Help me sell my house please!

[movingoverseas]

It's been on the market since early January. About 7 viewings so far, turned down an offer about two weeks in, and no viewings this month at all. Right Move report shows that the number of hits is still consistent with previous weeks. It's an immaculate detached new build in a gated development with extensive gardens, three storey, 4 bed, 3 ensuite bathrooms, garage. The photographer did a fantastic job and it was presented like a show home.

It's pricey, but we are in the suburbs of west London and it's actually £50k below what Zoopla say it is worth. We have asked the agent to recontact the person who made the offer a few months back, but they didn't engage. My husband is already overseas, I'm joining him in August and we really want to sell the house before then. We have a relatively small mortgage, about 30% LTV.

Other than reduce the price, what else can we do? There are 10 detached houses with 4+ bedrooms within a mile and ours is the second cheapest. Thank you!

I've little more to add as the main sticking point is clearly price, but my overriding impressions were that it is too bare - you've de-personalised to the extent it looks as though nobody lives there - the small kitchen will out lots of people off, too many photos which achieve nothing and move the rotary washing line and tidy up/inject some life into the garden before you get new photos taken.

Btw - the flowers and plants you do have are 1. not big enough to make an impact and 2. in the wrong places for the angles the photos have been taken from. So much so that I didn't notice any of them until I looked at the listing for a third time after reading your post that there are flowers and plants.

I agree with JoJo, you aren’t competing with the detached houses in the area. It might technically be detached but it’s not really like a detached house.

We are selling our three story house at the moment which is on an estate with various different three story houses. All the little differences that mattered at the beginning when we were buying them off the plans don’t matter a jot to the people who are coming to look at them now.

I personally think more 'luxurious' bedding a la show houses. Fluffy duvet, throw, -stupid- throw pillows. I'd also have more drapey curtains. Definitely needs some personality injecting in.

No idea of the price I'm afraid, but I'm so grateful to live somewhere cheap

Get rid of the rotary line in the garden, and hopefully spring will do wonders for the communal gardens?

I think I would try to borrow some patio furniture as well; maybe some pots to brighten it up?

I live in a standard Victorian terraced two-up-two-down and have about that much work top space, so definitely think maximising the appearance of that is important.

Definitely get rid of the table in the kitchen

If you are keen to sell fast , just reduce the price and get on with it! Houses are not commanding the prices they once did, and they’re only going one way, in your position you would be best to get what you can now.

You have to be brave to put photos of your house on here! I thought my house would never sell. It took well over a year and did go for under the asking price in the end.

I do agree with other pps that the two things that stood out for me were the odd looking kitchen table and rotary line in the garden. The house doesn’t look lived in but I’m not sure that matters that much.

I disagree with the comments about the house being too depersonalised. I can see past that. It is easily liveable with until I could find time to add some colour to a wall.

The houses that are for sale or sold and are comparable to yours are at least £50k cheaper. I don't know the area though.

Otherwise your house is soulless (sorry!). There's no joy or love showing. It's not like a show house as it's much too bland. If it's priced as a luxury house it should look like a luxury house and it doesn't.

It wouldn't matter how lovely the house is, having the kitchen on a separate floor to the living room would put me off instantly, it's a horrible set up from my experience. Can you look at houses with that layout and see how they're priced? You may find hat although yours is well priced for a four bed detached, it's overpriced for that layout

OP, I've seen that your estate agent is an online one. Have you spoken to local agents as they may have a better view about specific prices. I'd ask one to come and see your house and when they give you a "sale price", ask them at what offer level they'd phone you and say that it's a price you should seriously consider accepting - and then work up from there to an asking price. If you'll take £875 or less, then £949 is far too expensive as an asking price as you'll put buyers off. If agents think you can get £875, I wouldn't ask anything with a 9 at the front. If they think you'll get more like £860, I'd ask about £875.

Suspect one of the difficulties is that you bought into a development at a premium and in an area which was a good bet in a rising market (close to X area but a bit cheaper.....) but in a stagnant market, people won't pay the premium and will stick with a better/more convenient area. I think I know the development as I'm sure my cousin rented there a while ago - from memory it was quite a long walk from the train station which itself wasn't on an great line from Waterloo.

Gosh, some people are being really horrible. I've no idea what they get out of doing that.

Op, I would ignore the people slagging off your house. They probably couldn't even afford it, so I've no idea why they are telling you it's not the house for them in a horrible way as if they'd otherwise pop along and buy it. I fail to see how them telling you they dislike the layout or decor will help you sell it.

I have to assume it's envy.

There is nothing positive that stands out about the house

For you. But I doubt you could even afford it, so who cares that you hate it? What's the point of your post? . I think it's in fantastic condition, is bright and airy, lots of options with the space, and the large doors/windows are great and I love the decor. I simply think it's over priced.

