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Help me sell my house!

218 replies

HelpMeSellMyHouse · 03/02/2020 16:59

You guys are pretty good with the constructive criticism, can you help me with my house advert please!

I hope the link works:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66245415.html

It’s estimated on Nesteria at £325k. It’s been on since Nov and we’ve had 5 viewings. All feedback except one says that they like it but not in position to buy yet 😖 Other feedback is too much work so looking at new builds - there’s a few going up in our village so having to compete with them. But we do have lovely views which the field won’t be built on as the neighbours collectively bought it. Also there are no bungalows for sale in the new build estate.

Ny husband is currently paining the master bedroom... then the rest of the house, all white to freshen up.

Help me please

OP posts:
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Disfordarkchocolate · 03/02/2020 21:21

I don't know the area but I was looking to buy you would be low down my list of places to look at. I like warm and inviting, and to me, it's cold and dark. I'd have probably bought something else before I got to you I'm afraid.

Pollaidh · 03/02/2020 21:30

The view is nice, and I can't comment on the price as that would get you a studio around here.

The kitchen and bathroom are both very dated. Could you paint the tiles, it's quite cheap and fairly easy apparently.
The wooden floor in the sitting room is nice, assuming up close it's genuine and not laminate.
The walls are what struck me. They're so bland. I know neutral is important when selling, but the rooms look so wrong without maybe 1 medium to large framed picture/artwork on 1-2 of the walls.

BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo · 03/02/2020 21:41

The field at the back of the house would massively put me off, nice flat field with other houses around it equals prime building land.

TheCumbrian · 03/02/2020 22:00

The field at the back of the house would massively put me off, nice flat field with other houses around it equals prime building land

It explains why this won't happen in the OP. It belongs to a group of neighbours who collectively bought it to prevent it from being built on.

LolaSkoda · 03/02/2020 22:19

For me as a buyer, there is nothing in your home that would put me off. I’m the sort who doesn’t care if you have lampshades or a dog in the photo.

I do however care about the bigger things - such as the kitchen. Functional but dated I can deal with, but only if this is reflected in the price.

What can sometimes work for people, is picking one area of the home, making it look amazing with lampshades etc and all of the decorative crap, so people get an idea of what the property could look like.

HelpMeSellMyHouse · 03/02/2020 22:26

Thanks all. Food for thought.

The field out the back is owned by a collection of my neighbours... we were offered to chip in but declined. It is rented out to the local farmer and will never be built on

OP posts:
BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo · 03/02/2020 22:29

Thanks Cumbrian

BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo · 03/02/2020 22:36

I think if the field can’t be built on that needs to be made a selling point and stated clearly on the particulars, as looking at the property details I cannot see that the views are protected and would assume they could be built on and would put the house in the no pile.

meandmylot · 03/02/2020 23:21

It needs a new kitchen and bathroom. Wouldn't phase us if the house was at a reduced price and all other factors good as we can get the work done but I do know that dated kitchen and bathrooms make some people rule it out without even looking. Would you be prepared to spend a little money modernising it?

lovelyupnorth · 04/02/2020 01:26

@HelpMeSellMyHouse

If you look a 4 bed on geeendales sold for £270k

You got the new houses being built by Russell Armour going for between £250 and £350

Don’t get me wrong nothing wrong with Templand, I know a number of people who live on it but compared to what’s selling £300 for your house is way too much.

If you look there’s a 4 bed barn conversion that’s been on the market for about 3 years at £325k

For reference (and I’ll need to name change after this)

I did live in Allithwaite for nearly 20 years and recently sold.

Orchardgreen · 04/02/2020 03:22

I saw this house on Rightmove a few days ago. I thought it looked like someone had died and it looked like a probate sale.
I can’t believe that people live with no lampshades!

Monty27 · 04/02/2020 04:02

Bland outside and inside apart from the kids bedding which are an eyesore in the photos. In fact all the photos are dreadful apart from the view.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 04/02/2020 04:03

I don't know the area so can't comment on the price.

However, the way it looks at the moment is awful. The fact that you've lived there for 5 years and haven't even put up lampshades suggests that you certainly won't have done any basic maintenance to the house. Also, I am someone who isnt usuall fazed by bad decoration as I can see through that to what's beneath and what the potential is. However, the message I'm getting from this listing is "this house is so awful that no one wants to spend any time in it".

If an older person lived here then could understand why it looks like it does but it's a family home that feels like it's not welcoming at all.

I wouldn't paint the kitchen but I would put up some pictures, buy new bedding, and get some light shades. Also get rid of the dog when you have the photos redone.

mathanxiety · 04/02/2020 06:26

Your photos give no clue as to how you would move through the house, and there are not enough of them. You need a photo of the foyer/hall looking through to the kitchen, photo from dining room showing kitchen door and another from the angle of the current kitchen photo, at least two photos of the living room, one with current view and one from the desk (?) corner. The photo of the view should be last. You need a photo of the back of the house from the garden.

The photo angles are wrong - too much ceiling in all photos.

You need light fixtures, splashes of colour everywhere, a bigger dining room table or a big, colourful area rug in the dining room, plants - oversize ones in attractive pots or preferably pots in big baskets in the sitting room, plant on kitchen window sill. Decide on an accent colour and place a few items in this colour around the house. The pink guitar might be a good starting point.

Take down the little photos from around the map on the dining room wall. Take down the orange framed art and the wicker thing from the window wall in the dining room. Take down the family photos in the kitchen. Take the stickers off the french doors in 2nd bedroom. Remove items from on top of the kitchen cupboards. Take artwork from the outer space-duvet bedroom wall. Tidy up items visible in storage unit in this room. Wolfhound from other room needs to remain your little secret - no cameo appearances in next set of photos. I envy you your pet, but some people are put off by the thought of dog smells from the carpeting every time it rains.

