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Original poster

Not much interest in our house, thoughts please!

197 replies

Vicki1990 · 01/06/2019 17:40

Hi everyone,

Could do with some advice. We put our house on the market just under 3 weeks ago, whilst we appreciate this isn’t a long time we thought we would’ve had a lot more interest than we’ve had!

We live in a very sought after village, house prices here are on the increase and the market does seem slow. There is no other property like ours in the village, were a 2 bed with beautiful views and we’ve only had 2 viewings! One was the nosy neighbour, naturally. One was a couple looking to relocate to be closer to their daughter in the village, they loved the property and seemed really keen, they’ve left us great feedback but nothing since! They have got a property on the market though.

We have reserved a new build which is almost ready so we are under pressure to get sold!

Please let me know your thoughts!

OP posts:
DaphneduM · 02/06/2019 11:17

It's a lovely house and apart from a few minor tweaks, flowers, a few books etc. I don't think it needs anything else doing. Purplebricks is very off-putting, however. List it with a reputable local estate agent - at the end of the day you only pay a fee if it's sold anyway. We found our estate agents extremely helpful during the stressful run-up to exchange of contracts. Our buyer established a very good rapport with them and they were very useful as communicators to push everything forward. Well worth their 1% commission.

HappyHammy · 02/06/2019 11:18

It might help if room sizes were on the details, it's a lovely clean house but it looks rented and a bit stark but you're doing lots to brighten it up.

Snog · 02/06/2019 11:20

There is nothing wrong with how you are presenting the house for sale.
If you are struggling to get viewings then it can only be the price that is the issue.

longearedbat · 02/06/2019 11:20

I think it's a lovely house in a good location. It must be very peaceful. I don't think the garden is a problem. If you don't like gardening you would see it as easily maintained. If you did you would just look at it as a blank canvas. I would make it look a bit more used though, with some seating. The grey is not to my taste, but that is easily dealt with.
I think your main problem is your agent and just the market at present. A local agent has surely always got to be better?

ohnoessexgirl · 02/06/2019 11:25

Price. You know you're asking too much when nobody looks at it. Drop your asking price.

LarryGreysonsDoor · 02/06/2019 11:34

It’s not decorated to my taste but it’s not my house.

I agree with others, drop Purple Bricks. Go with a local agent who has local knowledge, especially in a village location. There might well be people taking up a job in the nearest town looking for houses who don’t know the area, a local EA will point them to yours.

Isitmybathtimeyet · 02/06/2019 11:41

Purplebricks makes my heart sink too.

Good luck, OP. It looks like a lovely house but I would put totally put off by what looks like the lack of space for a dining table. Not fussed by an actual dining room, but I like to cook for friends and even before I had children it was important to me to have somewhere to sit down to eat. Echo other suggestions that if it is at all possible to get a table in for photos then do so for people like me!

Zampa · 02/06/2019 11:45

Another call for saying drop Purple Bricks. They are not buyer friendly and don't work for the seller. IME arranging viewings is difficult and PB don't follow up with potential buyers for feedback.

House looks lovely so reckon it's the agents!

Original poster
Vicki1990 · 02/06/2019 11:47

Thank you everyone, there is space for a dining table in the lounge where my husbands fish tank is- common argument for us! We could pop a small one in the kitchen.
Definitely going to be dropping purplebricks, wish we had never gone with them in the first place! Will go with a local agent and possibly then look at dropping the price.

OP posts:
MoobaaMoobaa · 02/06/2019 11:52

I found it cold and clinical and lack of dinning area puts me off.

it is a lovely house, I just wouldn't look at it if we were a couple ready to start a family I'd want a dining area I'd want to be able to see us grow in the house for a few years, if we already had kids/s I'd want a dining area.

OP lots of people buy a 2 bed then have dc some people can only afford 2 bed houses with more than 1 dc. the bedrooms look big enough. So what is it about this house that you can't get over that you don't want to start a family here? if you can work that out you could maybe look at how to make it more appealing (even if it doesn't appeal to you enough to stay a couple of more years)

MoobaaMoobaa · 02/06/2019 11:56

I thought about you putting a table where the fish tank is, but when I looked again at your pics it looked to small an area and you'd be tripping over chair legs.

EekThreek · 02/06/2019 11:56

I live not far from you (well, on that side of shrewsbury) and I think part of the problem might be the sheer number of new builds going up in the general area, and the amount of help you get to buy new. We had a similar problem trying to sell our 2 bed flat a few years ago, and ended up renting it out while we rented elsewhere. You've made the place look lovely, but it's not a blank canvas any more and I'd secretly be wondering what's so wrong with it if you're already wanting to move.

