Selling property - odd issue

[TweakieNicholls]

We've put our house on the market at the price the agents suggested (and 15k lower than the highest valuation) so I don't think it's way out. However we've had no viewings. When the agents have been asking people the feedback is that they think it's an ex council house, I think because we are at the end of a long street - the other end is ex council but we are private. Any ideas on how we can advertise - I've got the deeds from when the house was built showing that it's definitely always been private but don't know how to promote this and the agent seems a bit stumped!

I also tracked it down on t'internet - the photos are not helping but the lack of kerb appeal is the real issue, I think. Taking down the large conifer in front of the window may help but the garden does need some work (or remove the photos of the back/side), perhaps even gravel the front completely as a drive, rather than the paving/gravel mix you've got at the moment?

Good luck with the sale, it is so stressful!

No, of course it doesn't 'need' anything!

I'm just saying what both myself and my mate said as we were looking at it!

If you can afford a £300k house, then you want a stylish new bathroom. There's a quick £10k gone! Redoing and landscaping the garden areas could easily cost £5k+. New front door, new driveway..

Seriously.. you could easily easily spend £30k (in your head, as a potential buyer!) ...it would put me off.

Just our opinion !

OP didn't see your log burner ! Is it in the fireplace that's the hole in the wall or somewhere else? Maybe move it?

I think it is the curb appeal and price. You need to remember that now everyone uses Rightmove/Zoopla, the 'threshold' before making a viewing is much higher - people look at Arial maps, look on streetview, look at the details of houses that have recently sold, look at the planning portal, look at historic OS maps, google the address (just look at the level of effort people on this thread have gone to to find out about your house and they're not even interested in it!)

It means you'll get fewer viewings, but that also means it will be fewer wasted viewings.

That exterior shot is disappointing and I think it could be improved. I think if it showed more roof it would look less stark. The leylandi-type shrub should be cut down. To me, the exterior electirical pipework and mounted electricity box (I assume that is what it is) does look a bit 'council house'. Ideally you should have a plant-filled flower bed in front of that part of the house, to disguise the box, electrical pipes and drainage) and this would also 'soften' the house - it looks quite stark at the moment.

Also consider painting the front door one of those trendy sage green colours.

Hello, clueless here again waves

The agent has taken some more photos of the property now empty - I've attached images of the brochure (sorry its a bit low quality as you can't zoom in on the photos), however following comments yesterday I'm going to ask them to wait to drop the price until we've taken more new photos after I've been over this weekend, but I'd like to run past people who know a lot more than me if what i'm planning sounds ok.

Outside: Jet wash the patio/paths (believe it or not they were originally a creamy coloured paving stone like this cream stone).

Get some planters for around the front door, and a plant to cover over the gas meter.

General tidy up of the garden/remove the large tree thing in front garden.

Re the back garden, there's not an awful lot I can do with limited budget as it's such a big garden but I think a photo from another angle might help - I actually really like the back of the house, the brick is much nicer than the front, so might get him to do a photo from the back of the garden towards it. StarUtopia commented that there was too much patio/not enough grass but i think that is the angle as the patio is not actually that wide and the grass bit is really big.

Kitchen - fix blind back up to the window (tenants removed, not sure why)

Dining/living room - Add small sofa and chair and large rug to the end near the log burner and a chest of drawers each side of fireplace and some pictures/lamp.

Hallway - not sure why the agent put this photo in the brochure when the other one was so much better! anyway I have a lovely sideboard that I can put back in and some pictures etc.

Front room - not sure what to do about this one. The sofa that is in there in all honesty is too big for the room. I can't really move it anywhere else. So do I remove and leave this room empty? Or leave it in? I've seen on gumtree 2 x 2 seater sofas which would fit better. Would you go to the trouble of doing that?

Master bedroom - I have a bed I can move back in. We had wardrobes either side of the fireplace, I could move 1 smaller one back but the other is huge. I could add a dressing table to the other side?

Smallest bedroom - it is a double bedroom. Should I set it up with a bed? Quite liked Kiroro's idea of making up an airbed - we've got one of those really deep ones so would look OK (but not great). Or can leave it with just the desk in?

Can't do fresh flowers as i'm not in there that often, any other ideas?

Yes, could well be the angle of the photo of the grass outside

Re the settee..just move it to take the pictures. I was literally moving things to one side, letting the agent do the pic and then moving things back. Once the viewer is in the property it won't matter iyswim.

