At our wits end!

[Bunnyfuller]

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

The trouble with the new builds is the builders often do part ex deals and then sell those on at cheap rates. I've seen in one area places being advertised at 20% less than when they last sold 3 or 4 years ago.

I know that estate. Lovely area for families.
Good luck.

I would stage it all a little more. Can you get your hands on a really big dining table? Pop that in the middle of the downstairs sitting room and move the sofa to the side (perhaps where the TV is and then you can watch little kids whilst your cooking) - I think a lovely big family kitchen/living space would help sell it. I'd also put a bed or desk or sofa bed in the 5th bedroom.

Some new builds have gone up around here and I was shocked to discover from someone who moved in that you have to lay your own garden. I assumed they came turfed, but hers is just a mess of mud.

So, that's something you have that a new-build doesn't.

Your answer hasn't thrown up any problems you have with the house, so it's not like you're projecting anything negative.

I love the table idea - the one we have is an IKEA cheapy, bought when there were v dirty toddlers and not much money. I will broach that with DH. And we have a sofa bed we could stick in bedroom 5. I have to say that is an EA thing, we've always used it as a study.

These things would put me off- I accept some are superficial but they would put me off:
The drive thru- don't like the idea at all. Or the way it intrudes into the back garden. Hard to get past this one.
Pictures are poor- in lots of them it looks like there isn't much natural daylight - particularly the two top bedrooms.The order is awful.
The clutter- plants and 'ornaments' everywhere, curtains with big flowers on them, the bright green room.
The dressing room and ensuite look really cramped. I would get rid of the washstand.
I would remove some bits of furniture, the clutter, the orange pine and buy plain cream curtains everywhere. I am not being rude - our house isn't homes and gardens. Your house is a lovely home but if you want to sell it I think you need to create a sense of light and space.
It does not seem over-priced to me.

Lovely house! I'd view it if I was looking in that area! None of the stuff people have mentioned puts me off. Maybe try swapping estate agents again?

Is it all new builds in the area? I'm not keen on new builds at all, but I love the upstairs living room and wee dressing rooms. I think it's just a case of the right buyer.

Thank you, lulu - what photo order do you suggest? I think they've put it kind of living space, bedrooms, relevant bathrooms.

I take on board your comments about how the house is decorated, overwhelmingly (listening at the bottom of the stairs!) the feedback has been 'omg it's decorated so beautifully, I love the colours' etc. Etc. Ditto from the 5 estate agents that we've had round. I think our issues lie more with outside than inside. The comments haven't been fake, and there's been a genuine emotive response ( related to us by estate agents) and we've been told the colour schemes and mix of antique and new furniture give it a very warm feeling you don't get in 'stripped back' houses. Our comments have all focused mainly on outside space.

I'm racking my brains around the family room layout as I think that's a really valid point and trying to hink of how to change it without spending on furniture we won't need moving forward.

I really love the constructive suggestions, it's really interesting viewing your own property through another person's eyes. EA go so far but generally they seem reluctant to be that 'critical friend' and (judging from some of the places we've looked at, or even pics on Rightmove) seem lairy of giving you the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Saying that, there's some stuff gone that we've said is bloody hideous (think neon lighting and white sterile shiny everything and 'themed' bedrooms) so I guess sometimes it really just is a love match.

Your decor is not to my taste, but wouldn't put me off at all. I'm really intrigued what the feedback has been have i missed that upthread? Surely it can't be the parking if that is the same on all the estates round you?

Same with garden- yes it isn't big, but not small by new build standards. There must be something else unless the market round you has really ground to a halt- which I also doubt!

Poirot - the last house to sell on this estate was last October and it is one of the bigger ones with a v long drive and garage. Parking is mixed but the problem is so many don't use their drives on the weekend which is when we get most of our viewings. Living day to day is fine, but obviously when you have your snapshot as the street full it must be off putting.

Our estate agents have said its a really peculiar market at the moment - people expecting absolutely every box to be ticked, such as our sized house but with a large garden - but expecting it at this price. If you look generally at the area we're fairly priced, if not lower than some smaller properties.

I don't think it's the presentation - looks lovely and although no house is going to be 100% to someone else's taste, it's "normal" reasonably contemporary, not wacky styling which shouldn't put people off.