Cover your bed base in white and get a white duvet cover. If possible move those chests of drawers from either side of your bed and get bedside tables instead. Put a few books and matching lamps on the bedside tables (if new furniture is out of the question, then put matching lamps and a few books and/or big candles on top of the drawers). Need artwork on the bedroom wall. Don't hang it too high - map in dining room is too high. Take visible items (they are just about visible) from the top of what I assume is a wardrobe on the right of the master bedroom photo.

Bathroom photo needs to show what the floor is like - is there anything keeping shower water from flowing freely into the room? Entire bath needs to be shown. Need plant/ candles on window sill.

Kitchen photos need to show kitchen appliances, countertop, general size, plus the big storage/pantry, plus the back door - so you need at least two and preferably three photos of the kitchen.
Kitchen itself - can you paint over the dated greige/floral tiles? Maybe in a nice fresh colour in the light blue or green family?

Sitting room - is that a desk tucked away into the far corner? That function for the space should be reflected in its own photo. Pull the couch from beside the desk (or whatever it is) into the room. Coffee table should be out on the rug with a bright candle, some books, a quirky objet d'art on it. Big, oversize plant left or right of the fireplace emphasises natural light and reduces angularity of the room. A neat pile of logs in some attractive/rustic container by the fire would also add to the homeyness. Address the watermark problem (?) on the coffee table. Big mirror over fireplace. You need that floor lamp over by the window (left side of window as you look at the fire).

Your curtain colours throughout except for the sitting room are heavy and a bit drab. I would replace the olive/khaki with a blue or red, or even white. Dining room might benefit from a brighter colour.

Put some patio furniture and pots of shrubs/flowers on your nice deck and include photos.

Your floorplan needs room dimensions.

mathanxiety · 04/02/2020 06:31

I would also put a second - colourful - smaller rug down on top of the bigger rug in the sitting room to give a layered and cozy feel to the room.

mathanxiety · 04/02/2020 06:31

Sheepskin would also be very nice.

mathanxiety · 04/02/2020 06:38

The description says there is plumbing for a washing machine in the garage.

Do you have a washing machine in the kitchen? Having one in the garage isn't all that attractive if you have to go outside to get access to the garage, and not having space for one in the kitchen (assuming you don't have one, given the description) isn't great, especially when there isn't a dishwasher either.

The kitchen photos need to show location of the fridge.

CoffeeRunner · 04/02/2020 06:51

I agree that it’s just really bland & dated. If it wasn’t for what seem to be children’s bedrooms, I would also have assumed it to be a “granny’s gone into a home” sale.

Do you live there full time? If so, where is all your stuff? Where is the storage?

I think it’s a very good bungalow in a beautiful part of the country but, absolutely, people will just want to gut it & start again so will factor this in to the price they are willing to pay. Apart from the flooring - you do have some nice floors Smile.

HelpMeSellMyHouse · 04/02/2020 07:04

Thanks.

I will take a lot on board.

We do have a dishwasher, washing machine and tumble drier are in the garage because they are noisy and did my head in. They can be used in the kitchen.

OP posts:
lovelyupnorth · 04/02/2020 07:12

Good news about the field as it was on the list for the local plan at one point along with the fields off Wartbarrow Lane - they where also bought by one of the house but only after they where kept out of the next 10 year plan.

Good luck. Loved our time in Allithwaite still come back as in laws and family still in Grange and Allithwaite.

I know when we sold ours we only had 4-5 viewings over 3 months and sold for near asking price.

slipperywhensparticus · 04/02/2020 07:13

I wouldn't have a dishwasher in the garage isnt that a faff?

I would love my washing machine out the kitchen though

NightsOfCabiria · 04/02/2020 07:31

Another one here who thought it looked like a probate sale.

Do you have any younger relatives who could help you do it up/tart it up a bit?

Also, people may see the dog and think ‘smell’ etc..

I’m amazed that the EA didnt advise you to at least add some lamp shades.

Bluntness100 · 04/02/2020 07:44

I probably wouldn't spend any money on it op if I'm honest. It would reach 300 maybe if it had been thoroughly modernised inside, but the amount of money it would take to do that I'm not sure it's worth it for you.

I think it's likely to be closer to the 250 mark max. People don't mind updating houses, but they need to get a good price before they will do so. It's unlikely they will pay top end then do it up, right now it's priced like the works been done.

When they see kitchens and bathrooms needing replacing they think ££££ and lots of hassle.

Curious about the lampshades still though. Are you saying it just never occurred to any of uou to put lampshades in? And that you've lived for five years with bare bulbs? I've not really encountered that before.

Lastly can you post a pic of the dog, he looks gorgeous! 😍

goldpendant · 04/02/2020 08:06

OP I've just had another look after reading these comments and I don't believe it is really as bad as is coming from the comments on the thread.

You said your DH is painting, great, your living room is lovely - lampshade and over mantle mirror or art, done. Then aim for the rest of the house to feel similar, neutral, clean, fresh. I'd get some white sheets and a straight balance for your room, then some cheap but pale sheets for the kids rooms which will brighten them up. Lampshades too (even the white paper lantern type ones will do).

Bathroom, I'd choose a complimentary colour and put a bath mat down and some towels about.

And the dog, while lovely and very much at home, isn't nice on the bed in pics for someone who might not like dogs. PP is right, immediate connotations of dog hair and smell.

Good luck. New agent, new pics, drop price!

goldpendant · 04/02/2020 08:07

*valance

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