Front room, just the fireplace needs dressing somehow. Wicker basket with logs in?! Or a vase with fairy lights in? Just something. It's all a bit too bare at the minute.

The key is to get the prospective buyers to click on the link in the first place so the outside is most important - first impression.

Plans all sound great

Yes, I would set up the third bedroom with a bed - if its a double, it will differentiate your house from lots of other semis where the 3rd bedroom is really just a box room / small single. A decent sized 3rd bedroom will really appeal to families.

The photos are much better, as I said upthread, its a really lovely house. A few pictures on the walls, lamps, rugs and it will be great.

I think those outside (front) jobs you've mentioned will make ALL the difference. Please upload more photos when transformed!

Go for the 275, it will get people through the door. You won't look "desperate" that's a bit silly, especially as you don't need to accept an offer if you don't want to. Go with the agents advice and drop to that level.

If a price is right the property will sell. If it's not it won't, it's that simple.

A 12% reduction in asking price after 3 weeks does look desperate. That is not a silly thing to say. If I were looking in that area I would be wondering what had been I found to need doing since the a tenants moved out. The EA has hardly provided the OP with a great service to date - terrible photos and poor pricing advice - so I would be taking their opinion with a large pinch of salt.

OP - are those new photos live on RM yet? If not, I really would be tempted to wait until you also have improved exterior photos then relaunch at the new price with everything at once. You could always paint the meter box dark brown to blend with the bricks. Somewhere on here PigletJohn has provided instructions as to how to do that successfully.

It looks so much better without the tenants' stuff in there. I would be tempted to say 'Open plan kitchen, dining and family room' instead of 'reception room' and get the table in a better position and a new photo and a photo of the area around the fireplace in there - you can't see it properly.

I also agree it looks a lot better and some new outdoor photos will do the trick (plus a change of EA).
Same price with a different EA (but maybe an "offers IRO") and then a reduction in a few weeks if you have no interest. Mention period features and emphasise 1920s/period in listing title.

Can I be nosy and ask a) have you got landlord's insurance (rather than regular contents/buildings) and b) is the furniture insured when empty?
I'm worried about showing our house empty when we move but DH is worried about insurance for anything we leave in the house.

Unfortunately I can't change EA as tied in for 12 weeks, so I'm stuck with them! I really liked the owner when he came round (although its now been passed to another office) and they had lots of positive reviews online - this is the main reason I went with them.

wowfudge I've actually asked for it to be taken off RM for now, with all the feedback yesterday I don't think there is any point having it on until I've done all the work, don't want to put off anyone looking for the first time.

drspouse I have landlords insurance. I need to check, I think its ok if empty for upto 45 days. Will phone and see what happens when that expires.

Post some photos when you've done the work OP. Fingers crossed for you.

Check the small print in your insurance - it may say that you have to empty any water tanks whilst the house is empty.

I've not got a water tank but great point I'm here now just switched the water off!

Landlords insurance - when we had this for our property, it was only valid if the house was being marketed to let when it was empty for a short period of time (few months, I think - can't quite remember). We had to get a special policy to cover the empty property when it was for sale.

So finally got everything finished and taken some photos. Not totally happy with the pots out front but not much is in flower! The garden is looking much tidier in general though. Any opinions on which angle looks best for front photo the nearer one or the one showing the path more?

These are my photos btw -am getting agent around tomorrow to take theirs. Here's some of downstairs

More downstairs

Some of upstairs.

Another one of front room - light looks better on this for some reason

Hi there - looks so much better! You've clearly done a lot. It looks so much more appealing: smart yet homely. Much more aspirational too.

The middle of the first three photos as the first one I think. The photo of the back garden should avoid showing the church ideally imo. The fireplace area in the kitchen diner looks lovely.

If you are not going to be there when the EA takes their photos, send them yours as pointers!

One more thing - the blind in the living room should be pulled back for the photos and viewings.

I think it looks very bare op inside. There is very little warmth and there is some unusual design touches, like a picture in the fireplace and what appears to be bedroom chest of drawers either side of the chimney breast in what I think is the sitting room.

I'd look at some cheap jazzy prints , get a head board for the bed without one. Put the pic on the fireplace on a wall. Maybe cheer it up a little? Sorry, it's lovely inside just it feels quite bare and empty. 😔💐

Wow I've just RTFT and that looks way more appealing than before, good luck!