What's wrong with our house?

[sueyandcol1]

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

Take down the picture of the bathroom. No need for it! get them in to see the place.

Sorry but the bathroom is hideous and bedrooms look very dated. It’s probably not the cost of replacing that puts people off but the upheaval whilst ripping it out & replacing. Especially as no 2nd bathroom.

Susan, a lot of places don't have gas. I personally do and love it but have had fierce debates with colleagues who only like electric so it's very subjective obviously!

To this ex-Londoner it's a terraced house and you want nearly a million for it. That aside, it's got good kerb appeal but the blind down in the front window makes me think that you have no privacy - that's probably true of many terraced streets but the blind being down draws attention to it.

The hall is lovely.

The room in picture 3 has a lovely view, I think I'd have a sofa there not a table to make the most of the view - as you've got a TV there it looks like that would be a logical use of the space and maybe more appealing. The room looks like the only place to watch television is sitting at the table.

The kitchen tiles are a little dated; perhaps you could get some tile paint and make them look more modern? I wouldn't bother me in a house round where we live that would cost about £150k max but for 900k it would bother me.

In the pink bedroom, I'd replace the curtains for some grey ones and have a grey cover on the bed as it looks a bit too pink. I'd also consider changing the doors or stripping them and painting/staining them as they look quite old fashioned.

picture 6/7/8 - maybe add a rug (that you can take with) into the middle of the room. Paint the ceiling white, put a picture on the empty wall.

picture 9 - it looks very cluttered with the table at the front of the photo and it doesn't do the room any favours. Move the table and get the estate agent to retake this photo.

picture 14 - move the chest of drawers at the end of the bed and put the stool central at the end of the bed and have the photo retaken.

picture 15/16 - it's labelled as the 2nd bedroom but it's not a bedroom; either make it look like a bedroom or have it labelled as another reception room.

picture 17 - get the photo taken so it doesn't focus on the filing cabinets. Have the room labelled as a study/bedroom 3 not just bedroom 3.

picture 18 - words fail me. This would stop me from viewing. What is in the bidet?! Change the wall covering for something plain and lose the pictures. Remove the mirror over the bath.

picture 19 - replace the table with a nice table and chairs set or a sofa and chairs that you can take with you. Add some brightly coloured pots with ever greens or plants with bright leaves. Give the impression of a lovely outside space where you can dine in the evenings. Stain the fence and shed a lovely colour. Paint the white wall a lovely, bright colour (if it's your wall)

A lovely family house OP!

I sold 2 years ago in London and it I held my price and it took about six months for a serious offer to come through. 2 sales fell through with buyers not being granted the mortgage. Friends with more expensive properties having to drop £60k at a time.

I held price but it was a more 'modernised' property.

When looking for my perfect property I don't give a shit about decor - even a recently decorated property might not be to taste. For me it's about proportions and potential.

Your choice - if in no hurry, keep your price - but if you are a serious seller (albeit not in a hurry), check out similar sold prices in your area. I'd not go with online agency in London.

2 years on people are struggling to sell what I sold for (in a compatible area to yours).

Someone will want to make your home their home but possibly not at that price, or at this point in time.

Think London higher end suburb selling is getting harder....

Singing no, I haven't, but knowing the area a bit and having sold in SW London relatively recently, plus looking at the links other pp have put, something about this one just doesn't add up in the specs/price. I might be totally wrong in my guessing though!!

Wow, there is no need for people to be so nasty about the bathroom suite. The OP has acknowledged that it needs changing. She obviously knows it's really dated. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Overpriced. Especially when looking at other properties sold.

And on top of that would need new kitchen and bathroom. Rip out fitted wardrobes as well as the usual decoration.

When you say average do you mean average or average for a dooer upper? Pretty much the whole house will need to be redecorated. Most of the carpets would have to go. Both of the kitchen and bathroom would need to be replaced. Fitted wardrobes would need to be replaced. It's also quite likely that most buyers wouldn't want a galley kitchen so would factor in the cost of knocking into the dining room. You need factor in the cost of completely redecorating into the price (baring in mind for a lot of buyers this would take a chunck out of their deposit).

Maggie my apologies, I was talking to OP in that second sentence, though I didn't make it at all obvious! It wasn't meant as a critique of your post in the slightest.

Singing ha - the wonders of internet comms. Actually I thought you meant it as a genuine q to me as background my post, and didn't see it as a critique at all!!

