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No viewings yet... Advice please

204 replies

Home2Sell · 18/05/2017 12:38

We've put our house on the market but have had NO interest or viewings yet. I know it's still early days but our neighbours (mid terrace) sold within a week or so and we haven't even had a sniff of interest. Any advice??

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66209135.html

OP posts:
Iamastonished · 18/05/2017 15:59

“For everyone saying the kitchen would put them off, do they not think that just buying new doors and drawer-fronts in their choice of colour and cabinet design is a reasonable option?
I'd never consider a seller's choice of kitchen putting me off, as long as all the units were standard sizes and I could change them so very easily.”

But some people, like me, just don’t want the aggro of doing that just after I have moved. I have lived in a doer upper, and been through a kitchen refit, and quite frankly, don’t want to do so again. Also, replacing kitchen units isn’t cheap.

“I don't think the house looks sterile, I'm surprised at the comment”

Same here. I think perhaps a lot of posters live a more “relaxed” lifestyle when it comes to keeping a house tidy.

SoupDragon · 18/05/2017 16:00

^For everyone saying the kitchen would put them off, do they not think that just buying new doors and drawer-fronts in their choice of
colour and cabinet design is a reasonable option?^

Door fronts, drawer front, side panels, kick board, oven splash back.... and I have a personal dislike for shiny floors and black granite worktop/upstand bit.

Whilst pure decor wouldn't put me off, major things like kitchen and bathroom that I couldn't live with would.

coffewithmilk · 18/05/2017 16:04

We are house hunting at the moment ( not in your area) i don't mind the blue fence in the garden but mabey to much with the blue shed as well, mabey that could be painted white? The black kitchen is not everyone's taste but you could try to get better brighter pictures.and the price. Our ea also recommend us to go for a 95 ending price rather than a round one as psychologically most people feel it's cheaper so I'd change your price to 295000 and not negotiate.

wishingitwasfriday · 18/05/2017 16:13

The first photo suggests you have a drive and garage but the particulars state a drive opposite the house. Which is it? If the garage isn't yours then I would retake the first photo with the house being the focus.
Also I really dislike the black kitchen, and as the end units are black on the side this would cost more to replace, as you can't just replace the doors.
I agree about the blue in the garden as well and I would use this time to reprint and then take more photos.

WizardOfToss · 18/05/2017 16:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheGoodWife16 · 18/05/2017 16:19

Beautifully presented house but I really dislike the kitchen. As mentioned above, could you change the doors to white gloss? It would tone down the huge stamp of black colour and brighten up the room. I know you love it, but so many people here have mentioned it being an issue that it's got to be what other people viewing your property online have thought too.

Maybe add some pots for greenery in the garden and paint the fence to a more neutral colour. If you've had no viewings whatsoever, it's always either price or an issue with decor that would potentially cost ££££ to modify.

Best of luck!

Waltermittythesequel · 18/05/2017 16:22

If the garage doesn't belong to your house then you definitely need to retake that picture!

MrsF1 · 18/05/2017 16:25

The garden needs some much bigger plants (even if you put them in pots to take with you!) to break up the 'blueness' and the garden furniture could do with moving into the patio area rather than it being in the corner as it makes it look like you're stuck for space. Everything looks nicely presented. I'd be tempted to swap the black toilet seat for a nice white one as other have commented. And to be honest, I think I'd be getting a quote to replace the upper cupboard fascias/doors with white ones to lighten the kitchen. Also, another vote for actual estate agents rather than online ones! If you stay with Purple Bricks, I'd thin out some of the photos. If you show too much in the details online, there's nothing to encourage people to view. Good luck!

ChicRock · 18/05/2017 16:27

As I'm flicking through the photos I'm knocking money off for a new kitchen, bathroom, and redoing the garden.

You might strike lucky and find that 1 in 1000 people that love your kitchen, but if not, it's overpriced, plain and simple.

StarUtopia · 18/05/2017 16:31

Lovely house.

I wouldn't view though for the same reasons as a lot of others. Kitchen is far too black (maybe you could change the floor?! Cheapo lino?) so I'm already mentally factoring in a new kitchen (plus the mess factor)..

Also, no garden. That's going to cost a fortune (in my head, probably not in reality)

That blue is OTT - so that's another two days of labour for either husband or a gardener to sort out ...more £££

Dislike purple carpet, so that's another £200 for cream neutral carpet...

Blue bedroom needs doing...

It all just adds up to...I'll view somewhere else.

It is lovely but a very specific taste. You need to make it more neutral imo.

bilbodog · 18/05/2017 16:40

Take as much advice as you want to but also realise that the housing market is slow at the moment and always goes particularly quiet in the run up to a general election - so hang on in there a few weeks and see if anything happens after the election.

