Why is my house not selling?

[MummyMather2]

We listed our house in May and within 4 days we'd had 3 offers and sold our house for over the asking price. Unfortunately our buyer was going through a divorce and her husband suddenly changed their mind on the amount she was having (we'd previously had a letter from her solicitor showing where the funds were coming from) and she pulled out as she wasn't sure how long it would take to settle or if she would have the right funds.

As per her instruction we had moved quickly. The majority of our house had been packed up and move to relatives spare rooms and we were a week away from exchanging contracts.

We shed a few tears but quickly got the house back on the market. I fully appreciate it has only been back on for 4 weeks but we have only had 4 viewings (less then last time!) and things round here sell very quickly usually. We haven't had a viewing in 2 weeks.

To add even further pressure there are now a lot more houses in the same price bracket as ours that have come on for sale.

Estate agent isn't very helpful. We are chasing them but haven't heard from them in a week now as we got fed up of chasing them and waiting for a few days for them to get back to us. However, we haven't had any feedback that says it was too expensive just it didn't tick all their boxes.

I didn't know if anyone can advise what to do - I also realise that the summer holiday period really kills it a bit but just so disheartened!

Luckily the people we are buying from don't seem too bothered yet but I don't know what I'd do if they turned around and gave us a deadline! They are a deceased estate and it's almost our dream house!!!

Any advice welcome.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-55167393.html

Leasehold wouldn't worry anyone in Sheffield. Most of them are!

Unless I was buying a brand new house at the top of my budget, the decor wouldn’t bother me. A pre-owned house is bound to need some element of cosmetic redecoration, even if it is just to adjust for personal taste. The OP’s house looks clean and well kept, better than some.

I don’t know what the reasons are OP but I agree that it is highly unlikely to be something as mundane as paint/wallpaper colours. Have you asked for honest feedback from your estate agent? Absoluty honest? No flim flam

*abosolutely

Fgs ABSOLUTELY

The downstairs Blue hallway is fine it's the upstairs landing - the grey textured wallpaper and light sabres that are an issue. The photo makes it look like the decor of a dodgy nightclub tbh whereas the rest of the house is in my opinion tasteful other then the lime of the kitchen which is gonna have limited appeal.

It just doesn't hang together at the moment.

You can always tell when someone has painted themselves. Especially over a bright colour like that

No you can't!

@glintandglide - you might know people who don't know how to paint properly, but I'm not one of them let me tell you. I've always done all of our decorating.

I live in a three storey house and I do think a more neutral top hallway would benefit. Painting and decorating for some people is a huge job /cost and a hallway is not easy to do. Especially when there is effectively 2 hallways!

You also have to remember that 3 storey houses in my experience appeal to the minority of people. I love mine, I got a lot of house for not a lot of money. But for some people all those stairs are a deal breaker.

glintandglide you can tell a bad decorating job but lots of people are extremely competent at decorating and DIY and can do an equally good job as a professional. That said, it's that sort of attitude that lots of people have and consequently pay out lots of money to decorators, which is why neutralising a property decor wise before marketing makes so much sense. Lots of people really don't want to tackle these jobs themselves or pay for someone else to do it when they've just moved in.

It really isn't only on MN that people suggest redecorating a house before putting it on the market. It is standard where I live to make a house as much of a blank canvas as possible so that potential buyers can imagine their own furniture, family photos, wall colours and curtains there.

Your life and your taste in decor are going with you. Your house will stay and someone else will make it their own you should make it easy for them to imagine moving straight in.

If your potential buyers are first time home owners or young families, then the thought of redecorating will be very off-putting. Lots of people don't know how to paint, how to strip wallpaper, will be maxed out financially by the purchase and unable to contemplate any more expense, and many will have a baby or small children who will complicate any decorating project X 10000000.