There is nothing wrong with your house. It is an attractive looking very standard property.
Interior is very dated - the majority of buyers will be budgeting for total redecoration, new carpets/flooring, kitchen update etc.
I would just put the price down a bit.

It's grossly overpriced. There are 2 houses in the same road, same style that sold for 700k and 875k and they are 4 beds.

I know this area and while I’m no estate agent I personally think it’s overpriced for your road (tho not the Ealing area). It’s a good solid house that appeals but it is also dated as other people have said and every buyer will need to completely redecorate throughout including gutting bathroom and kitchen (I’m sorry - I know it’s your home but that’s the reality). I’m also struggling to think which primary schools you’re in catchment for? (And this would be your primary buying demographic I’d have thought) again this is going to negatively impact price)

I’d also speak to a local estate agent - I don’t recognise the one you’re using currently and this can make a huge difference

I think your pricing is way out. The house needs a lot of money spending on it (sorry, it does look well cared for and very clean and tidy ) but it needs a complete redecoration throughout, new flooring, new kitchen and bathroom. Anyone buying it is going to need to spend a minimum of 50k on it. This will be reflected in the price that they want to pay
Reduce your price by 50k and get it on with local agents

I think it's a house with a lot of potential. I could easily live with most of it apart from the bathroom (but think the kitchen would need changing too if I were to buy it). My last house had a similar garden and I miss that garden - current lawn always needs mowing!

I think it would be much easier to knock £50-100k off the price than to go to all the hassle of having your own bathroom/kitchen changed to attract buyers. Price it appropriately aand they'll do the work.

Can't get over the prices though. You'd get a big country farmhouse with 10 acres and stables round here!

Blimey, London prices....

The bathroom pic does you no favours. I would get it removed.

Is the Welsh dresser in the entrance hall? I find that odd.

Bedroom three doesn't look like a bedroom. Now my own house is currently on the market, albeit with a fourth somewhat meagre bedroom, but I have got a single bed and some furniture in their to prove it could actually be a bedroom.

Otherwise, the house appears dated in style, but clean, uncluttered, and in good order (which is not to be sniffed at given what I've viewed recently). Pricewise I'm not up on London prices so can't comment.

Also, lots of furniture lined up around the edge of a room looks odd and as though you're trying to make the room look larger.

I’m sorry the whole house needs to be redone, certainly at least the bathroom plus every carpet. It seems at least £75k over priced to me. I’m sorry.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but the floorplan would annoy me personally as it has no dimensions on it for individual rooms. That makes it hard to compare to other houses.

You have a lovely house. This is what I would do

1. Hall remove carpet (leave it on the stairs) and hope for wooden floorboards. Is there room under the stairs for a cloakroom? 2)Kitchen - get replacement doors, new worktop and splash backs (Granite Transformations, Dream Doors). Makeovers can be done in days. 3)Paint wardrobe white or cream. Go to the Range or Dunelm and get new curtains and new bedding 4)lounge - Room looks very full with all the furniture in a ring around the walls. Consider moving the chest into the bay and getting a rug. Getting rid of the chair.
2. Bedroom 2 put a double bed in it. get new curtains and bedding. 6)Bathroom get Granite Transformations to clad walls, change bath fittings. Get rid of bidet. Consider getting a "P" shaped bath 7)Photo 19 move pots away from hedge thing. Get a nice patio set instead of green table.

Otherwise as people have said drop the price to reflect work.

Unfortunately Brexit and a potential interest rate rise has really hammered the London property market. You would have probably got that price a year ago but not now. I've a relative who lives in Kingston in a house similar to yours in style and price. They put it on the market at the start of the summer for £880000 and have had 2 viewings despite 2 price reductions and it's now on at £795000

I'm a retired gran, too, and although it's a very nice house think it's almost certainly the price. I know your area is expensive - I'm in SW London - but most of the young families who are presumably your target market, would want to knock the kitchen into the dining room, add a downstairs loo, and change that bathroom. All of which is going to be very expensive, and many young families would find the asking price too much of a struggle anyway.

'Offers over' very often puts people off, IMO.
Have you asked your estate agent for a really honest opinion, not what he/she thinks you want to hear?

There is no doubt IMO that sentiment is changing - it's beginning to dawn on people who've only ever known them to rise, that prices can and do go down as well as up.

Also, if that bathroom is in good nick apart from being brown try contacting broken bog.com. I was stunned when my brother sold the avocado bathroom suite he ripped out...