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Original poster

Why isn't it selling?

91 replies

yabbydabbydoo · 12/09/2019 18:05

Why oh why isn’t my house selling?
Been on the market for 12 weeks. House 3 doors down one way and 5 doors down the other way have both sold in the last month.
Mine is identical to them both, but is on the bend of the road.
It’s cheaper than the ones that have sold too.
New plain gloss white kitchen put in 2.5 years ago, new en suite, cloakroom and main bathroom all put in 6 months ago (all neutral). The whole house is painted very light grey and boring, and we’ve re-carpeted the entire house and landscaped the garden.
I just do not understand?
The feedback we are getting is “bedrooms aren’t a massive improvement on what we already have” they are 3 double and 1 single bedroom, or “the road is busy”, yes it is, but 2 others have sold recently and it’s on the same road as theirs! Another person didn’t like the neighbours conservatory as it stops an inch away from our house.
Everyone saying how beautiful the house is inside, and they love the garden. It’s got 2 parking spaces too which people like.
Our garden is the biggest on the road as we are a corner plot.
I just do not get what I can do to improve it?

OP posts:
Original poster
yabbydabbydoo · 12/09/2019 20:08

Yeah perhaps so.
It’s just so disheartening.

OP posts:
Bluetriangle9 · 12/09/2019 20:15

Personally, for me, a grey house would be off-putting. The sound of three grey bedrooms doesn't feel good. But that aside, I reckon everyone's hunkering down now for Brexit. There is no market near me, everyone's holding their breath.

lastqueenofscotland · 12/09/2019 20:25

Is yours on with the same agent as the others that sold fast or have you used someone else?

Original poster
yabbydabbydoo · 12/09/2019 20:55

Yep on with exactly the same agent.

OP posts:
Original poster
yabbydabbydoo · 12/09/2019 20:55

Even debating renting ours out and moving where we need to go.
But there’s nothing suitable to rent for us.

OP posts:
Whitejasmine · 12/09/2019 21:00

Have you asked the estate agent for an honest answer? Surely they are getting feedback from clients?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 12/09/2019 21:02

Does it smell?
Is it overlooked?
Is the view awful?

These are things which may be massively different to your neighbours.

Original poster
yabbydabbydoo · 12/09/2019 21:16

I’m going to speak to EA tomorrow.
Yes it’s overlooked. But so is every house on this estate. As our garden is one of the biggest it means it’s less overlooked than most.
I don’t think it smells. I’ve asked my mum who is 100% honest with me, and she says no. It’s all hard floors downstairs where the animals are, and I’m a bit of a clean freak.
I hoover/mop/clean work surfaces every day and we have a cleaner for 3 hours a week.
The houses on this estate mostly open straight out onto the road, but I even have a little front garden.
I just want honest answers!

OP posts:
Samosaurus · 12/09/2019 21:21

I just want honest answers!
No one here can give you them without seeing a link - or the floor plan at least!

matteroffactly · 12/09/2019 22:16

For me the heavy wallpaper look in the bedroom would put me off as would the navy lounge wall. Hall and kitchen style looks great. You are bang on trend, but most people are extra boring and might not of got the grey / navy interiors memo, I have grey things and tiles but I'm not a fan of grey on walls. I live on a new build estate too, and I most admit that people don't seem to keep their places nice. My neighbours have weeds the size of trees and this is not just one house, it's the majority. Nothing you can do about that. I did just Zoopla'd my house and it's showing as worth less than we paid for the first time ever. In fact just refixed my mortgage and my bank said their index said it was worth about £60k more than we paid, so how knows who is correct? I do think the damn Brexit delay and shambles is part of it.

Africa2go · 12/09/2019 22:43

I think you have 3 main issues :

  1. Corner plot - you say its a busy road so presumably you get that (noise / lights etc) on side and front?
  1. You have potentially annoying neighbours that dont look after their properties - I'd be worried it would get worse over time
  1. You're asking £15k more than it was worth 2 years ago. That is public information - and depending on the value of the house and what % that equates to, potential buyers might think its not worth £15k more in your local market.
NotMaryWhitehouse · 13/09/2019 06:17

I agree, it's the neighbours. I would imagine that the sort of people who want to buy a house recently done up to a high standard, tasteful, etc, do not want to live next door to scruff bags!