Also, I've had really poor experiences with houses listed with purple bricks in the area - not being able to book viewings, no replies to contact etc - so I now avoid them as much as I can!

I don't know how you get round the competition from new builds to be fair, but I would consider trying a local EA and see if it helps? Good luck!

Pixilicious · 02/06/2019 12:02

I haven’t read the full thread but I would say your biggest problem is that you are with Purplebricks. We used them and they are shit they literally do nothing to sell your house so won’t be drumming up interest for you.

ELM8 · 02/06/2019 12:03

It looks lovely for a first house but what would put me off is the lack of table to eat at.. I think it would fit in your living room if you were clever with where things are but I don't have much imagination so would probably just keep scrolling unless I could see that would be possible. We eat in the living room more than I would like but a bit awkward to do that with guests/kids?

Original poster
Vicki1990 · 02/06/2019 12:05

Thank you, see your point about why we don’t want to start a family here. Our biggest reason is we bought this as an investment to rent out when we emigrated, we could’ve afforded to buy bigger if we were looking at our forever home. How we are staying put we have been looking at what we can afford using our bigger budget. We will try and make it look like a family home the best we can but we think it’s more suited to first time buyers or those looking to downsize.
Definitely ditching purplebricks, we’re gobsmacked at the feedback we’ve had on them!

OP posts:
TDMN · 02/06/2019 12:09

Another one here who lives not far from you - i think the people on MSE just dont know the area, its priced right for the more rural area considering that new builds very similar to yours in Shrewsbury (so without the fantastic view!) Are going for between 220 - 240.
Lovely house, tbh if I was buying I would be interested, its got a more sensible layout than most of the 2 bed new builds round here!

pollypacey · 02/06/2019 12:13

I know this area too and Baschurch has been marked as an area of development/expansion by the council, so that might be part of the problem. Potential buyers might be worried about too much development going on. I would consider dropping the price a bit.

MoobaaMoobaa · 02/06/2019 12:14

but we think it’s more suited to first time buyers
That's what I'm saying though, most first time buyers(looking in village's anyway) will still want to be able to think they have room to grow a little before moving on.

notatwork · 02/06/2019 12:32

I was going to say that the last one sold last year for 162, but that was thelast one sold by the builder so will have been an off-load bargain. Yours is the cheapest house in the village so it isn't the price that's offputting, just the dearth of first time buyers at the moment.
Now is probably the least likely time for someone to start on the housing ladder because of the brexit uncertainty and your is a starter home.

It's a nice, albeit very monochrome (for my taste) little house and will suit someone. It's just a small target market at the moment.

SpamChaudFroid · 02/06/2019 12:45

You have a round window! Envy

StarJumpsandaHalf · 02/06/2019 13:08

Sorry I've skim read, but leaving price aside I'd say a local agent would be a much better bet, someone who can literally 'sell' your house to viewers.

I don't mind all the grey, some of it's furniture that won't be staying anyway and it's a neutral starting point, but it's [b]so[/b] grey that the living room and kitchen look like CGI to me.

If it were me I'd get a much better photo of the front of the house, put a little table and chairs in the garden and accessorize throughout. One trick I still remember from a small flat I viewed is to keep the colour constant throughout so it leads the eye. Go for the teal colour already on the bedroom wall and introduce touches of it to the living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms.

I'd also use cream paint over the pine furniture and make an eating area too.

All those things will make the space seem bigger or at least more usable and appealing and give viewers an idea of living in the house.
Sell a lifestyle, not something so empty that people can't imagine themselves there.

ElloBrian · 02/06/2019 13:11

The more I look at the floor plan, the more frustrated I am with the downstairs layout!! Sorry OP that’s probably not helpful. In fantasy house land, I would consider knocking through to open up that hallway and the under stairs cupboard, and replacing the downstairs bathroom with a laundry/storage room. Not a practical suggestion though, I’m afraid.

coral13 · 02/06/2019 13:15

Don't sell with purple bricks. They're horrendous. Decent estate agents are worth their money usually.

coral13 · 02/06/2019 13:19

Just to add... The house we bought wasn't with BP but the house our seller was buying was with BP. I wouldn't even consider viewing a house that was listing with them after our dreadful experience and hearing about others.

mclady · 02/06/2019 13:24

Came here to say along the same lines as many others, use a traditional EA, not Purple Bricks.