No one will buy our house

[Sellmyhouse]

I’m so frustrated so will try not to witter on endlessly, but it will be a struggle. We put our house on the market in August of last year and went with Purple Bricks because my husband loves to save money. We didn’t have a great deal of interest to start with and then viewings picked up, but we had no offers. We also had a bit of bad luck because our neighbours coincidentally went on at the exact same time and they had recently had their kitchen and en suite done, so they sold almost straight away. We reduced the price in January, I think, and then had more interest. In February we had an offer of £240k, but unfortunately things were suddenly very uncertain with my husband’s job with a possibility that we might be moving to America quite soon, so we declined and took it off the market. In March we went back on with a local estate agent and then after a couple of weeks with Purple Bricks as well. We’ve had far more interest through Purple Bricks than the local agent, so we are looking to drop the local agent as soon as possible because I don’t think being on with two agents is helping. We’ve reduced the price a bit more but only had one viewing since then.

For the most part feedback regarding the property has been positive, but people always seem put off by things we can’t change, such as the rooms being too small or the house being located on a built-up estate. We have also been told that the price is right, and my husband categorically refuses to go any lower. If we got an offer of £240k now we’d take it in an instant, but now we’re barely getting anyone through the door.

I look at the house and I know that there are things that need to be done: it could do with a new en suite and a new kitchen at least, but obviously we don’t really intend to invest that kind of money in a house we’re trying to sell. I’m especially now feeling panicked because I’m very newly pregnant and there is no way we can fit three children in his house without me losing my mind.

Please be gentle, but is there anything you can suggest to help us make some progress?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53349933.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53098638.html

I think your house looks fab!

However, the photos are terrible - did the agent just snap them with his phone? Honestly- it’s worth the money to get some proper photos that are lit well and staged cleverly. I’d buy your house in a flash if it were only in a different part of the UK! Good luck, OP

It looks a lovely house. I don't have any words of wisdom other than to say the market is very strange at the moment with things sitting around for months and months.
We're on the other side at the moment and there's just nothing coming onto the market.

Thank you! The local agent photos were taken quite hastily and I agree are quite poor. The Purple Bricks photos were taken by a semi-professional guy with a proper camera, also sometimes I worry that the wide angle lens puts people off.

I’ve just realised my links aren’t clickable, so hopefully these will work.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53349933.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53098638.html

Oh wow, you literally live down the road from me. I've looked at those houses before 😍 beautiful.
Anyways, given that area I don't think there's anything wrong with pricing at all. The pictures could be a lot better but other than that you've presented it really well, clean etc.
I think it's the economy to be honest, a lot of people are renting due to unable to save to get on the property ladder. I'd wait another month and maybe try a different estate agent.

Looks lovely, nothing wrong at all, no point in upgrading kitchens/bathrooms etc as people will want to choose their own if they don’t like the ones you have in already.

Maybe you could hold an open day for viewings?

The only thing I can think is the furniture arrangement in the sitting room is giving the impression of a small room, esp in pictures 7,8,9 of the Purple Bricks listing. You're using the small walls for furniture I think, and the long walls are empty, so there is acres of empty space in between the furniture that doesn't get picked up by the camera. I had to look at the floorplan to work that out. Initially I just thought "small sitting room".

Could you try rearranging so that the furniture is against the long walls? Or if that won't work, you could maybe try pulling out the sofa a bit, put a standard lamp behind it and a rug in the middle of the floor? Anything to create a bit more focus and cosiness in the big space.

Some people are put off by online agents such as purple bricks, the whole logging in etc is a faff and I’m not a technophobe, agents don’t tend to work as hard unless they are some agents so personally I’d drop purple bricks and go with an agent.

I’ve used PB before but I like the impartiality of using an agent, not keen on dealing with vendors direct.

I like it, are you on Facebook? if so share it on your page and ask friends to share. Good way to get more potential viewers.

Hope the right buyer comes along soon.

My house was up for a year, we decided to take it off the market but I put off phoning the estate agent for a few days then we got two viewings, I accepted viewings as I felt it would rude not to and you never know. Got two offers and sold. Before that only a handful of viewings over the year.

Local estate agent pictures are horrible.ask them to take down the listing. I would also suggest painting kitchen and bathrooms a different colour. The yellow and magnolia is very off putting. The garden looks very small and barren. I would suggest buying some fake living wall tiles from IKEA and a few large pot plants just too give it more depth.

I think it looks nice nothing in those photos would put me off, I don't know the area so can't comment on the price

Apart from expensive changes like the new kitchen or bathroom you mention, there's relatively little to improve upon - it looks clean, modern, and decluttered inside and out. The generally slow state of the housing market is probably the main sticking point, and not one you can do anything about.

