house on the market with no offers

[woolythoughts]

Acquaintenance of ours have put their house on the market:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-59112985.html

its been up for a while but they've not had any viewings. Frankly we're sick of hearing them bang on about not being able to sell (relationship break up so its part of the break up saga).

Was wondering if the panel have any thoughts on whats wrong with the listing so I can give them feedback that might help them sell it (and shut them up in the process).

I know its not very charitable but its like a stuck record.

[Blinkyblink]

It's blatently you OP!

It's overpriced and the front of house looks awful. Nicely presented generally though

[FatherJemimaRacktool]

It last sold for £215,000 in December 2015. Wanting £240,000 less than 18 months later (which is almost 12% more) is taking the piss really.

Particularly since they didn't even get rid of the hideous red bedroom in the interim. Doesn't look like they've done anything except painted a couple of rooms, messed up the driveway, and got part-way through re-doing the garden. The bottom line is it's overpriced. If they want to sell it they need to drop the price. All the kerb appeal in the world won't change that.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

IMO the front 'garden' looks frankly awful, bare and unappealing. I would put in some beds and planting close to the house, and maybe round the edges, too. It needs some green, and that large bare space broken up.
In estate agent parlance, it lacks 'kerb appeal', or does to me anyway.

Some prettying up could be done without losing much parking space at all, but it would cost.
Having said that, some buyers won't care as long as there's parking space, so it could be that the price is 'optimistic'. Unless there's some other intrinsic factor, like next door to a noisy pub, it's very often the price.

[Trufflethewuffle]

As well as all the points already raised, the quality of the details is dreadful. Daughter instead of door to. Have you tried reading them? In some places they just don't make sense.

[RTKangaMummy]

Too dark

Too brown

Don't like brown Windows or conservatory

Orange and purple rooms!!!!

[Mooey89]

If you look at others that have sold recently and others on the market currently they are a good 20k (at least!) lower priced for the same size.

[GoldenWorld]

Not a property expert but these are my comments:

The front is awful. Especially the second photo which emphasises that huge, grey, blank driveway in a very unflattering way. It does look unfinished, like they started to do something to it then couldn't be arsed so just left it.

Living room is okay but don't like the brown decor.

Don't like the brown wood in the conservatory, and it does look like it's used as a dumping ground. They should put a couple of nice chairs and a table in there, make it look like it's used and lived in.

That enormous fish tank takes up so much of the photo it makes the dining room look tiny! They need to take the fish tank out for the photos, or at least take a photo without the tank in. And pull the table away from the wall as it makes it look smaller.

I like the kitchen so that's a plus point.

Pink bedroom's alright but looks unlived in. You can only see a small bedside table and the angle the photo is taken at it makes it look like there's only room for a double bed. You can't see if there's room for a wardrobe, dressing table etc.

Cream bedroom is again okay but looks boring. The bed looks like a prison bed - they need to put some proper bedclothes on! They also need to put some furniture in there and not have that hanging rail - agree with everyone else that it makes it look like there's storage issues.

Decor's not to my taste in the bathroom, a bit dark but it's fine.

That red room looks migraine inducing. Again, it looks tiny, especially with that chair crammed into the corner next to the bed and the bed looks like it takes up most of the room. If the room is really that small having it that colour, especially with the tiny window, makes it seem more appropriate for use as a torture room or cell than a bedroom. Could be poor photo angles but it's not flattering. They really need to re-paint that room and move some furniture around to make it look like there's more space.

Grey bedroom is okay but agree they should move the gym equipment out of the way and put a bed there, or at least a sofa. It would look more like a nice, liveable bedroom then.

The garden looks like a good size and could be a good selling point but it looks boring and unloved. They should put some plants or flowers in, liven it up a bit.

Hope they don't mind all of our critical comments. But they seriously need to sort that driveway out, it looks really awful. Sorry house owners but it's very off-putting. I think they need to reduce the price as a lot of the decor won't be to people's taste so people will have to spend money on decorating, in addition to what some would say is an overpriced house. I don't know the area so can't comment but it does seem like a lot considering the house doesn't seem that big.