That said, it's that sort of attitude that lots of people have and consequently pay out lots of money to decorators, which is why neutralising a property decor wise before marketing makes so much sense

Wise words. It is indeed the thought you can't do it properly that has people living in houses badly in need of redecoration waiting to afford someone who can do it for them, or paying money they can't afford for a professional. I've painted most rooms in my house, I've just not done things like kitchen or hall where the ceilings just too high for me to do a decent job.

In the rooms I've done you wouldn't know if it was me or a professional, it all looks the same, painting really isn't hard..

Leasehold property, would mean I wouldn't consider it I'm afraid, not helpful I know

Paint Is too wild

One of my best friends from school lives on your row! I know those houses well!

Good points: Your house is mainly nicely presented and the area is very desirable. Perfect for the best school catchments. The view from your living room is STUNNING. Garden has been done well for these plots.

Bad points:
The upstairs hallway It's gopping. Sorry OP. Get it painted white. Trust me on this, people absolutely decide not to view and not to buy houses because of paint colour. Especially in stair/landing areas.

Also, TBH I am not sure that 'decorating to your own taste' is even a 'thing' any more. I'm straggling to think of many people I know who don't just live in a house/flat with white walls! Most people personalise through artwork on the walls and soft furnishings.

The first house I bought as a single young professional, I was all gung ho about painting. I moved in with an air mattres and a camp chair and set about painting the entire house using 2 weeks of annual leave.

Now... with a family... and a house full of furniture....and much less spare annual leave.... fuck that. I want a house that is either a total reno project and priced accordingly, or one that doesn't need bad wallpaper covering up. I am not unusual in this.

There have been about eleven million people on this thread saying loose the ahem personal decorating... we are not all wrong.

Layout and size This layout does not appeal to all families, and these house have really quite small living space (can't really have a big dining table) and can not really be extended because of being on the hill. (Hills being common to Sheffield!). For the price, I would look for a less majestic location but bigger sq ft if I were in the market back home for a family home. I know you can't change this, but it impacts price and # of viewers/offers.

Leasehold Even if it isn't an issue people think it is.

I don't know anyone who lives anywhere with white walls personalised with art and soft furnishings......

But yet another poster stating some elements of the decor are off putting.

Have i missed a post where you respond or have you missed the many many posts telling you the website says the property is no longer on the market?

@wowfudge alright... plain grey is pretty popular too :-)

Ooooh, l live near you, l know what the market is like round here! Horrendous! Tbh knowing the market, I’m suprised, really suprised it’s not sold. Houses like that are usually snapped up within a week!

It looks undervalued to me, l would expect that to be about £320, although l know they always go way beyond the asking price.
My guess is it’s the holidays. That house is aiming at families with school age/teens, and a lot of them will be on holiday at the moment. The same happened to me years ago.

Maybe take it off, and put it on in September. But tbh, I’d take it off and put it back on in March when the madness begins again with property in that area. Although l don’t know what effect Brexit will have.

I don’t think it needs redecorating in any way. A property like that will usually sell in 2 days. It’s the timing. FWIW my stepson has just bought a terrace house in Crookes for 70k less. And yours is massive and with that view of Mayfied Valley. I still think it’s underpriced.

Why not spend £1000 neutrally repainting and then recoup your costs, rather than dropping £5000 to try and get someone to buy it?
You’re not redecorating for someone else to again decorate, you’re presenting your house as neutrally as possible?
Other than that your house is absolutely lovely, so it will be the colours that are putting people off.
Why repel good buyers unnecessarily?

Also, I’d look at your estate agent. Never heard of the one you’re with.

Blundells or Saxton Mee are the ones for S10/11. And maybe Archers.They are all a load of sharks though. But I’ve slways sold my houses in S10 withBlundells. Tried Archers twice and it didn’t sell.

Former EA here, it's the school holidays and very few people buy at this time. I'd take it off the market until September.

The house is on the market @wafflyversatile OP just linked to a cached page.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-55690389.html

Oh - I would also like to see total sq ft on the floor plan and room dimensions on the plan.