Hi OP haven't rtft but my first thought was that the garden looks teensy for nearly £1m. All your competition will have far more outdoor space.

1. You need to present the garden better -eg seating.
2. The communal gardens would not be a plus for many... unless you can use them for socialising? If so can you state that? Or can you have a gate directly from your garden to the communal area?
3. No front garden. Again not something you can change but how much offstreet parking is there?
4. Agree with pp that garage converted to room is better-has anyone on the development done this?
5. I would look at Osterley as my competition, not just Isleworth.

Also way too many pics!

Good luck with the sale!

First of all, I think that it being a 3 storey townhouse on a gated development with quite a small garden just reduces the amount of people who are looking for that. As a family I would be unlikely to consider it due to the kitchen/garden size and the upstairs living room. So your pool of buyers is reduced.

Secondly you're real competition, as far as I can see, are more obviously detached or terraced period properties with a more standard layout. And they are cheaper.

Yes it is neutral, and that's no bad thing, but the kitchen photos are really disappointing. Kitchens sell houses.

I think you have to bite the bullet OP and drop the price. I'd market at £850. If my budget was 850 I would be looking up to £900 and no higher. The market is odd at the moment, not a fabulous time to sell I'm afraid so you probably have to take a hit.

Estate agents saying sellers won't take advice and accept days of fantasy asking prices are over.

Link below in press this week - if you actually want to sell reduce price - I would go with 750 as someone up thread said.

www.ftadviser.com/mortgages/2018/03/20/property-market-hampered-by-time-wasters/

A gated community would suggest a reasonably high-end house / interior. Sadly that interior is, as others have said, bland as a packet of digestives and cheap looking.

Either high-end the interior (including making it look less cluttered in terms of furniture but at same time making it look like someone lives there - you're selling a lifestyle), or drop the price.

Are townhouses designed by young men/women with no idea of practicality?
Always odd placement of rooms and usually no utility area and often (as here) having to cart rubbish from the kitchen through either living areas or the front door as no outside door to kitchen and wet washing through the dining area.
This house has all the square footage for a large living/cooking/dining area on the first floor and two bedrooms and utility on the ground floor. Not that this helps in any way op, just ranting!
I like all the balconies and the airy feel.

I hope you get a sale soon

"4. Agree with pp that garage converted to room is better-has anyone on the development done this?"

I don't. A house without a garage is a massive negative for me, especially if there is not enough off road parking. I agree with Bluntness that there have been some unpleasant comments. I really like the house, and the area it is in looks nice. The small kitchen would put me off, but that is all. I really like the minimalist look though.

I don't think the photographs are that well done as they make the rooms look a little distorted. I'm afraid that I also think it comes down to price

While it's obviously a lovely house, I think you need to get into the mindset of people who are looking to buy in your price bracket. Think 'aspirational' - so I would set aside a budget of about £1k - and take myself off to Homesense/T K Maxx - priorities much better and larger lighting, (your lampshades are not cutting it, much too small and cheap ((sorry!!)) mix it up with a few antique type pieces, luxury bedding, maybe some of those lovely glass bedside tables (we've got some octagonal gold edged glass ones - look very expensive), luxury towels, lots of large, high impact ornaments, mirrors. As others have said some tasteful flowers and plants - again think large scale. Take out the linen basket and that huge white shelving unit in the bathrooms. Remove kitchen table. Have a browse online to see what a £1 million house looks like in terms of dressing it, so you can emulate that. Apologies, I think you also need to reduce the price substantially. While I'm sure a gated community where you live is not unusual, the service charge may make people nervous, as there is always the potential for it going up. It also does narrow your selling potential, some people would never consider living in a gated community. Sorry to digress, but your comment about the cars is a little naive? Flash cars in the drive are no indication of wealth or otherwise!!! Finally, get yourself a proper estate agent rather than an online one, and reduce the price. If you want to sell within your timescale then you're going to need to take drastic action.

I can't comment on price as I don't know the area. I know elsewhere on SW London there loads of viewings are happening but there is a reluctance for buyers to commit.
I think your decor is very neutral (which is better than bad/gaudy) but as there are so many photos there us nothing that jumps out to make me view yours vs anyone else's. It's so neutral I might assume it was an ex-rental which would put me off.

The order of the photos is also strange. Photos 2-6 make it look small or aren't the highlights so I suspect I would have shut the listing be then. 7 is much better.

A gated community would suggest a reasonably high-end house / interior

That's interesting because to me a gated community speaks of a violent area and keeping trouble out but then I've only come across them in Africa and didn't realise they even exist in England!