Is it obvious on pics of your house, or a nasty surprise when they come to view?

Pinkyyy · 13/09/2019 06:58

If you're so desperate for honest feedback then you need to post the link, people here hold nothing back. Your mum, however honest she may be, will not give you the honesty you're looking for. How long has it been on the market for?

Post the link.

ritzbiscuits · 13/09/2019 07:08

We lived next door to scruffy neighbours, they were there when we bought be we didn't particularly notice and were young/naive!

We had lots of issues with them; front and back very messy, found a dead rat in our garden which we think was done to their cleanliness inside, they we literally hoarding rubbish. And that's before we get into arguments and screaming sometimes.

We had major issues selling, and we eventually only sold when they moved out and a young couple gutted the place.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you may want to think seriously about alternative plans to rent if your house struggles to shift. Brexit won't be helping either.

Waterandlemonjuice · 13/09/2019 07:13

I think it’s Brexit, the market and the neighbors

testingtesting111 · 13/09/2019 07:31

It is impossible to give any meaningful feedback without actual information pictures, floorplan, links to what you're comparing to etc. Pictures of your inspiration don't really help as anyone can make a bedroom look nice. Xx

testingtesting111 · 13/09/2019 07:31

Apologies for the xxConfused

theyvegotme · 13/09/2019 07:42

Ok, I'm going to be honest.

I've just bought a house.

I viewed a few that were like how yours sound- high gloss kitchen, grey walls and plastic grass.

You think that's all great.

To me, that's all stuff I'll have to redo. High gloss is hard to keep looking that way (one finger mark and it's ruined) grey is harsh and depressing to a lot of people (not neutral at all) and there is so much wrong with plastic grass I'm not going to start.

Sorry to be harsh.

I have just bought a house with a wooden kitchen, wooden floors, neutral decor and an actual lawn.

I would suggest, you get some turf down in place of the plastic grass if you can and repaint in cream, magnolia or white. Changing the kitchen may be a bit much I understand.

NotMaryWhitehouse · 13/09/2019 07:45

Or post a floor plan maybe?

yourestandingonmyneck · 13/09/2019 08:35

.....never understand these posters who ask "why isn't my house selling?" but don't share a link to the house Hmm

In short, OP, without seeing it, we have no idea.

Best of luck.

StarbucksSmarterSister · 13/09/2019 08:58

I just want honest answers!

Honestly all the grey would put me off. I bloody hate the colour so wouldn't even consider your house because I'd have to redecorate and presumably recarpet most of it.

I see this a lot on Right Move because grey was very fashionable a couple of years ago. One room would be ok but not more.

BarbedBloom · 13/09/2019 11:24

I also think you should share a link if you really want advice, but will try to help. The trouble is there was a house on here a while ago that was described as neural, but I hated the light fittings and thought it looked dark, so it is hard for people to judge completely without looking at something.

The neighbors would be an issue for me after living beside similar people before. I hate high gloss so would have to rip the kitchen out. I would have to repaint the grey and I would have to get rid of the artificial grass. It may be that there is another house on where I don't need to do all of that, so I would pick that one.

The market is awful at the moment and a lot of people are wary because of Brexit, so they want a house where they feel they could stay long term just in case.

m0therofdragons · 13/09/2019 11:26

@yabbydabbydoo I wouldn't take zoopla as an accurate valuation. Our neighbours have lived in their house for 15 years and we moved here 2 years ago. Theirs is valued at 20k more than ours despite ours having an extra reception room and each room being double the size plus a larger garden. It's a bit hit and miss.

I'd ask your estate agent for honest impression and anything he'd suggest. Some are helpful others useless (like the one who told us our first house wasn't selling because the ceilings were too low - 1. I can't change where the ceilings are, 2. It was a cottage, 3. Stop sending 6'5" men round as clearly they're not going to buy it!)

Photos in a good order plus a layout are essential as you want people to visualise living there before walking in. Good luck!

inwood · 13/09/2019 11:31

Brexit
Price
Too grey
Neighbours

Cohle · 13/09/2019 11:34

If people are commenting on the road being busy then I imagine it's the corner plot causing problems.

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