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Original poster

At our wits end!

72 replies

Bunnyfuller · 06/07/2017 19:12

Title says it all. We've been on the market since Sept last year and apart from one good offer from a seller who hadn't sold, and who then dropped his offer another 40k below the asking price when he got an offer, that's been it.

We were with Tepilo for the first 6 months and it was horrific. Not one viewing, and testing out the platform it became apparent it didn't work reliably, and Tepilo didn't respond to phone enquiries. They also vastly over-valued and we had to drop it quite swiftly.

We then went with a tradional agent which is where the offer was from. This time we were very confident, looking at local prices, that we had it right, and had a feeling the EA was just pushing us to accept the offer which would've drastically affected our property choice moving forward.

We've been with another one 6 weeks, and we've now dropped another 25k, as the market is incredibly slow now.

Our feedback is always 'house is amazing/gorgeous/beautiful but garden too small or not enough parking. We have a large drive thru for 2 vehicles but the road is narrow and does look crowded when neighbours have visitors etc. But we cent change those!

I don't know how to put the link up but on Rightmove it's SG189NG, £399'950.

Any ideas please? Be gentle, I'm really fed up after yet another viewing with 'parking not enough'. The house is big, and looking locally it's a lot of house for the money. Thanks in advance

OP posts:
namechangedtoday15 · 06/07/2017 22:36

I think all listings should have overall square footage in now - i'm a right move addict and I'd say 99% do.

StripyBlanket · 06/07/2017 22:48

I think it's just a matter of waiting until the right people come along. If you think the price is right there's nothing else you can do really. One thing about the car port. We looked round a house that had one and they had paved beyond the car port to create an extra space.

StripyBlanket · 06/07/2017 22:49

And another one we looked at had put a garage door on the front - think they said it cost about £1000

Original poster
Bunnyfuller · 06/07/2017 23:39

Do you mean paved backwards, stripy? We couldn't go forward as its pavement in front with our dropped kerb. We did toy with the garage door idea, that is potentially a good idea - we did start looking into it but building regs were a bit if because the electric meter is in there, and we would need to alter downstairs cloak window into a fireproof one - lots of regs around integral garages apparently. Also, people don't seem to use their garages for actual parking! If we converted the drive thru there's no extra parking.

So annoying, none of this entered our heads when we bought it!!

OP posts:
Heartoverheadhouse · 06/07/2017 23:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PapaLazarouLDN · 07/07/2017 08:27

I would ask the estate agent to put normal pictures up. Those stretched pictures look stupid.

I don't view houses with stretched pictures because I know they are trying to hide something / give a false impression, so I then don't trust the agent.

wowfudge · 07/07/2017 09:05

If you are getting viewings then the EA's presentation and the price are not the issues - it's the quirks of the layout. It won't be for everyone, but someone will get a lot of living space for the money.

I think it's the kind of house you almost have to tell people how to live in. From the photos the dining table needs to be repositioned and that ground floor space given more of a family room space feel. Lots of people knock down walls to have that kind of thing so maybe zone the presentation in there.

I suspect it can't be done because of the kitchen layout, but somewhere to sit and chat actually in the kitchen would be useful and appealing.

The first floor living room can be sold as an adults' retreat or somewhere older kids can hang out and watch TV.

Do you do the viewings or do the agents? I kind of think that you might be better doing the viewings to explain how the house 'works' and do things like have a car parked in the car port and demonstrate there is plenty of space, suggest gates or doors can be fitted as has been done at X house round the corner and so on. We briefed our EAs so that they had as much info as possible because of the layout and made sure they could see the potential of the house.

RandomlyGenerated · 07/07/2017 09:46

Can you reorganise your family room so the dining table is where the sofa is and put the sofa and TV together? Then you have flow from the kitchen to the dining area. The unit the TV sits in looks huge and makes the room feel smaller, I'd be tempted to lose it if you can. And I personally like to be able sit on the sofa and see down the garden.

