.

It would be helpful to have a photo of the utility room, and scrap the high up photo showing your house in relation to your neighbours but apart from that it is fine.

The layout may put people off and the crashing pound maybe another. You can't do anything about either of those aspects.

I can't comment on price so maybe that is an issue.

[HellsBellsnBucketsofBlood]

Photos on right move are better than show up on the first link (where it is just furniture or odd corners of a room).

Looks lovely to me, and I assume priced about right for the area. It might just be that the market isn't moving well right now.

[Drquin]

Two things for me - the photos, whilst they show beautiful rooms / decor / furniture don't give much idea of scale / room layout. I know you've got the floor plan .... but one of the bedrooms, you really just see bed & side table, no idea if there's anything to the side of the bed.
The other is that the bedrooms don't seem as well "co-ordinated" as living spaces. Very nice, but a bit "mismatchy, which is a fine style .... just contrasts a bit with the cool, calm Scandi-grey elsewhere.

The price - hopefully you've got that right for the area. The style of house & layout ..... is great, I'd buy it. Doesn't appeal to everyone though - which no property does - you only need one buyer though

[Manumission]

The woodgrain PVC front door is awful; It screams 1970s provincial bungalow. What you really want is something that hints at that gorgeous modern interior. Or at least something much more neutral, ideally timber. Soft grey, sage or off-white.

Something like wisteria trained up the porch would also really help, but even buying a large (expensive) climber, there's probably no time for that so maybe a very large potted shrub to one side - something colourful?

And, yes, then get the front exterior shot put nearer to the front of the slideshow.

[Follyfoot]

For me, it would be the the balance of the huge kitchen/diner/family room against the small sitting room that would put me off. The family room end of the kitchen diner looks very bare and not cosy with the 2 chairs, the sitting room is small in comparison with just one sofa for everyone to sit on. Maybe the family room could be made a bit more comfortable, the sort of space you'd want to spend some time in? Otherwise it might look like a very wide corridor. It is lovely inside, but maybe in a Homes and Gardens way, rather than in a way that potential buyers can picture themselves in.

Best of luck!

[littlemissM92]

It's absolutely amazing!! I love it! X

[TheCrowFromBelow]

Honestky I don't think you need to change anything yourself. Your house is beautifully presented and looks well kept. I wouldn't go for pots etc outside at this time of year to be honest. You do have a somewhat limited market due to layout and being chalet bungalow, but cosmetically isn't much wrong, and you liked it enough to buy it- someone else will love it too!

Re photos: I would ask them to use an exterior shot earlier and get rid of the arty close ups - best to use photos that show the extent of the rooms rather than chop rooms in half. You aren't selling - for example - garden seats.

Rightmove is by far and away the biggest property search website, you will miss out massively if your agent is not on there! what has your agent said about the market and viewings in your area generally?

[Iggity]

It's described as having two bathrooms but aren't there 3? Family plus two ensuites and cloakroom. I think it's lovely.

[SoMuchRoomForActivities]

My parent's house is laid out the same - upper level all master suite - and there was huge interest just for that alone.
There's only two reasons for lack of interest; poorly done photos and price. The photos are fine, if in the wrong order, so I advise researching the price again.

Very best of luck!

[DesolateWaist]

Utterly beautiful.

However I think the problem may be the layout.
I don't like the idea of coming straight into the living room from the front door.

I see three bathrooms too, however it seem to be listed as two.

[doyouseeme1]

I'm looking on rightmove and photo 5 and 6 of the kitchen and family room have the same table, chairs and rug appear in both even though they're different areas - pic 5 it's in front of a door and 6 is in front of open space. Do you have the table twice or has the estate agent moved it to fill the photo? If the second it would make me feel like you're trying to fill space and its too open. I think you need different angles of some of the spaces as it's confusing. I do really love your house though! I'd move in tomorrow and the bedroom situation wouldn't put me off at all.

[zoesp148]

Thank you to everyone who so kindly took the time to respond. The property is listed on Rightmove
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61217705.html
I agree with all your points:

1. chalet bungalows are a niche and narrow market - not much I can do here
   
2. the front lacks kerb appeal - do you think a contemporary front door and plants under the window would help?
   
3. the interior is a bit sterile - will go to Ikea and get some bits and bobs. I am a minimalist at heart but agree this doesn't suit everyone.
   
4. main photo should be the front of the house - will ask EA to change this once I have done something with the front.
   
5. Price could be an issue but I should at least be getting viewings.
   
6. Photos should be wide angle of bathrooms and bedroom. Will get EA to reshoot when I have made them look a bit softer.
   
   Fingers crossed, will keep you posted x

[idontlikealdi]

If you manually search on rightmove it doesn't come up OP.

[elfonshelf]

I live relatively close to you and bought 18 months ago after spending nearly 2 years looking, so I've spent quite a lot of time looking at listings.

The main problems you may find are:
a) a lot of people in London are hanging onto property right now rather than making the most of the whacking rises in equity and moving out.
b) while a lovely house, you won't tick the 'quaint country cottage' that many people want in the Edenbridge area.
c) bloody Southern Rail take the whole branch line to Hever down everytime they have a strike - this may well put off people looking for a London commute who are reading the papers/watching the news right now.
d) the layout - downstairs bedrooms won't appeal to all, but for some they will be a major plus.
e) chalet style - some people really don't like them.
f) the house is beautiful and there is absolutely nothing that needs doing which will be a major + with some and a bit of a - with others. Really looks lovely in the pics.

Unfortunately nothing you can do about any of those, except ultimately drop the price if you are really getting nowhere.

I would get rid of the photo that looks down the garden and really shows the neighbours properties - makes the house look much smaller than it is.

Tart up the frontage with some plants and change the front door - Farrow & Ball treatment required basically. Make it look a bit more countryside chic.

I don't think you are overpriced for the area. Hope things pick up soon.

[NickNacks]

doyouseeme1 that's the same room looki at different ends. Have a look at the floor plan and you'll see the stairs are at one end of the kitchen/ diner.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Whilst you can follow your direct link if you are not on Mumsnet if you go on Rightmove and click through,
For Sale
Then put in the town
Edenbridge
Then put in the price. I put between £650000 minimum and £700000 your place is no where to be seen.

[Artandco]

With the bedrooms as they are, I would be tempted to market as a three bed bungalow, with the upstairs set up as a lovely work from home study and playroom. That way people with young children could see the potential of having three bedrooms downstairs near each other, and a large space out the way for work or toys

Also, the 'family' room part of extension looks very empty and small, but I think it's actually quite big? Any chance you could borrow a small sofa of someone and picture it as a second full seating area

[leccybill]

Yeah- is this a Rightmove quirk? I noticed it when trying to search for my friend's house too.