[PickAChew]

Externally meh. No greenery at the front and what is that leaning against the side of the garage?

Photos use that weird fish eye effect, so it's hard to trust the photos and there's no room dimensions anywhere in the listing.

That red is very eye popping and shiny and will possibly take 4 coats of good quality paint to obliterate.

[chickpeaburger]

Too expensive and it looks a depressing house to me. The dark wood, the dark colours, the small windows. The first picture of the front garden is dreadful and even if I liked everything else I certainly wouldn't look after seeing that.

Looks like the house has been build in a work yard.

[NotHotDogMum]

The price seems about £10 - £15 000 too high.

Purple carpet in the upstairs room.

Very brown wall downstairs.

Unfinished? Driveway no kerb appeal.

Other than that it's a great property, good layout, neat and tidy, great back garden.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

It last sold for £215,000 in December 2015. Wanting £240,000 less than 18 months later (which is almost 12% more) is taking the piss really.

[Gallavich]

It's always the price!
House prices are entirely subjective and if nobody wants to pay what they are asking then it's overpriced. End of story.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

I'll leave others to the price elements, but:

Pics 1 and 2: The front is ugly! Strangely, if I've got the right house (which I think I have), it looks better on streetview - did they rip out the front garden? All of the neighbours look much nicer. They need to replace the gravel with something not so...grey and get some plants in there, preferably a non-gravel path leading to the front door (gravel, heels...) and some plants.

Livingroom: Get rid of the brown wall, it's a really unpleasant shade. I can normally see past decor but that particular colour is very unfortunate. I'd be tempted to try a shuffle of the furniture as that sofa under the window looks wedged in and makes the room look small, whereas I suspect it's actually giant DFS sofa-syndrome (why are those things so enormous btw!). The ceiling lights are very dated and ugly, and the textured ceiling is pretty offputting so it would be worth getting it skimmed (or stripped if it's just paper) and getting some modern lighting in there too.

Dining room: Rearrange, move the table so it's in the middle of the room rather than being a focus. Move the fishtank out for the photos too. I'd also repaint the goldy coloured wall to match the others. Same issue as livingroom re ceiling and lights

Kitchen: Pretty much fine, although strip lights are pretty ugly and tend to give off a very nasty shade of light and again with the textured ceilings. A multi spotlight bar or similar would look a lot better

Conservatory: just looks like a dumping ground. Don't suppose it's big enough to house the fish tank and the giant sofa?!

Photo 12 (pink and purple room) - now, these are all colours I like but NOT IN THE SAME ROOM with a giant black bed. A dark carpet especially might well put people off, but I think if the room was otherwise toned down it might help. Maybe get rid of the pink wall, paint it lilac to match the bedroom and get some nicer, floor length and not so skinny, cream curtains to make the window look nicer. Plus a mirror or picture over the bed, again light and bright

Photo 13 (and 17) - it's a cream box, put some nicer bedding on it and straighten the lampshade and it would be ok. And take down the clothes hanging on the wall, it suggests storage issues.

Photo 14 - bathroom; agree with others about the colour scheme, the mix of golds and greys isn't great. Painting the walls white would probably tone down the effect though. It's also a dreadful photo which needs to be retaken by someone with a clue; when they're doing that they should take the baskets off the windowsill, the pink washer off the bath and the blue "Baths" ornament out - everyone knows what the room is for!

PIcture 15: Nuke it. Alternatively, paint it cream, take the chair out, put a small bedside in and hang some curtains. And lose the pink lightshade

Picture 16: I don't like the wallpaper but it's at least light and bright so less bothered by changing it, but the treadmill needs to come out and a bed needs to go in as it currently looks like a dumping room which created concerns about storage (especially combined with the conservatory dumping ground)

Garden: A few plants wouldn't go a miss, but it's not offensive and I don't think would put people off as such - but it's a good size and could be a selling point if done better.

