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Original poster

What's wrong with our house?

392 replies

sueyandcol1 · 07/10/2017 18:15

Hi all. I'm a retired gran living in west London with DH and I would really appreciate some practical advice please.

Our house has been on the market for 4 weeks and we haven't had a single viewer. I know the price may seem high but that's about average for this area. We can't work out what's wrong with it. We know we could rip out the brown bathroom, paint all the walls white, etc, and if we haven't sold in six months then maybe that's what we'll do. But we're just wondering if there's anything obviously "wrong" that we can fix without spending too much money. We just want to get some viewers! Any practical suggestions would be most welcome...

Please see www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/44957399?betabanner_dismiss=1#8IpVgvS6tHJhxHgW.97

OP posts:

JoJoSM2 · 08/10/2017 17:22

I agree that people might want to haggle about 20k but not more significant amounts. Another thing to bear in mind is that when people look online, they tend to enter a price bracket, eg 700-800k. Unfortunately, your house won’t even come up in their search. People who enter 850-1M will expect a lot more for their money.

StopShoutingAtYourBrother · 08/10/2017 17:33

Op - my comments are based on current market. It would have been different matter a year or two ago.

imjessie · 08/10/2017 17:36

You do need to pitch it exactly right to start with though because otherwise the market will tire of looking at it and think something is wrong as it’s been for sale too long then they won’t even want to view or offer on it . I’m amazed the estate agents didn’t explain all this ( I’m not an estate agent but frankly it’s not difficult ) .

minipie · 08/10/2017 17:41

We do appreciate that many potential buyers would want to make costly changes, but we thought people would still want to view and then haggle over the price

But people who only have, say, £750k to spend, will never see your house as they will search for properties up to £750k. Maybe up to £775k.

Bearbehind · 08/10/2017 17:57

It actually makes me irrationally angry that someone who probably paid less than £100k for a property when they bought it and has spent no money on updating it in the last 30 years thinks that the next generation should start haggling from a level that is way over the odds.

Want2bSupermum · 08/10/2017 18:07

bear YABU. A home purchased 30 years ago for even £80k was unaffordable to the majority at that time. Interest rates were insane. The other aspect is that the OP needs to buy/rent a home to live in. I would assume they will spend a good chunk of money on their next home.

Bearbehind · 08/10/2017 18:12

My point is that it's extremely unreasonable to market a house way over the odds when you haven't done anything to make that property significant more desirable than other houses.

It started off at £925k which is insane.

A price in the £700's is far more realistic.

Although, it's clear the market is telling them the price is insane as no one has even viewed it.

Bluntness100 · 08/10/2017 18:23

I don’t think it’s unreasonable nor does it make me angry. I do think the op is being unrealistic and is not open to hearing it’s over priced or needs modernisation , hence my curiosity in this thread and if they were serious sellers.

I don’t think they are actually serious sellers, and as absolutely no one is even viewing, it’s irrelevant really and all a bit pointless.

I’ve never really seen the point of it, but many people put their house on the market at a hugely inflated price and if it doesn’t sell say oh well we shall just stay.

IhaveChillyToes · 08/10/2017 18:32

Is there anything in the thought process that by putting the house on here

The loads more views of website ---- sort of like click bait that we have made any influence to an online estate agent

Sort of like being duped into clicking the website

I am just sort of becoming a bit suspicious of the reason for putting a link to an online house sale then not really interacting with any comments for ages, then coming on to reignite the thread

Are we being used for some weird click bait reason?????????

BriechonCheese · 08/10/2017 18:35

I feel like this is probably a daughter or a daughter in law posting in order to prove to their parents or in laws that everyone agrees they have their price ideas way out of whack.

IhaveChillyToes · 08/10/2017 18:40

Ok Brie that sounds plausible

SingingMySong · 08/10/2017 18:56

Chilly it's always the case that someone can start a thread her and link to their house ad to increase hits. There are 12 pages of comments here and for everyone who comments, there will be many more who just look.

I doubt it'll sell this house though, after no viewings in a month on the market and seemingly out of whack with local market. And I think if anyone did come along and offer a realistic price on the back of this thread, the sellers would say no.

IhaveChillyToes · 08/10/2017 19:05

SingingMySong thanks

I didn't mean that a mumsnetter was going to buy it I meant that the online EA would get a skewed reality of volume of clicks when they log on in morning

That for some strange reason there have been so many clicks on website looking at the house over the weekend giving a strange click viewing of the house

So they would think their (the EA) marketing was better than it really was

DuckOffAutocorrectYouShiv · 08/10/2017 19:40

Offers in region of

Suggests realistic offers within a fairly close distance of the asking price will be considered. Offers of £750-£795k, which is likely the real market value as you know, is nowhere near in the 'region of' your asking price and consequently people will just skim past it to places which represent better value.

candlefloozy · 08/10/2017 19:59

Your house is lovely x

Pixiedust1973 · 08/10/2017 20:20

Very nice house, great location, but 200k overpriced for todays market im afraid!

wowfudge · 08/10/2017 20:35

I.think some posters haven't realised the OP has been back to the thread.

Madreputa · 08/10/2017 20:40

Only one bathroom seems to be the problem. A property that big should have two bathrooms and maybe an extra toilet.

bedtimestories · 08/10/2017 20:43

You have a lovely big house. I would suggest making the most of that by taking some furniture out and some other decluttering including the pictures on the walls. You need to provide a blank canvas so your potential buyers can seem their furniture and themselves in your house

Bumdishcloths · 08/10/2017 20:45

Bathroom and kitchen are outdated - buyers will consider the need to replace these and factor into the price. See also the built in wardrobes. Also decor is not neutral. A family looking to move, and spend that much money, is going to be looking for an out of the box solution, not a project... sorry

napkinsfordays · 08/10/2017 20:51

It's not you OP, it's the market...

QuackDuckQuack · 08/10/2017 20:53

It's not you OP, it's the market...

If you actually want to sell a house then the market in the location you’re in and time you’re trying to sell is what it is. There’s no point pricing for the market you’d like it to be.

Shiftymake · 08/10/2017 21:04

Bathroom needs to be replaced and people see this as a huge expense, but also the kitchen got me as dated, the cabinets doors looked dated to me and would put me off but that is a cheaper thing to fix then a bathroom. All the carpets, a big no but that is personal taste, if carpets are a must then more neutral colorsI Love the green dining room, but would want to take out some of the furniture. Less is more when selling, take out furniture you don't need, add a couple plants to soften the brown furniture in the front room, even take one sofa out or that chair. The hall and stairwell is fine. Same with the the box room.

DuckOffAutocorrectYouShiv · 08/10/2017 21:06

Big house?

It's just over 1000sqft. Hardly massive

WatchTheFoxes · 08/10/2017 21:10

It's just over 1000sqft. Hardly massive

It is large for London. Land is worth a lot of money.

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