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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:
tsarista · 07/10/2017 21:29

There is no lawn!

Too much furniture everywhere... get rid of some into storage if necessary.

IhaveChillyToes · 07/10/2017 21:30

I would not bother to update anything cos in the house we just got that had been decorated before sale we just repainted all the walls to our colours

I would get a plain white toilet seat & lid for £20

But would borrow a bed from someone or buy a couple of air mattresses to make a bed in room 2

Carpets, kitchens, bathrooms and paint colours are personal choice so you might put in white and they want stainless steel or oak

I don't like decking myself but others do

Don't know about price but it does seem expensive but if you think fair price then ok

Bearbehind · 07/10/2017 21:33

There really is no point in spending money on renovating that house prior to sale as it just won't be worth it.

I get that it's your house and you do not see it as others do
OP, but the very fact you've had to ask what is wrong with it is testament to the gap between your taste and that of potential buyers.

As other have said, most people would want to knock the kitchen through into the dining room so replacing the kitchen is a waste of money.

People don't want to spend the best part of a million pounds and have just 1 loo either.

It's a 'doer upper' and needs to be marketed as such with a price to reflect that.

Getting work done in London isn't cheap, plus, when it needs such a huge cosmetic overhaul you'd rewire and change the boiler etc so it's mega bucks.

overnightangel · 07/10/2017 21:36

Never ceases to amaze me how much location affects a price. Could but a house like that and do it up nicely and have change from £200k where I live.

Garden/back area is beautiful and clearly well looked after.

Kitchen cupboards , bathroom and fact it looks "grandmotherly" with the decor carpets and pics probably put a lot off though. (

Bearbehind · 07/10/2017 21:36

I would get a plain white toilet seat & lid for £20

How on earth would that help?

It's a brown bathroom suite- how would a white loo seat help?

That is quite the oddest advice I've ever read on the property threads Hmm

overnightangel · 07/10/2017 21:36

*pinks not pics

IhaveChillyToes · 07/10/2017 21:42

@bearbehind I know the whole bathroom is brown (and would be removed ASAP by the buyer) and no hiding that but the brown wooden toilet seat just adds yet another shade of brown hence why I said buy a plain white toilet seat/lid

Bearbehind · 07/10/2017 21:45

I genuinely can't comprehend how anyone would think a white toilet seat would be better than the wooden one?!

maybe it's just me but I'd love to know if anyone else thinks that's a good idea.

I think it would just look like an Irish Coffee gone very wrong.

MajesticWhine · 07/10/2017 21:55

I think it looks a lovely house. People generally would rather spend money on redecorating to their own taste so I don't think it's worth doing the work yourself. Just a slight price drop and forget about "offers over" and I think you will have viewings.

Bluntness100 · 07/10/2017 21:59

A white toilet seat is kinda strange advice, I have to agree. The wood one is bad, but white would be so jarring against thr brown and out of place in there. It would look even worse. I really wouldn’t follow this advice.

Worst case, I’d remove the Welsh dresser from the bottom of the stairs, shove some cheap neutral carpet in the hall way, stairs and well throughout, buy some plain white bedding, display at least one other room as a bedroom, right now it looks like a two bedroom house with a tiny box room, take some new undoctored photos and put it on at 825 and use a local agent and get it on rightmove.

It’s being marketed for top dollar, break the ceiling price kind of top dollar, and in reality it’s a lovely home, in a great location, in need of modernisation. It’s not the fully renovated and extended to a high end finish that would command the current price but it is a lovely home with huge potential and very sellable at the right price.

IhaveChillyToes · 07/10/2017 22:10

@Bearbehind @Bluntness100 ok I have shown photos to DH and he agrees with you

White toilet seat will not help so ignore my post

Sorry @sueyandcol1

Bluntness100 · 07/10/2017 22:11

Chilly toes, I can see what you were trying to do though.,😁

IhaveChillyToes · 07/10/2017 22:14

@Bluntness100 SmileSmile

He does agree with me about the beds missing from bedrooms especially number 2

GuntyMcGee · 07/10/2017 22:16

It's a really cute house from the outside but as a buyer I'd be instantly put off by the asking price vs the cost of modernising - financial and time cost.

It's really not comparable to other properties in the area when there are 4 beds with more outdoor space selling at around the same price or less. People just won't pay more to get less and people are having to become less picky about 'good' areas nowadays to be able to afford a good sized family home.

Looking at it from a buyers perspective, it is dated and the rooms are confused - sofas in bedroom and dining room.

From the pictures it doesn't look like a lived in and well loved, comfy, cosy family home.

The dining room isn't used to it's full potential with sofas taking up most of the space and a small table shoved in at the end.

Kitchen would need to be replaced and possibly opened out into the dining area as it's narrow.

Bathroom suite really isn't pleasant and would probably be the first thing that I would think of replacing.