Some small suggestions:

1. Have a decorative light fitting in the centre of your living room ceiling.
2. Repaint the kitchen off-white instead of yellow.
3. If you need a photo of the toilet, remove everything that isn't nailed down from it, take the photo, then put them back.
4. Swap the big leather sofa for something less leathery that hogs less space.
5. Hang a few more decorative features to add interest to bland walls in bedrooms and hallways - large round mirrors, that sort of thing.
6. Including little luxuries like Molton Brown toiletries in bathroom photos or a bottle of champagne in the kitchen photos may have a psychological effect on potential viewers, if nothing else.

Best of luck - it's a nice house, someone should want it!

It’s a nice house how frustrating. Interesting you are getting viewing but no offers. Could anything be putting people off like pet smells? Just a thought, but could you get an example of a wow kitchen design to show people the potential? Also what room is the office in?

The pictures are awful, it makes the room look cramped rather than spacious, less is also more...only put a few pictures on so people need to come and view, there’s no need to view your property in person because you can see it online, once people are in your door you can sell it to them easier.

Maybe get a good friend to do a viewing and ask their honest feedback? Or view some others in your estate and see how they stage their houses

I'd go with agent too!

House is absolutely stunning!
Personally I'd change the walls colour to something light (white is better than blue) and if possible if change the kitchen floor (you can find some gorgeous cheap tile options). Just couple of changes would take you long way and I'd do them simply cause you had no luck so far

Good luck x

Your house is lovely. Apart from the yellow kitchen, it looks terribly dated. Give it a quick coat of white paint.
It looks lovely and bright and sunny in one set of photos, much less so in the others.

Currently from the photos it looks like you only have one decent bedroom. I know this design of David Wilson home at least one other bedroom to yours is a double and you need to show it as such.

The second set of pictures are terrible. Get them taken down.

All your prospective buyers will be seeing both sets of pictures online.

If I saw the second set I wouldn’t come and see your property, whereas the first set look bright and airy.

It is a nice house, nothing wrong with it.

In the end it is always down to price

Also, as a buyer, I would prefer a real EA to Purple Bricks

So not sure I'd look for a house through them (heard too many bad stories)

Price price price

You can get those wrap around things for your kitchen cupboard doors to make it look updated etc, I love your babies room but I think the other rooms lack colour, I know they say to keep it neutral, so you have ticked that box, Obv this is my opinion and people do have different taste, I like your garden too :)

I'm quite critical, so no offense intended. The second set of pictures are awful. That ikea chair in your lounge, the speaker on the floor and the cluttered notice board need to be removed. If you can afford to, I'd consider changing door handles to something less dated- doesn't have to be expensive and maybe paint the kitchen white.

I think your lounge scheme is totally beautiful and I love the kids bedroom decor! Good luck!

Couple of points

1 having 2 small junior beds may make people think room not big enough for normal beds - Could your kids sleep in a bunk bed?

2 having 3rd bedroom as a study may make people think of this as a 2 bed.

3 neutral colours do work well

4 what is parking like as pic of garage with other people's spaces either side may make people think parking is tight.

5 was local agent recommended by others who have used them? If not ask people who have recently sold for recommendation

6 are kids around during viewings ad they can distract in the nicest way.

I think the climate isn't good but you only need 1 buyer

Lovely house. I love the living room walls - do you know what shade they are?

Second one pics are awful. Nothing further.

First one doesn't show off the space for sofa in the dining area. This should be a huge selling point as living-kitchen-diner. Also the fisheye in the bedrooms gives the impression there's no space for much except the bed. I think you need possibly fewer photos actually.

Is there space in the master for a cot? The impression that there isn't might put young families or couples off.

Thanks for all your thoughts. I definitely agree that the local agent photos are really poor. We need to dig out our contract and see if we can move away from them altogether, and then perhaps have some of the Purple Bricks photos updated. I have painted the boys’ room white and changed the curtains in the living room to make it more neutral. I think it’s a good idea to paint the kitchen, and will suggest it to my husband.

The study is in the third bedroom. All the rooms are doubles. We have a king bed in the master and have discussed swapping it for a double to make the room more spacious, but I’m baffled by the logistics of where we’d put all the existing stuff.

We do have a dog but I do everything possible to hide his existence when there are viewings. I know I might not be as sensitive to dog smells, but we’ve had lots of comments about how our house does not smell like dog so I think we’re okay.

My husband absolutely will not go with another agent. He doesn’t want to lose more money on commissions. We have the Purple Bricks agents do our viewings.