Why can't we sell our house!

[cocomom]

Long story short we've accepted 3 different offers off 3 different people all for them to 'change their mind' in less than 72 hours.
Lowest offer being 5k under asking and highest full asking, I think this is now really affecting our chance of selling as our house has been STC on rightmove three times now only for it to pop back up a few days later

I'm not sure everyone has the same view as you in that they want to move in and completely decorate. Lots of people, us included, live for months and sometimes years with the previous owners decor in various rooms because finances dictate doing so. We had the previous owners kitchen for 4yrs as the new one was 25k all in and we simply couldn't afford it when we moved in. The only things that were done immediately in fact was the ripping out of the carpet in the bathrooms and downstairs loo.

In fact I've never bought a house that I could then afford to completely redecorate in the short term, however hideous it was.
Good luck.

@cocomom It must just be us but I wouldn't never live in a house I haven't decorated, I wouldn't buy a house and keep any paintwork or lighting original because it wouldn't feel like my home.

Well there you go then - answered your own question. You are the top of a budget range but people viewing might look at it, sigh and think of the massive cost to redecorate every room + gardens etc. It's too perfect in a way!

At least with magnolia paint you can make a room look different just by a picture or throw on a sofa. With that wallpaper, it's right in your face.

I've just had another look at photo 10 of the garden. Most families would want to see lawn from that dwarf wall back. I'd be wondering how much a digger and skip would cost to get rid of all the extra paving. Your decor is stylish but not to my taste and because it's dark I'd want to change it straight away so those are just immediate things that would make me think twice. But like all houses, at the right price they'll sell.

I think it's in lovely condition.

I do think it needs a bit of softening as there's lots of hard surfaces inside and out and I think balancing with textiles or colours may help.

When I was looking at the photos I did find the wallpaper overpowering and distracting.

If I were making an offer I'd offer below asking price because I would have to pull up the hard paving at the back and install a bath. Both of these I'd have to get someone else to do so that I could have a usable bathroom and garden. So £££££.

Just planting in the garden and maybe a bit of redecoration wouldn't bother me as I could do that myself and I wouldn't be looking for a reduction in price.

So I'd say it's a little overpriced.

I honestly think when it comes down to it, it's your garden that's your main issue.

I posted last night to say it is beautiful, however I didn't expand on that because I was in bed

It really is beautiful however I wouldn't buy it personally. I wouldn't live somewhere with one open plan living area. I just cannot see how that would work for my family. I realise this is outside your control but maybe you can look at who you are really selling to? I cannot see my parents being interested in a house so modern and yet the lay out and outside space doesn't really work for a family. If I could get something cheaper I would. You said yourself - It must just be us but I wouldn't never live in a house I haven't decorated, I wouldn't buy a house and keep any paintwork or lighting original because it wouldn't feel like my home so with the theory I am sure you would agree that a well presented house won't attract a premium as the same level of work will still be required to make it to the buyers taste.

Fingers crossed you manage to sell it soon. It is a shame you did not take the advice first time round when you posted, maybe you wouldn't be in this boat!

I've just tried to catch up on some PP.
Accepted offers have been from a wide range of ages and needs from a single divorced woman, hers was she didn't like the parking on the street when she drove down a few times after offering
One couple with a child who loved it and couldn't get a mortgage because their house sold for a lot less than they expected
And final buyers was a couple on their 50's with a teen daughter, they weren't from the area and it was just slightly out of their commute and something closer came up in the mean time all factors we couldn't change unfortunately.
All the other viewers with the 'to modern' comment have been retired 70 somethings which I get, it won't appeal to them!
Offers on the table are from two couples in their late 40's early 50's looking to buy their first house together as a new couple

I think you've just been unlucky from the feedback. You've had 5 offers on your house! 3 fell through for reasons completely out of your control and 2 are waiting for their houses to sell.

I would agree that you should change the listing slightly with less photos and the blurb maybe more angled towards family life. Maybe change the price to 'offers in the region of'. And ask the agent to 'relist' it as then it'll pop up on searches that are set to new listing (that's what mine is on, I don't look at things that have been on a while as I have already dismissed them for one reason or another).

We've changed agents because of all the things that have happened I won't go into detail about that but as there was a cross over it's didn't go on as 'new to the market'
I didn't realise they could re list as a new property again, I'll be ringing asking them that later.
Also we have it priced that way because we do want more than that and if it's set at say £165,000 it doesn't show up high on rightmove because of their pricing brackets, this was our EA's suggestion.
The offers we've had and accepted are;
£167,500
£165,000
£163,000
And offers on the table for when they've sold are
£163,000
Every EA I've spoken to have just said how incredibly unlucky we've been with buyers

You need to make it easier for people to imagine themselves living there. Currently, it looks rather too 'clinical', as if no one lives in it. I would have a few items such as fresh bread on a breadboard in the kitchen, maybe a bowl of fruit, some recipe books on the worktop, that sort of thing.

The garden needs to be more appealing. I would put a table, parasol and chairs out there, as well as plenty of large tubs of plants and flowers.

It is presented as a house for people who don't own anything they are attached to.

A relative lives like this, she would love it. Every couple of years she chucks everything out and goes to Dunelm Mill and buys everything matchy-matchy brand new.

