Any ideas how to can get more viewings?

[PanannyPanoo]

My friends house was put on the market in February. It had 2 viewings in the first week and sale agreed. They found their ideal house. The chain collapsed lower down and the house went back on the market. It has only had one more viewing since, which has also resulted in an offer, but the buyers don't yet have their house on the market.
So people obviously like the house once they are in in. But how do they get more people - preferably proceedable ones through the door?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70167703.html

It's not a bit of artex though - it's every ceiling. The house is clearly going to appeal to buyers prepared to update it. Better to have a small number of viewers who are keen despite the obvious updating needed than lots who are disappointed once they're through the door - that just wastes everyone's time.

Sorry haven't RTFT but 4 beds appeal to families but only 2 a photographed (I think) I would definately photograph the 3rd & 4th bedrooms for a start.

I think it’s over priced. There is another 4 bed one for more money nearby but it has kerb appeal. This one doesn’t. The other one needs updating too but is nicer than this one. I think it needs to be cheaper and it’s best features highlighted. Location, family size, garden and schools. I would probably neutralise all the carpets upstairs and show the bedrooms in the pictures. It looks like it’s owned by older people and making it look more appealing with a throw, a coffee table in the lounge and less clutter would help. The piano to be put in storage?

The sun room might put people off because it doesn’t look great quality I’m afraid. It’s expensive to knock this down but it gives a great platform for an extension!

No one would be surprised to find artex in the house with this decor though. Specifying it in every single room and going out of your way to include it in the photos is a bizarre way to try to sell the house. A single phrase at the top such as "might benefit from cosmetic updating" would cover this without ramming it down people's throats and bringing their attention to the negative 11 times over.

OP over the years I have seen a few houses like this, that are in excellent repair but just a bit dated, and they tend to be a bit overpriced. I think it's that the owners have taken much pride in the house and spent a lot of money on upkeep, and they see it as worth the same as one that has been done up to more modern taste. Whereas to buyers, it's often still a fixer upper and they are not prepared to pay that much. Price is always something to consider if they are still not getting viewings after the ad is changed.

Those two houses would lead me to believe Chippenham is stuck in the 1970s, they both need a shedload of work. The market’s dead at the moment and I suspect the competition is fierce.

There are too many little things in the pictures- starting with the outside entry area.

The bones of the house are good, but being honest it’s a total update job isn’t it? Every carpet, every wall, bathroom, the artex, probably needs a rewrire, every light fitting and every light switch etc - and the price doesn’t seem to reflect that.

Also as PP says the description is bad and the garden photo would be nicer taken now.

It needs to be marketed in its best light - fab space, garden, location - perfect for a young family to put their own stamp on this property with so much potential. Would benefit from cosmetic updates.

Slightly newer, still with artex, smaller plot, conservatory. Better decoration, 30K less.
here

Houses of a similar age but more potential, or newer and with less doing are all coming in at 30K less than your friends are asking. Sorry

Those two houses would lead me to believe Chippenham is stuck in the 1970s

Actuality most of them are like that, which made me think there was a lot of elderly people living in Chippenham.

Not much to add but it's more expensive in Chippenham that I have imagined

I would say its fairly dated but not a complete doer upper. You could easily live in that and do up rooms one at a time. Our house had no pics of the interiorso i knew would be pretty bad when we bought it and even then wasn't unlivable

Just clicked on that and had a surprise! I used to live in Chippenham - but not that house!!! LOL

That description is so bad that I can’t think of any explanation other than the agent not wanting to sell it.

You’ve already had good feedback, but I’d also suggest them getting the artex asbestos tested. That’s one of the things that puts people off it, so at least they’d have the info.

Positives
.Large garden especially for newer build (photos may make people think it’s messy but it looks tidy to me but wrong time of year with no leaves on the trees/bushes)
. Detached

Negatives
. It looks cared for but I think it needs cosmetic updating 30k or so plaster etc etc
. It appears to be small for a 4 bed. Looks like more a 3 bed double. On the floorplan bedroom 4 doesn’t even have a door? To me it seems like these 2 singles should be one larger double.
. The garden is a little overlooked to the western boundary not to my standards but maybe to the larger garden buyers who want the privacy a larger garden usually provides.

On conclusion it appears larger 4/5 bed detached houses go for 430-450k in the surrounding streets in more of a turn key condition. So whilst they’ll never have the garden this house has they’re a larger footprint house. So I think at the moment you’re only getting viewers with the vision to add value and want a larger garden. Other viewers may look and say for 50k more we can get a much larger house without the faff of plastering and new bathroom.

I do think you could get asking price but it may take a little longer to sell to a smaller pool.

The estate agents are rubbish as pp have said. They need to sell the potential. Clearing the garden, putting out some modern garden furniture to suggest summer BBQ etc and tidying up the front would help

I certainly don't think it needs thirty grands worth of work on it. Repainted, new carpets new bathroom and it will be fine.

Although the floor plans does not appear to have a door on bed floor you're right,,🤔

This is very local to me :) The local FaceBook Chippenham buy/sell group has about 35,000 members. Might be worth posting a pic and link there as local people would see it?

Thanks everyone. My friends have had the house for over 30 years, It is clean, solid and up together. All electrics/plumbing is fine.

I dont think it needs as much work as some people seem to think. I imagine any buyer would want to paint it their own colours, the walls are sound and light coloured so that wouldnt be too onerous. No replastering - unless they want to lose the artex, Which I had done in my house and it took 2 days for the whole house.

They appear to have used a weird filter as the walls aren't actually yellow and the ceilings aren't shiny!
Bathroom suite is fine, tiles aren't to everyones taste, but its all servicable.
I've been looking at the photos again and realised that the photographer has been so busy focusing on the ceilings you can't actually see the seating area in the kitchen, about 1/4 of the lounge where there is another window, a chair and a dresser. and nothing of the utility room or 2 bedrooms.

As well as not showing the length of the drive which can easily park 4 cars or the patio and seating area in the garden.

It's interesting that someone thought the sunroom wasnt of good quality as it is a solid roof, thoroughly insulated one that they use all year round so that needs to be highlighted as a positive not assumed to be a negative.

It was so useful having all your thoughts. I know the house well, so my brain has filled in the gaps of the photos and I didn't even register how yellow all the walls look!

That's a great idea Flowerstar, I will suggest that after the agent has removed their bizarre fixation with informing buyers that every room has a ceiling and a door!

They have had 2 offers close to asking price, so I dont think the price is too far off. The price was advised by the agent. They aren't holding out for the asking price, but want a proceedable buyer. Hopefully one of the existing people who have offered will be able to buy it, but if not more viewers may lead to the actual sale.

Thanks again for your time and fresh eyes. Really helpful.