And, for the love of god, lose the bloody wicker hearts everywhere :D

[AgathaF]

Front needs a dose of kerb appeal. Plants, maintained fences, and a better angle for the photo.

Inside needs neutralising. Brown wall in the living room is awful, as are the purple carpet and walls in the bedroom and the red room. Get the white paint out and get painting. Mainly it's bland throughout.

Conservatory needs dressing to look like a conservatory, not an extra and unloved storage area.

Back garden needs some planting and some nice patio furniture.

The property looks overlooked but there's nothing that can be done about that.

[drinkswineoutofamug]

The fences are mis matched, drive way looks scruffy . Needs some plants .
The brown living room wall looks like a poo sample.
The dinning room , why is the fish tank a main display and lack of use of the conservatory
The purple room and the red room , makes it look like a whore house I was expecting whips and chains.
Like the bathroom . Loose the gym equipment in the nursery room . Other bedroom needs making into a bedroom . Kitchen ok. The back garden again lacks personality . Paving round the raised bed needs finishing and yet again flowers . Cut the lawn too.

[wowfudge]

It's overpriced. If it weren't, they would have had viewings. The photos nearly all show artex ceilings, they are dark and there are no decorative touches to inject life and colour. Why is there a pile of spindles in the conservatory?

It's a nice looking house, but it lacks appeal in the photos.

[Stormtreader]

£240,000 for a not-amazing house in Bridgwater at the back of Sydenham? Unless the area has changed massively since I lived around there, no chance.

[InDubiousBattle]

It's too expensive. If a house has been on the market for a while and isn't selling it's pretty much always because it's too expensive according to me estate agent friend. He has sold some absolute shit holes, I mean literally, he once sold a house that had actual dog shit on the floors during a viewing......but the price was right. Tart it up and drop the price.

[mollyminniemo]

Immediate thoughts:
Awful first exterior photo- the angle is wrong as house looks looming and negative- too dark an image and they really need to soften up their front garden (actually everything!)- buy some planters/flowers & plants to break up the rather ugly grey expanse, hanging baskets to add softness and colour/

Living room- bad arrangement of the large sofa by the door- almost blocking the door- put the sofa in storage if they can as dominates the room and blokes a free flowing entrance to the room- bad.

Appalling photos generally by the agents- the bizarre image looking in on dining room with fish tank in the way- why??! You can’t work out the room at all from this- all just adds to confusion about house layout.

If they can be bothered- painting kitchen units off white would make massive difference.

Bedroom- again too dark- bright deep pink/purple wall will appeal to very limited buyers as would the carpet- soften this up with paler rugs /one large white rug and paint the wall.

Horrendous orange red wall in other bedroom- again needs painting neutrals / pale beige/grey or off white.


The whole house feels incredibly cold- there’s no softness at all in soft furnishings/neutral but warm wall colours etc- all feels looming, jarring and cold. If they spent £500 on hiring a decorator to paint walls and kitchen units/bought some planters and plants for drive and bought a few more rugs/pictures for walls- it’d get much more interest.

[twofingerstoEverything]

Very, very close to motorway.

[Kokusai]

No room measurements or total square footage - this is VERY IMPORTANT

I really don't like the house, both layout and style.

[Kokusai]

The photos are terrible. I could do better on my iphone. They need to be retaken pronto.

Dark rooms.
Furniture too big.
Decor is a bit in your face.
Driveway is stark - get some planting in pots by the front to improve kerb appeal.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

You can buy a new build down out to your own specification for the same price within a mile.

No way would I pay the same asking price and then have to spend the best part of £20k redecorating and replacing the kitchen.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Looking at the market info from the house link you could buy a much nicer house for less money in the area.

[SpaceDinosaur]

It has zero "curb appeal"
Mismatched fences
Dark
Tarmac
No flowers or anything "nice"