A 'waiting for viewings and offers' support group?

[TheWanderingUterus]

Not quite ready for the 'in a chain' support group (please please don't let it be too long!), but we have just put our house up for sale and are waiting for viewings. Mostly cleaning and primping and procrastinating, with occasional adrenaline bursts when the phone rings.

Anyone else in the same position wanting to share the angst?

Wandering, I hope you don't mind me chiming in with more advice re the lounge...

It is long and corridor like and the photos don't do it any justice, you definitely need to dress it differently. But there's easy ways to redress the look of a corridor.

I'd separate it into two areas. All it needs is to have the chairs orientated to two distinct focal points. So for instance, ask your dh to move his desk, it's adding nothing to the room and making it more awkward to sell as a comfortable living space. I'd move your to unit to the front on the room, so it's on the left of the door as you enter, move the sofa that's there at the minute to face it and where your husbands desk is bring the arm chair up from the back wall and place it turned at an angle to frame the 'tv' space so it's facing the tv and creating a slight zone to the front of the room. Then make the fireplace the focal point of the back of the room. Leave your other sofa where it is. Maybe add a rug between it and the fireplace to bring that space together as a zone as well.

I'd also try to group your pictures on the wall above the new positions for the two sofas so they're focused into two spectate spaces.

There's a lot of throws over things. Chuck them out, choose one accent colour that you can use to tie everything together and either get one throw to use on one of the sofas and a couple of scatter cushions in the same colour for the other chairs and sofa or maybe try to dye the sofa covers of they're removable. It's easy to do with a couple of Dylon machine dyes in your washing machine. Then if you decide to get a rug use a bit of the same colour through it.

The plastic storage box of stuff and the beanbag need to go even if just lifted out for the sake of the photo as they make it look like you have a lack of storage... You don't! You've a massive utility and storage area out the back.

Please don't read this a criticism, your home is lovely, but this is just a maximising it for the market strategy (from selling our own and taking advice from various estate agents and way too many I I lectures missed in years gone by in preference of stupid morning daytime tv property programmes!)

Also, take the purple throw off your bed, the colour isn't in keeping with the rest of the rooms decor and such a strong colour pulls the eye unnecessarily

Is there any reason the picture of the front of your house is 30% the hedge of the bext door neighbour too?

It looks (as a buyer) like there's maybe something the photographer was trying to mask? The picture of our house way crap because the next door neighbours had unionist flags up for the 12th of July (we're in Northern Ireland) which would be off putting to a huge section of buyers so he took the picture at the most unflattering angle of the house, but it cropped out the flags. I'm sure it didn't help us get viewers in but understand why he did it (we subsequently lost a buyer because of the flags but that's a different thread)

If there's no reason or nothing to mask I'd question that photo with the EA too as not showing the property off at its best, after all it's the first image that comes up it needs to be the best it can be.

I'll shut up now

Can I join? We are back on the market again after our chain fell through. Very bloody dispiriting

Thanks NotAMammy.

The hedge is just a fast growing boundary hedge that needed a trim. That has been done, as has the greenery around the door. The estate agent was supposed to come and retake the picture this week, but hasn't. The neighbours on both sides are lovely, tidy and friendly, both sets have children in (or going to start) KS1 at the school

Will have a real think about the lounge space and the bathroom.

Storage space is definitely not something we are short of and I didn't realise we were giving that impression. Lots to talk about with DH this weekend.

Sorry if we seem overly critical, by the way. It does seem like a nice house, but I'm sure not as lovely as your next!
ocelot if you can handle the critique, send us a link!

Ocelot, sorry your chain fell through, onwards and upwards though. A friend of mine is in a precarious chain and it's so stressful. The woman she's buying from had originally said she was going to move in with her daughter when the house sold and now they've fallen out and the woman is looking for somewhere to downsize too. They went from thinking thud be in before Christmas to an indefinite wait while she fannies around looking from scratch!

Lovely house. I agree with others about the living room. As the details refer to a fire place maybe you could include a photo of that as well if it looks nice.

Mostly the place looks great in the photos so the next bit is nit picking- in the kitchen what is on top of the microwave? In the living room I think the box with the green things in looks a bit untidy. In one of the bedrooms there is a poster that just looks out of place ( the Your country needs you one.) Could there be a photo then put it back - but that's just my opinion so maybe Others will like that its different.

That's all really really helpful alias, thank you. I didn't read any of it as a criticism. I'm not sure I quite follow your explanation about the lounge, but I'm going to read it again tomorrow when I am less tired!

All the throws are due to newish kittens and their claws, the furniture underneath is not in good condition thanks to them - the one on the bed keeps them off the pillows. Might still have to cover them but can look into a more coordinated look. In the ten minutes I had to talk to DH this evening he already agreed to ditch the desk and we have a small pot of money we can use. I wish I could afford someone to do it for me!

The storage thing is important I think, we have a lot of storage, a lot more than comparable houses in the area. Big understairs cupboard, cupboard in the office, utility, large loft, brick shed in the garden which the agent didn't include in the particulars. I don't want to give the impression that we don't.

Ocelot, so sorry to hear that, what happened?

Didn't mean to capitalise "others" it is one sentence.

Singasong - it's a wooden breadboard on top of the microwave, will move that. The green things are DS's beloved Minecraft papercraft blocks, will move them. The poster is DD's beloved Star Wars poster. Delicate negotiations required there as she doesn't want to move house as it is. Hopefully I can get a picture when she is out!

