Why isn't this house selling?

[parmavioletmartini]

Posting for a friend.

It's been on the market for over a year.

www.johnfrancis.co.uk/properties/9766921/sales

Any tips much appreciated.

its beautiful and a great finish for the price. a 4 bed period at about 200 sq ft in my area would be £550,000. for that house value it will be the pool, i think it would be a bind financially for me, i could almost afford the house but the pool cost and maintenance would mean i wouldn't want that extra stretch.

i think its just a matter of time because you'll need all things to align at the same time.

No back garden coupled with prices. It is a nice house otherwise but I would not go for it because of the lack of back garden.

Their biggest issue is that it isn't on Rightmove.

That's house house's sell these days.

We didn't register with any Wstaye Agents last time we moved we just searched on Rightmove and Zoopla andade appointments for the houses we liked.

I presume their EA doesn't have it listed on Rightmove because they don't want to pay the fees but they've effectively cost your friend a year's worth of EA fees for very poor sales advice.

I'd move EA, repaint the living room, declutter, retake the pictures and list it in Rightmove.

The only real garden is at the front, you can't sit on the balcony and have any privacy, the pool and decking takes up the whole back garden and is ugly - I say that as somebody who would give their right arm for a pool. I'd want an indoor pool and back garden for that money or a big back garden and smaller front garden.

2000 sq ft

As others have said.

1. Dog. Not in the pictures please.

1. The furniture. Total mishmash. Random filing cabinet. Same chairs used for different places (seating in kitchen and dining room).

1. Cluttered. Lots of random stuff. What does it actually look like lived in and not show pictures. If they didnt even want to move the suitcases or the rolled up picture/map or the music stand and instruments or whatever is in that room behind the odd picture of the bannister for the pictures what is it actually like for people coming round.

1. That fireplace is not a feature really.

1. The big Ikea picture not actually on the wall. Just resting.

1. The pool and decking do not look appealing.

1. Mismatched units in that close up of a sink. Cupboard under sink doesnt look flush.

1. No enclosed garden for kids. No space for a (quiet) trampoline even.

1. Is that a jukebox? Unless you are in a sellers market (London) then your home needs to be in show home condition to attract a prompt sale at that price.

I am not seeing much period character.

I would hope for lovely coving, ceiling roses, original fireplaces etc.

Personal preference but I wouldn't even entertain the idea of living on that road. In the height of summer, it gets far too congested and with all the developments planned for the Bay and Mumbles, it's just going to get worse. I used to work in Mumbles, hence me knowing about this ;)

The black bathroom is horrible. The garden arrangement is quirky at best. This wouldn't totally put me off though. It seems like a nice house. After 1 year, I think I would start again with a new agent and new photos.

I've found it on Zoopla. Agree with others, swimming pool would put me off. Also doesn't look all that for the price.

Have they changed estate agents?
Lack of floor plan is ridiculous.

If it hasn't sold in that long they need to change agents and drop the price.
And they put it on right move. There could be people all over the country with just that area on a right move alert who might not even know it's on the market.

My first glimpse of the front was amazing, it's beautiful. Then I saw the rest.

It's horribly overlooked. I had a brief flash of me lying by the pool freezing my nads off and all i could see were windows of other houses everywhere. I'm not a fan of big front gardens, I assume there's no privacy. Also without a floorplan I can't get a feel for what it is like.

It feels like it's been done up massively without very much feel for what the maximum price for the area is. I agree that a five-bedroomed house with a pool is an expensive item but if you are actually going to hand over seven hundred thousand pounds of the bank's money, it has to be amazing.

The smaller house sold before Brexit, maybe people were more confident?

Is the pool fully fenced in? If not with young kids this would really put me off. Ditto front garden - you say it's fully fenced and private. A picture showing this would really help.

Agee with comments about floorplan, this always puts me off when viewing.

Being really critical- one bedroom appears to have a huge sofa- really takes over the room and makes it look like a living space not a huge bedroom. Also 1 bedroom appears to have a big double but access only from 1 side of the bed and no bedside table- again, makes the room look much smaller than it probably is. Moving the bed over and adding a bedside table makes it look like a big double not a large single.

Apart from that the house looks lovely, if expensive. Hope some of that helps.

Everyone has mentioned right move.

The thing is, for a house of that price bracket, you expect polished, professional presentation of photos and brochure, as well as a tidy, well styled interior. Like another house recently discussed on here, your (reasonable) family things like Ikea bits and office furniture glare out and undermine the quality "brand" of the house. Just move them out of the pictures.

A big one off house needs a floor plan and clear photos titled to match "bedroom 1" "snug" etc.

You have got to give the impression of care and attention to detail or people will think the house is not worth the effort.

The other thing is that any house that isn't the "usual" configuration with a private front garden and larger lawned back garden will take a time to shift. Our village has a few houses like this with a shared drive or other non-standard feature and they have hung around for months if not years, despite being pretty inside. Also there are simply fewer people around looking at that top end of the market and they will be choosy and used to having what they want!

Just seen that the house is west facing, is that the back or front garden? Either way it's not good for the sun for the swimming pool.

Pictures are horrendous- enough to change estate agents, also with no Rightmove listing.

I must say I hate the black bathroom but it looks like it was done recently and I'd feel guilty tearing it out and starting over.

Front pretty and with the suggestion above to improve it that should really help.

Floor plan.

I don't like the pool either but it might not be a deal killer for me.

What is the area like for schools?

I can't see the dog! Feel like I am failing at the Where's Wally game.

Crap photos.
It seems over looked by anothe house - why point that out with a photo.
Small rooms, look like rooms in a terraced house.
Kitchen needs an upgrade
They flooring looks like Lino throughout the downstairs.
Swimming pool is bonkers

The photos give no indication that the front garden is private / enclosed.

It's just not very nice.

The photos aren't great it's hard to get a feel for the house for example why is there a close up of a banister? A floor plan would be really helpful. The pool would be a no no for some and I would have no clue there was an enclosed garden the photos make it look like it ends on the street! I have no idea on pricing in that area are they getting viewings but no offers or neither?

Because only a handful of people can afford to throw £700K on a house and all of the handful with small children will be put off by the pool?

I can't see the dog! Feel like I am failing at the Where's Wally game

Glad it's not just me Duck90 - I've gone back and looked twice.... where is this dog that is putting so many people off?

Offputting -
Lack of floor plan
No sense of what the house is like, tbh
All the garden being at the front - is there really no garden you can use ??
Then, lets be honest, Swansea has a lovely long beach, but it hardly has the weather for an outdoor pool, does it?

No lawn in back garden.
Swimming pool looks like it's been dumped on top of a pre-existing patio and walls without bothering to remove them (what's that curved red brick wall supposed to be doing, and why is there a tree growing through the decking?).
Small kitchen for size of house.