7to25 · 18/05/2017 16:42

Change the purple paint in the master bedroom to a pale grey and white bedding.
Cheap fix. Done.

usernoidea · 18/05/2017 17:00

Crikey op...some harsh comments....
Are you sure you're glad that you asked now?! X

ShotsFired · 18/05/2017 17:00

Iamastonished I think perhaps a lot of posters live a more “relaxed” lifestyle when it comes to keeping a house tidy.

I think you mean me Grin Horses for courses.

All I know is that I have bought and sold two houses that had more sign of human existence in them very easily - one was an ex council flat in a grotty area and a really shit kitchen but still sold within 10 days, after a minor bidding war.

Like I say, I'm not talking about fresh skidmarks down the loo, but seeing a bit of bedtime reading or a pair of slippers by the door isn't going to send me screaming for the hills.

GuntyMcGee · 18/05/2017 17:02

My first thoughts were that the living room looks tiny. All we see is a TV and a sofa - do you have another sofa or space for one near to the patio doors? We don't see a shot of that part of the room so at face value it looks only like you can fit a two seater in there and it looks nowhere near big enough as a family home.

Kitchen is far too shiny. It looks like every horizontal surface in there is reflective, including the floor, which gives a cold, clinical look. It somehow needs softening and making more comfortable. I really don't like the black gloss cabinets and that would be a major price-drop or walk away factor for me due to the need to replace the units. Do you have any other dining space? It looks quite cramped as a kitchen diner from the photo - table pushed against the wall - how much space do you have when the table is pulled out? Could a family comfortably sit around it for all meals?

The conservatory looks cramped. Either take out a piece of furniture or repurpose the room. As it is in the photo it looks like you have to squeeze past furniture to get out of the doors.

The bathroom that's shown is a little dated but wouldn't put me off as it's clean and in good condition.

The garden would also be a big off putter for me. It's very stark and empty with those slabs. The blue fence and shed is quite jarring and there is nothing which would invite me to spend summer evenings out there.

Remember that you're selling a lifestyle with your house. What I'm getting from the photos of yours is that it's small and shiny - so lots of cleaning and upkeep to keep it that way - and that you don't use your outside space at all. Personally I don't get a comfortable, cozy and relaxed vibe from your photos. I feel that it lacks comfort and warmth.

Home2Sell · 18/05/2017 17:11

Thanks for all the tips. Will have a think about what we can do. Changing the kitchen is out - too pricey!! We have put some more potted plants in. Most gardens round here are tiny so ours is generous in comparison!

Not sure where the info about schools came from - we are in catchment for Radyr primary & secondary and both are over-subscribed!

Slightly worried that people think the house is sterile - it is usually like this! Think we may have over trained the boys to tidy up as they go along Blush

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 18/05/2017 17:24

I'd just soften it really. I'd repaint the garden fence and shed, a soft green is a good idea,put some nice plants out there and move the furniture closer in.

If I could afford it, I'd replace the kitchen floor, and I'd take away rhe lime green accessories, it just makes the black even more obvious and I'd maybe go for some stainless steel or cream accessories and some plants.

Lostwithinthehills · 18/05/2017 17:34

Another thought, the toilet in your en-suite looks like my old toilet, which was the cheapest toilet available when I bought it. I don,'t like seeing what looks to me like a cheap toilet, it makes me suspicious about the quality of the other bathroom fittings and I wouldn't want to be lumbered with that toilet again. I know it's a slightly left field thought!

Bearbehind · 18/05/2017 17:39

OP, several of us have pointed out the discrepancies between the photo of the drive/ garage and the description- which is correct?

Stuff like that makes a big difference.

Etymology23 · 18/05/2017 17:44

Ahh, I hadn't realised the two blue bedrooms were different rooms either! Thought there were only photos of two of the rooms! My bad, but could be worth making more obvious somehow?

Home2Sell · 18/05/2017 18:06

The garage belongs to our neighbour. We have a drive opposite the house.

OP posts:
specialsubject · 18/05/2017 18:17

Certainly an unusual kitchen and some fence painting to do, but it looks like your main issues are inaccurate details, misleading photos and an agent with a terrible reputation.

BritInUS1 · 18/05/2017 18:26

I think your house is lovely, however there are a few things that would put me off

  1. The picture with the garage in is very midleading, I would include a picture of the drive
  1. The kitchen - I wouldn't buy a house with a black kitchen, it's just so dark. To me it screams £££ would need spending to sort this out
  1. The blue fences just don't fit with the property. Might be a cheap fix, but I wouldn't want the hassle of doing it
Bearbehind · 18/05/2017 18:27

I'd definitely get the first photo retaken then.

That is a most odd set up and given people aren't rushing to view it now the last thing you need is a bombshell like that coming up if they do view.

Purplebricks are shite if they've photographed the drive like that and can't get a better shot of the kitchen.

User06383 · 18/05/2017 18:29

I know you chose it but that kitchen is a monstrosity.

The rest of the house looks fine in a generic new build way but the kitchen really stands out as awful. Sorry!