The fireplace is nice enough, gas fire rather than a real one though. Thank you for your advice! I am a little worried now that I"ll make this house so nice that I wont want to leave after all, it's already 50:50 as it is!

Ha! Wandering I did the same, rearranged everything for the photos and now much prefer it like that and wondering why we had it like it was before I'm blaming DH .

Ah - I thought it was Star Wars. As I said it doesn't seem to fit - would she be OK taking down a few of the things that are more "girly" and leaving Star Wars and rock stars just so it is all similar? If it will be there on viewings I think it would be best to have seen it in the photos especially if it is opposite the bedroom door or it could be a bit of a shock. (And for some a nice surprise.)

Thanks for asking Wandering. Thought we were all set to exchange after answering LOTS of inquiries from their lawyer for two and a half months. Turns out their buyers dropped out a month ago and no one told us. The EA said he wasn't told either. Not sure what to believe any more. Really down - just want the stress to end

and Ocelot. I can't believe they'd pulled out and no one told you! The whole system is so precarious it's insane. I hope things look up for you. I'm half minded to take ours off the market and rent it out to avoid some of the uncertainty.

Thanks for the sympathy. Its been horrible. I can't believe we are having to start all over again. We also moved away in Sept to take up a job offer in another part of the country. So we have been paying for a rental flat and our house for months. Going to be a VERY tight Xmas. I hope you all have better luck

New to mumsnet, just want to say sympathy to all those in this situation. We went on market just prior to Brexit vote, we are in top 10% re price range for our town, and having thought our house was so lovely it would sell easily, we are struggling to get people through the door and no offers. Feedback is lovely house, tricky parking and too big! Any advice welcomed.

I have no advice just sympathy. I think the market has just got the heebie jeebies and people are waiting to see what happens. When we dropped the price the EA was confident he would get people through the door today but we got no one. From what I understand about where we are (London), prices haven't changed (apart from the zillionnaires end of the market) but the overall number of sales is down quite a lot. It's just a lousy time to be selling I think.

Did you take the house off wandering?

wandering

Me too house going on market on Wednesday desperate for it to get snapped up we have seen something we would LOVE ! Can only hope will post link for helpful Criticism next week

Hello to all the new people!

I'm so sorry to hear that ocelot, it must be really dispiriting to have to go back to the beginning again. Fingers crossed for a quick and easy sale in the near future for you.

Its all been a bit dramatic here. We spent yesterday talking to other vendors in the area, those who sold recently and still on the market, did some extra investigative work etc. The catchment area is so small it didn't take long! In short, the result of that work was a bit of a shock and combined with the terrible communication and lacklustre photography/advice, we decided to take advantage of the 14 day cooling off period and leave the agent.

As there are two houses we still really like, we arranged to have a meeting next week with someone else to talk through our options. We might be back on again next week or in the New Year.

I think that's a great step. Your photographs weren't doing the house any favours and the description didn't sell many of the features that are really strong selling points. I'm glad you had the 14 day cooling off period and were able to take advantage of it. At least it's been a positive experience in terms of finding out what to ask for with your next EA! The extra storage and parking etc is such a plus point. In fact I have to thank you personally because we've just signed the contracts on our new house (whoohoo) and will be putting on an extension, but something was niggling at me and taking to you has made me realise thee is NO storage in the house we've just bought! So I've been thinking hard and can up with a plan to add in a large cloak room into the floor plan of the extension which will save me many hours of misery kicking 'stuff' out of the way in my expensive but not up to family living requirements extension!!!!! So thank you

Come back and link us to the new photos when you're back on the market so we can see the difference xx

Wandering what a big decision. Hope the new agents are much better.

ocelot that's awful, you poor things. I hope you find buyers soon.

Our agent has said the market in our area is not bad, they are advising to drop the price as apparently other houses are selling okay.

We viewed perfect-location house today. DH really liked it I now have to number crunch and work out the minimum we could sell this place for to be able to afford it.

Unfortunately I've now fallen in love with perfect-location-house and all I can think is "Squeeeeee!!!!! I want to live there I want to live theeeeeere!!!" which is not conducive to hard headed financial decisions.

Getting excited for you Giraffes! Hope the financials all work out and you can squee around your new perfect house in the new year!

Thanks alias (WOOHOO on the signed contracts by the way!), it wasn't pleasant but I think it was the right decision. One of the people we talked to pointed out that the garage is so rare in the area that it should have been the second picture on Rightmove, then we realised a picture of it wasn't even on the paper particulars! It also didn't mention the dimensions anywhere, which is pretty important - especially as we can fit our seven seater estate car in there and have still have bikes, work tops and shelves at the back.

I'm glad I was able to help you too! I have become obsessed with storage after we viewed a four bedroom detached new build on a lovely estate. It looked lovely on the plan etc, but as we wandered around we realised that it only had two small cupboards in the whole house, and there were only three small single rooms and one double room. So we would have lost out on all the extra living and storage space we have in this house, lost a double bedroom and gained just a single bedroom which is no good for guests. The agent tried to tell us it would fit a double 'but you have to leave the door open and you can only get out of one side of the bed'. .

We've been busy today, new bathroom bits bought in accent colours and a whole new lounge arrangement. One piece of furniture to collect tomorrow and some cleaning and I can post some photos on here for you lot to pick apart.

Wandering you'd have to wedge the door open and only use one side of the bed????? are you kidding? I'd have told him to wise the feck up? That's a ludicrous thing to say....

Can't wait to see the new pictures, sounds like you've taken everyone's advice onboard. Which is lovely. I hope you see the benefit of it and don't end up thinking we're all crackpots!