Fancy critiquing my house?

[HouseNameChange]

I think I'm made of stern enough stuff for this...

We've been on the market a while now and viewings are lacking. About 18 viewings in 4 months I think. Lots of positive feedback. One offer, far too low. Negative feedback is small second bedroom and on street parking.

Other houses in the area which are similar are selling. And often marketed at a higher price as well!

Any ideas on how I can get more people through the door? Preferably ideas that aren't going to cost me an absolute fortune. We've already painted the outside of the house to brighten it up.

What is wrong with my house?

Hi, your house is nice! Judging from the recently sold prices it's on at a realistic price. I would suggest painting your front room white. You can't underestimate the effect of neutral colours.

For me personally it's the first room that's confusing. You've got it as an office space/dining room and what looks like a wardrobe in there. And it has a fireplace, that room should be the living room.

There is nothing wrong with it as such, but if you look at what's sold near you recently. you are over priced, based on their sale price, condition, location, and size.

Also you bought it in 2015 for 168 , so quite an increase to want 225 a couple of years later.

I think uou need to drop the price to closer to thr 200/210 mark.

I ageee it’s the front room and the desk at the window . I’m also a fan of grass but apart from that it’s lovely .

These are my initial, unfiltered thoughts:

The upstairs is lovely.

The green room (is it a dining room, a study, an entry way?) is off putting. I would immediately know that money would need to be spent to paint it a neutral colour. I would paint an off white and remove the desk and chair and present it as a dining room.

The lounge, as presented, is too red. Yes, I know, all the red would go with you, but it is very powerful. Maybe remove a few cushions? And it is such a contrast to the pale green. The safety gate should be removed.

Kitchen looks perfectly fine.

Back garden looks nice.

I also think painting the first room a neutral colour and moving the sofas in there would help. Then set up the room next to the kitchen as a dining room with the desk in a corner. Other than that I don't think there's anything wrong with your house.

Just a thought, but could you swap back the lounge and dining rooms? So that the lounge is at the front. That first interior picture makes the front room look almost office-like, with the desk and all. It wasn't immediately clear which room it was.

Front door straight into the living room probably isn't ideal for you but it's probably going to make a better first picture. Just for the purposes of getting the place sold, of course.

Also, the way the EA has shot the front room photo... that dining chair cuts off visibility of what looks to be rather a nice fireplace.

Maybe lose the gate between the rear reception room and the kitchen too, just for aesthetics.

White walls in the bedrooms? Might make them look larger.

Sorry, x-post with several others saying the same thing while I was typing all that...

Dear God I nearly fainted at the price - for Eccles - then realised it is not the Eccles I know.

My only comment would be it is very 'colourful'.

I agree, it's painted nicely, but I really don't like the green, it reminds me of an outside toilet colour! (Sorry!) Also, I can't quite work out what room it's meant to be - office, dining room, storage room? The bathroom looks nice and the rooms an ok size, and obviously everywhere can be painted over. Is it definitely reasonably priced?

I agree - how come the front room isn't the lounge? Surely the one linked to the kitchen should be the dining room?

I agree it needs to be made more neutral. The green in particular. And possibly the kitchen tiles and red accessories in the lounge.

Agree you need to swap the reception rooms around. The room with the sofas looks like a corridor and the front room a junk mail room. Get rid of the stair gate for the photo. Best of luck. It’s a nice house.

I think, from looking at those houses under offer and the sold ones, that yours is perhaps a bit overpriced given that the ftont door is straight off the street with no front garden at all. Also some of the decor is eclectic compared to the more neutral colour schemes in the other houses - mint green and then in-your-face black and red. That front room looks a bit confused with a desk and a dining table so actually looks like you're running a business at home. The kitchen tiles are similarly bold and not to everyone's taste.

The house that sold in September last year was cheaper, had a usable garden room and would have had broad appeal. If your main market is FTB's if they are stretching themselves on the mortgage they won't want to do what they perceive as lots of work - painting is fine but tiling, flooring, etc may not be want they want to tackle.

Investment buyers want something easy to maintain which will appeal to lots of renters. Unless the price is low they won't want to do lots of work.

Out of interest, how much was the low offer?

Rearrange the entrance room, it's a mishmash of a room.

Tone down the red in the living room

Remove the stair gate and the table in the kitchen, if there a dining table in the next room you don't need it and it makes the kitchen look cramped.

Maybe some pots in the back garden?

HTH

Thank you all so much!! I will come back to you with replies after dinner/bath/bed!!

I think the layout is a bit confusing. You have to walk through the living room from the kitchen to eat in the dining room. I would swap the furniture so the dining room is next to the kitchen.
Also it's a bit colourful. I would paint the downstairs a neutral colour. I like the upstairs.

@UrsulaPandress - I did exactly the same thing and my immediate thought was "how much"!

Agreed about the green paint colour. When we moved in here last year that colour green was EVERYWHERE and whilst I could see past it to see the potential, others may not be able too.

All that green was painted over in white within three days of us moving in, there's something hospitally about it (I'm old though) that I don't find calming or comfy.

I would do the following:

Put the wardrobe/cupboard and the desk/chair from the first room into storage.

Move the table and chairs from the first room into the room by the kitchen.

Move the sofas into the first room.

Take down the red pictures (sorry!)

In the kitchen, put the kettle, toaster, utensils jar and fruit bowl into a cupboard - there's too much colour in that room.

The bedrooms are great as they are.

In the bathroom, replace the loo seat with a cheap white one to match the basin etc.

I agree about the green paint too - paint that room white. I was trying to think why I didn't like it and the comments above made me realise it reminded me of a hospital.

Sorry, OP - your home is lovely and should be snapped up!

I would go for more neutral colours and decor

The floor plan says the living room comes first, then the dining room, then the kitchen. But you’ve swapped them. That’s OK if it’s practical for you, but you’re giving buyers the impression that the living space is cramped because it seems like you’re “living” in only half of it. It makes you think hmm, why don’t they sit in the front room? Would we find the door off the street too annoying?

In a house your size, you need to anticipate and solve the “problems”. So you need to show that you can have a relaxing living room where the door opens straight in.

Also your sofas make the dining room look cramped.

So it’s presentation, I think. It’s a nice house.

The nursery room is lovely, you should go for that kind of style throughout... I agree the green room should be a lounge and painted white

The sofas makes it look like a corridor or waiting room so yes switch the rooms back as per layout even if it means putting one sofa, wardrobe etc into storage or selling them.