Changebagsandgladrags · 07/07/2017 10:16

I think it's a lovely house.

The only thing that would put me off in terms of the house itself is the carport, it just seems like a wasted space to me. Have any of the other neighbours converted theirs? Not saying you should do this, but it's something that the new owners might be able to do easily down the line.

On the school checker, the school in the village says requires improvement. That would perhaps put me off, and I might look nearer a school with Good/Outstanding. If this isn't the school your children go to, I'd leave some bookbags in view during viewings.

FiveShelties · 07/07/2017 10:52

It is lovely.

My last home was a three storey, which sold immediately. One of the things I requested agent to do was to not use the wide angle lens as it makes photos look bizarre - stretches things out of proportion. Some agents use a professional and this makes a huge difference - may be worth paying for.

We also had one of the bedrooms on the top floor as a second lounge room and this did not seem to put anyone off viewing. I would make a dining area to show viewers there is room/place for dining table.

I would move patio table and chairs on to patio or lawned area if not enough room on patio - they look as though there is not enough room where they are.

Good Luck

SparklyPyjamas · 07/07/2017 11:33

The losers on the HousePriceCrash (HPCer's) site seem to be having a good ol laugh at this thread.
What is a HPCer? These are usually (but not always) angry men who believe there will be an almighty crash in house prices of between 50-80%. What they are too stupid to realise is that if they simply bought when they could have nearly all of them would have been in a much better position and not spent tens of thousands living in a bedsit. However, even though they have got the housing market unbelievably wrong they are all experts in the economy, forecasting, money, investments, currencies and each will tell you they have hundreds of thousands if not millions stashed away ready for the spectacular crash that will happen soon. Have a look, this little bunch really are hilarious.

StripyBlanket · 07/07/2017 11:58

Hmm Bunny I will pm you as I don't really want to be talked about on another forum,

wowfudge · 07/07/2017 11:58

How do your posts help the OP of this thread @SparklyPyjamas?

monsieurpoirot · 07/07/2017 12:17

I really like it. The only things I would want to change would be adding a utility room (big house not to have one), and putting a garage door in front of the car port, as the hole looks a bit ugly imo. What feedback have you had from the agents on why it's not selling?

BackforGood · 07/07/2017 12:17

I don't know the area, so can't comment with the price, but, I'm looking for a 4 or 5 bed house in that kind of price range.

The things that put me off yours though are things you can't change...... mainly the parking. I have 2 dc who now drive. I've driven into "new" roads like your where there is no parking, and not even bothered to contact the Estate Agent. It would be annoying but do-bale to have to move one car to get the other out all the time, but I'd just b wondering where dd is supposed to put her car and then whenever people are round (not just the odd party, but boy friends/ girlfriends / mates of dc, / grandparents over for tea / people coming to meetings etc. Even if your current neighbours don't have lots of cars, it seems statistically likely that people who can afford 4/5 bed houses are likely to be older couples with between 2 and 4 cars each. ... and your neighbours could sell.
I also would be very put off that everyone who comes into the house has to walk through the kitchen to get to the living space.

Sorry - all things you can't change, but things that probably I'm not the only one to be put off by.

monsieurpoirot · 07/07/2017 12:20

Also that house would cost 100-200 k more round here and I'm further north than you. Seems like a bargain to me!

Changebagsandgladrags · 07/07/2017 12:33

Sparkly is just bring to our attention that we're being laughed at by a bunch of blokes who haven't shaved in days, and have just managed to tear themselves away from the Playstation to take the piss out of people discussing things that they wouldn't understand.

I'm just taking a break from counting my cash gained from my house price rise...

wowfudge · 07/07/2017 12:51

Ha ha!

We had steady viewings for our quirky house and only one offer. We did sell to the people who made that offer, but it did take some work and we accepted less than three agents told us it was worth - we were able to buy our current place by passing that on; it had been on the market for two years.