There is nothing wrong with this at all.

However, you are selling a bungalow, so if you sell to older people, it is likely they have furniture and sentimental belongings. There is nowhere to put this stuff in your house. If you sell to a family, they will have toys to store. At the minute all I can see are a few soft toys out of reach on top of a wardrobe. This is not family friendly.

The garden is ugly and unsafe. Looking at the tiny trip-hazard blocks sticking up around the edge all I can think of is how much it would hurt to fall over them onto the slabs.

You need to forget how much you have spent making it look the way you want it and detach emotionally from the decor. In a nutshell, it needs to be priced to take into account it needs major work.

I think the marketing needs to be geared towards families rather than retired people. I agree that the wallpaper in the living area is rather overwhelming and needs to be toned down, but I actually like the "clinical" look. I would have preferred another loo or bathroom as well.

It is very personal to you decoration wise. I couldn't live with a lot of it as I love muted colours but it does look very clean and I would be delighted about that. You obviously care for your house.

If I was you, I'd

1. take up the slabbed garden and lay turf.
2. paint the blue fence
3. paint the side of your garage white. It currently looks very unappealing so painting it and putting some large planters there and along the back will make a dramatic difference.
4. put a table chairs and parasol out there on the new dramatically smaller paved area
5. if you can bring yourself to change the black wallpaper too then this will soften your room and increase its appeal.

I am properly grinding my teeth because this is exactly what we are currently looking for, but unfortunately Wigan is a bit too far away for us!

The proportions are great and I love the fact that the kitchen and bathroom don't need doing. I'd want off street parking but you could look at a dropped kerb for the front - and also I'd want to lift some of the slabs at the back (sorry!) so that you could have some lawn and flowerbeds. But the house itself is great. I can't comment on whether it's overpriced for the area or not, but it's within our budget and we are specifically looking at bungalows with at least 2 beds - so there are people out there who will want it I would if you could pick it up and move it closer to Manchester

It's the garden. Looks tiny and what grass there is looks scruffy. Sorry.

Also the house is super neat and tidy but it's really not my style. It's so monochrome that it looks like those pictures which have just one tiny spot of colour picked out. It's quite cold in my opinion.

OK, now that I've had a wee vent!!! cries at the thought of never being able to find somewhere

Decor - it looks great but the first thing I'd be doing is stripping wallpaper and slapping paint on. I like very neutral decor as I get my colour from photos and books and furniture. Some people like feature walls but they are very marmite.

Storage - I'd echo the advice about 'dressing' the rooms a wee bit more. The declutters rooms look really well and it works for me as I can work out what I'd put where, but some viewers need a bit of help as they struggle to imagine what it will look like with their shelves/desk/drawers in place. A few extra bits and bobs can be really helpful for people to get the hang of the scale.

Garden - this is the biggie for me. I love gardening so yours would be a great blank slate for me, but lots of people don't have the time/experience/inclination for a project. It looks very spartan at the moment, so I agree with the advice to paint the garage and the fence and slap some pots and planters out. You're lucky with the time of year because Aldi and Lidl sell cheap plants and bedding flowers, compost etc. - so it doesn't need to cost you a fortune. If you could pick up a cheap garden set and parasol it will help finish the garden and encourage people to imagine themselves sitting in it. Treat it as another room in your house and dress it accordingly.

I like the kitchen and bathroom and the bedrooms are a good size. If I bought it I would need to change the black and white wallpaper but that's by choice. The living area looks small - only room for one sofa? The dining table is pushed against the wall - I would want space all around it so everyone can get to the table easily - is there room to do that?

I would worry about the costs involved in taking up the slabs in the front garden and removing the piles of slate pieces and in the back garden there would be substantial costs in turning it into a garden with a seating area, lawn and flower beds.

The garden is completely dreadful and if I viewed it I'd see the slabs were expensive but know if have to get them out so wouldn't offer based on that. Both front and back garden are completely soulless. You need some plants!

The interior of the house isn't to my taste but it's clean and bright and is easily changed.

I also think saying things like gardens can be changed and baths can be put in you're missing the point - yes they can but it's hassle and inconvenience and many buyers just aren't up for doing the work. Especially putting in a bath when it's the only bathroom in the house.

You are competing with this one:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64578212.html

OK, more expensive but screams "family home" and is much warmer and more welcoming. Garden much better and two bathrooms.

or this one

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-59040481.html

Conclusion: yours is overpriced.

We are in a better area than these two, where we are in a less than 3 mile radius prices are dramatically different, one of them is on a large housing estate which only has one exit and people queue to get out on the school run not to mention where that estate is placed, and the other one is opposite a large park which lots of teen gather on, it has caused massive anti social problems.

The kerb has been dropped it's a double driveway, we was told to move cars for pictures.
I can consider picking it up and moving it to your area @PaulDacresFeministConscience

All the feature wallpaper, neglected garden and textured bathroom wall would put me off.

The decor is quite specific to your personal taste so may be putting people off and all of the exterior needs work, gardens look very unkept compared to the inside.

OP, why do you think you can't sell? Lots of posters have suggested things but you clearly disagree.