Do you think it's worth marketing it as a 4/5 bedroom house or 4+ and re-labelling the bedroom next to the living room as Study/Bedroom 5. If people only search on Rightmove etc for a 4 bedroom house, yours won't come up if it's 5 but that's probably more where your market is ie it's probably great space & value for a 4 bed but possibly not much downstairs space for a 5 bed?

Good luck - it must be really frustrating.

Decor wise it's completely fine and looks like a beautiful home. The thing that would put me off is the lack of useful dining space the way you've got it laid out. I like to sit at the dinner table with dc, even for breakfast most days, and it looks like I'd have to faff around pulling the table out. Clearly a buyer could alter that but it's hard to visualise for some.

That would be seen as a massive garden round here!

Thank you thank you. Going to move the table out a bit in the short term (we use it fine but it is generally pug-proofed) but am going to look out for something a bit more solid to upcycle. We'll also look at replacing the tv unit with something a bit less 'functional and smaller. Although it's flipping fab for kids junk/DVDs/games stuff!

We are looking to move to somewhere with a bit of character so wouldn't be taking that anyway. Once replaced we can look at moving things around again.

And no, neither the puglet nor his detritus or smell are present for viewings!

In terms of the photos, I think they should start at the front door, hall, and then a journey downstairs, first floor and then second- no jumping back and forward. They need to be taken showing better light.They make your bedrooms on the second floor look very dark and the kitchen look almost like a corridor.

I agree with the person who said about a proper dining area. The family room looks as if the table is squashed in - not one you could have friends round at. Could you get rid of the TV and anything else in there and just have the dining table set out at the bottom and the sofa at the top with some stylish lighting?

That sounds like a good plan Bunny

We're currently buying a property but sold and bought (offers accepted) before the election. I'm no expert but I imagine the uncertainty of the coalition is putting people off. I still regularly check rm and nothing is selling here and nothing new is coming up either. It's weird but in do think it will settle again as people can only hold off moving for a time. Hang on in there.

Re square footage - in the USA that's how homes are valued but certainly in the south west of England I've never seen a home advertised with the sq footage and if I did I wouldn't have a clue if it were good or not. I looked at bedroom sizes as my main criteria. Moving from a home with 3 double beds to 4 beds with less actual space due to bedroom 4 only fitting a toddler bed was pointless for us.

Thanks Lulu.

Will certainly speak to EA re photo order (whe ive rechecked it). Won't be completely changing family room to a dining room only tho, as the flexibility of that room is something people go 'Oooh this works for us' young kids, eating, homework and playing/watching is one of the reasons we bought this, and we're glad the family room is double the size of most traditional dining rooms in houses like this.

Wow those HPCers are really quite aggressive aren't they. What's hilarious is they then pick on another post with their cries of 'delusional' etc, and then a couple of days later the OP says they've sold

Good luck OP. I don't think there is anything major you can do - either someone likes that style house or not - but better pictures and stating the floor area can't hurt.

Op I am staggered by how much how you can by with 399 I am in tight 2 bed terrace and its far more expensive than yours - I am down south!

I think its a lovely house and for small dc a really good size garden, I also cant see issue with car port. Looks really well done to me, for people that want that.
My only comment would be to really neaten up the bushes in your garden, they are straggling and will make space seem smaller, really clear it out for the bench at the bottom and then in decor - I like it -some of the " feature" walls colours are a little strong for my personal taste and can make room seem smaller but other than that....its lovely"

We're only 30 mins from London on the train, jasmine. Very lucky, easily commutable but in the countryside. We're 2 mins from river walks as well, kingfishers, otters, lots of buzzards, herons and little egrets, deer etc. 2 airports within an hour, a big park in the village and towns near enough for shopping etc. Everything we basically bought it for!.

Lol the bushes have been trimmed, did it at the weekend in the heat (fun). Thanks for your views, hopefully the tweaks will finally hit the right family!

I shall ask EA to use the HPC photoshopped pic of our apple tree - best apples we've tasted but maybe a money tree might attract more interest (there's a Mrs May booked in for weekend.....)

I take it these HPC also don't buy anything like food or furnishings - they go up in price with time too...they don't seem to realise the price is set according to all of the market - why would we say 'no we'll sell at 2009 prices but buy at 2017' ???