Original poster
Bunnyfuller · 07/07/2017 16:12

Thanks all (apart from the HPC thing?! Not sure of the relevancy and as they can't buy it they don't interest me!)

What jumps out at me is still there's many things that are either personal preferences (the ones that only one person has made reference to) or things we can't change.

The pics were a professional! Previous feedback had said the pics didn't show how big it is! Go figure! We have had the family room the other way round and trust me it looks lots smaller.

I honestly think it's the leap to the 'grown up living room' upstairs that is too much of an ask for some people (we don't even notice it now and it's lovely being able to separate kids crazy/gaming/cooking from more adult focused quiet time. As I said about the carport - people don't seem to use garages as garages, and the carport is the allocated parking for the house. I take on board the comments about multiple car families but having looked at most new builds going up locally, this seems to be a theme now. Shame the planning departments aren't stricter on the builders.

Oh well, there's a mini estate of 10 exec homes jammed together gone up nearby none under £900k (that's the 4 bed!) so mine'll look a bargain soon! Or maybe I can just move and rent it out at over my mortgage cost to one of these 'happyrenters' on the HPC thingy Wink I might throw in a free PlayStation.... (Is Happyrenting short for 'Happyrentingthankfuckihavearoofovermyheadnow'?)

OP posts:
bilbodog · 07/07/2017 17:10

The market has slowed down now and will probably slow even more as people start going on holiday etc. Your house layout is not unusual for a 'town house' - they always have the main sitting room on the first floor. I think it looks fine as it is - if you declutter too much someone will come on and say it looks unlived in! Sounds like you have had some interest from people who need to sell their own. I would just stay where you are and make sure the agents keep in touch with all the interested parties in case they go under offer.

If nothing happens over july/august perhaps relook at the price then, compared to those around you. Good luck.

Original poster
Bunnyfuller · 07/07/2017 17:53

Pardon me, rents blokie. I thought piss taking comments about threads on other forums was now the thing. And how is having a pop at renters any different to having a pop at buyers?

MNers, thank you

OP posts:
Changebagsandgladrags · 07/07/2017 18:39

I didn't even know that taking the piss out of people on other forums was even a thing.

Quite entertaining though.

I bought my house for £275,000 in 2007. Hoping to sell it soonish for around £450,000. I want to buy another house in a different area for around the same price. In 2007, those were also £275,000. Not sure how this is making money out people like happilyrentingbutbitter. If prices drop, I'll sell for less and also buy for less...

Back to your house. Like I've said, it's a lovely house. Catport issues, if all the houses around are like that then that can't be the issue.

Why do you want to move? Maybe that might throw some light on what's wrong...

Original poster
Bunnyfuller · 07/07/2017 18:52

We're looking for a character place with a big garden, so total opposite to this. Same as you, change we're looking at about the price ours is up for, but willing to sacrifice a bedroom for the garden/countryside. We picked this as it was so convenient when our girls were tiny, but we have the energy and time now to have something more rural and less focused on young child ease (which this house has tons of!)

Our estate agents have said it's a very funny market at the moment - often looking for the impossible in the price range. The new build estates are going up like mad, and with massive incentives which we can't obviously match, so we think a lot of upsizers are headed to those.

OP posts:
planetclom · 07/07/2017 18:57

The market is slow, but that is a nice house and although I don't know the market where you are. I think it looks fairly priced.
I am assuming it was a new build when you brought it as they take a long time for the market to catch up as they are always sold at a premium.

I am house hunting at the moment and one thing that royally pisses me off is a room which is not a bed room being described as such unless it is really a extra room which can be anything. So for instance there is a four bed I looked at and love 1 bed room is on the ground floor. But a sitting room, study, conservatory, kitchen, utility room, dinning room and large hall way, this room is definitely spare and able to be a bedroom, unlike the houses I have seen were the room is clearly the dining room.
and this one is extreme with the bedrooms Norfolk Road, Canterbury, Kent, England
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-42387180.html