The wooden wardrobe doors in the bedroom would be less conspicuous with a lick of paint to freshen and lighten the room.

The Welsh dresser in the hallway looks like it cuts across the stairs which gives the impression that it's a bit cramped and I'd consider moving some of the other chests of drawers that are dotted about in other rooms.

Carpets and decor wouldn't bother me that much as they're more easily and affordably replaced.

The big spend areas would be kitchen and bathroom and doing them on a tight budget would still mean a good 5 grand being spent. That's without any extra work such as re-wiring etc that may be required.

Ultimately in a market which isn't moving well, you as a vendor need to look objectively at what improvements can be and need to be done and the costs of those improvements and price the house accordingly. In today's market you can't expect buyers to pay top range asking price and then pay on top for improvements.

You either go for a quick sale by dropping the asking by a good 50k or you need to do some work yourselves to bring it up to a more modern standard, even if it is just a big standard cheap kitchen and bathroom, fresh tiles and a lick of paint everywhere. Either way, your pocket will take a bit of a hit, but if you really want to sell, you'll need to consider it.

JohnHunter · 07/10/2017 22:21

The market in most of London at the moment is falling. The only properties getting viewings (nevermind being sold) are those that are priced to tempt buyers. Talk to your agent and consider lowering the price. Get other agents in for honest valuations if necessary.

NotMeNoNo · 07/10/2017 22:22

It is really hard when a house is immaculate and has been your home but is obviously of a different generation to the likely buyers. There's nothing wrong with it - for you - but thirty-somethings with a young family (who can afford Ealing) will be choosy and want it to their taste. I don't think it's worth a cosmetic update as most people will want to extend or knock through, they will want a downstairs loo and utility.

Realistically it needs to be £50k - £75k less than recently updated similar homes to allow for a kitchen diner knock through, new kitchen, new bathroom and full redecoration. That's the sum your buyers will be doing. Also they will be looking at previous sales on the road and comparing the houses.

Also there are too many similar photos in a random order. Is your agent any good?

Lesley1980 · 07/10/2017 22:26

Lovely house, clean, loads of potential but looking at other prices near by you seem to get more for less. Including the house on your street that sold for less with a loft conversion & rear extension.

Lower the price.

Bluntness100 · 07/10/2017 22:27

Chilly toes I also agree with you on the beds...

wizzywig · 07/10/2017 22:27

Has the op gone? Ive replaced carpets to sell a house as mine were rust coloured ones. I changed to a neutral one and it sold

GinIsIn · 07/10/2017 22:29

I'm afraid it's significantly overpriced.

It's not really three bedroom but 2 and a boxroom, so you may have more luck pricing in line with 2 beds in the area.

It does date quite heavily to the 80s, and with no money spent on modernising the bits we can see, I'm straight away thinking of everything else that might not have been touched since the 80s - roof, wiring, plumbing, boiler etc. and the associated costs.

The kitchen and bathroom would need to come out, as would those fitted wardrobes in the master bedroom. I would want to take down the wall between kitchen and diner, and open it out, and the entire house needs redecorating - that's £70k - 100k purely on cosmetics, assuming the roof and electrics etc were sound.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but it's important for you to consider that whilst it was the perfect family home for you when you raised your own family there, it won't be the perfect family for a modern family, who would be your target market, so you need to price it to allow for works needed.

Lily2007 · 07/10/2017 22:47

The brown bathroom suite needs changing for a white one.

Rest of the house is OK but most families would want to redo it and often with a family you don't have the time. We did ours but got a considerably discount on the original asking price, around a third off and it took them over a year to sell.

I would say its overpriced. You are actually better to underprice than overprice so you can get more than one family interested. Unfortunately you can tell you've reduced the price once already and once people see that you tend to be in trouble. I would reduce to £800kish.

5rivers7hills · 07/10/2017 23:17

Needs completely gutting/renovating and is over priced versus a realistic selling price for actual 3 beds.

5rivers7hills · 07/10/2017 23:18

Although I’m actually a bit of a fan of the bathroom - that is very stylish if it’s time!

JoJoSM2 · 07/10/2017 23:18

I think people are being quite kind and generous saying that your house is overpriced by only 100k.
If you compare it to the sold house at number 20, you’d need to take off 200k at least from their sold price. As it is, your house is dated, has no loft conversion or extension. I’d imagine that things like rewiring haven’t been done for 20+ years so it’s basically a case of gutting and starting again. Another thing that will put buyers off is the proximity of train tracks. At the price point you’re advertising at, it’s possible to get a really lovely 3-bed house in a more upmarket location.

5rivers7hills · 07/10/2017 23:21

I wouldn’t muck about replacing carpet so and bathroom etc - just price to sell realistically and people that want to choose their own new kitchen, bathroom, flooring etc will have a dream

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